THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Prince Harry 'Feels Responsible' for Duchess Meghan 'Being So Miserable'. Prince Harry can't help but feel responsible for his pregnant wife Duchess Meghan's unhappiness over a stream of negative stories and public criticism. "Meghan made a huge sacrifice by moving across the pond, away from her mom and friends," an insider reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly. "Marrying into the royal family isn't anywhere near as glamorous as it seems, so in a lot of ways Harry feels responsible for Meghan being so miserable." A source close to the duchess adds that the 34-year-old prince "takes any attack on Meghan very personally." "He's wanted to publicly make a statement many times defending Meghan and addressing the false rumors," the source says. "But was advised not to." Following their November 2017 engagement and subsequent wedding in May, Meghan, 37, has faced a series of negative stories in the media, including allegations that she is difficult and entitled. Most recently, the former Suits star was accused of feuding with her sister-in-law, Duchess Kate, and was painted as a social climber in a December Vanity Fair story. "Meghan has so much on her plate, between being pregnant and dealing with the public backlash, and she's finding the whole situation incredibly stressful," a royal insider says in the new issue of Us. Another source adds that the Duchess of Sussex, who is due in the spring, is "definitely bothered by all the reports and speculation." This is not the first time that Meghan has wanted to defend herself to the press. A source previously told Us in September that the former actress wanted "to speak out" about the drama surrounding her father, Thomas Markle, and half-sister, Samantha Markle, but opted not to. "Meghan is used to replying to any sort of controversy or comment on Twitter and through a publicist," the source told Us at the time. "It's taken a while for Meghan to get used to having the palace more involved with her life and steering her public image, but she's finally getting comfortable and trusts that they have her best interests at heart." For more on Meghan and Harry, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. (UsMagazine)

When it came to finding the perfect engagement ring to propose to girlfriend Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, former NFL pro Tim Tebow wanted something just as special as his soon-to-be wife. "This ring is internally flawless -- just like you," Tebow, 31, said as he slipped the jaw-dropping 7.25-carat solitaire ring on Nel-Peters' finger as she said yes. Tebow purchased the diamond sparkler a month before proposing, from a broker who flew into Jacksonville with several different gems for him to choose from. PEOPLE exclusively broke the news of Tebow and Nel-Peters' engagement, which happened at sunset on Wednesday at his family's farm outside of Jacksonville, Florida. The couple strolled along the property, and stopped next to a small lake, where Tebow had installed an arbor and a specially made bench that was engraved with the date the couple first met. "I actually wasn't really nervous," Tebow told PEOPLE. "I was excited. I wanted everything to be perfect and to go smoothly. But I wasn't nervous to actually ask her." After Nel-Peters, 23, said "yes," Tebow surprised her when South African singer Matthew Mole stepped out from behind a hay bale and serenaded the couple with "The Wedding Song" -- one of their favorite songs. "Any dreams I've ever had, you've exceeded them all! I love you and I can't wait to spend forever with you!" the bride-to-be wrote on Instagram after the exciting news was announced. Tebow echoed her sentiment writing, "Thank you for saying YES and making me the happiest man in the world. You're the love of my life, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." To make the moment extra-special, Tebow secretly flew in Nel-Peters' family and closest friends from South Africa to Florida to witness the engagement. Their parents, siblings and friends watched the proposal while hiding in the distance, and then came out of hiding to shock the former Miss Universe, who had no idea they had flown halfway around the globe to attend the engagement party. Tebow told PEOPLE that he's looking forward to planning the wedding. "I'm sure she's got some great ideas," he said. "It's going to be really exciting, and I can't wait." Nel-Peters added: "I'm so excited for the wedding, and I can't wait to spend forever with Tim." (People)

Justin Bieber and his wife, Hailey, have learned a valuable lesson -- before you drop a ton of cash on a new home ... double-check the pipes. Sources close to the Biebers tell TMZ ... they were forced to leave their $100k/month crib in the San Fernando Valley last month after a major plumbing issue arose, among other problems. We broke the story ... JB signed a lease to rent the 4 bedroom, 7 bathroom Mediterranean-style house in October, but we're told the couple's had a bunch of issues. A pool heater broke, there was trouble with the AC and a pipe burst ... which our sources say was the final straw. They've moved out, but there's no worry the landlord will go after them for breaking a lease. We're told this was a month-to-month deal, so they're in the clear. Justin and Hailey have been staying at a Beverly Hills hotel ever since, and if the vid of Justin singing in front of the hotel is any indication ... they've been making the most of it. But now, we're told they want a place of their own, so they're on the hunt. As for whether they'll commit to buying, our sources say the couple's on the fence. (TMZ)

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez have apparently had enough of the first property they bought together ... because they're already trying to unload their NYC love nest, only 10 months after scooping it up! We've confirmed the celeb couple is listing their kick-ass pad at 432 Park Ave for a cool $17.5 million, as first reported by the NY Post. It's unclear why J Lo and A-Rod are already unloading the 4,000 square foot unit, which is in the world's tallest residential building. You'll recall ... J Lo and A-Rod bought the 3 bedroom, 4.5 bathroom apartment back in March, dropping $15.3 million on their first real estate purchase together. The place has some insane views of the Big Apple. (TMZ)

Forget Los Angeles ... Shaq says if he were a young baller in today's NBA -- his next free agency contract would be with the Knicks!!! "If I was a youngster, Madison Avenue would be turning into Shaq Avenue." It's interesting ... seeing as EVERY big-name free agent over the last several years has passed on the Knicks for other (mostly Golden State-colored) pastures. But the Diesel tells us he doesn't understand why dudes aren't just lining up to play in Madison Square Garden. "People always talk about business and business after basketball. Knicks don't have a star player, so any superstar that comes there, Madison Avenue is going to open up them doors." That could change soon ... while the free agent market ain't exactly warm for NY next summer -- a high draft pick could be in the cards. Does that mean Zion Williamson could be the next Knicks superstar?? We know one guy who'd love to see that. (TMZ)

Jack Swagger and CM Punk are former WWE World Heavyweight Champions turned MMA fighters ... but that's where the similarities end, 'cause Swagger tells TMZ Sports when he fights, he ain't losing. Big facts ... Swagger -- real name Jake Hager -- was a pro wrestling superstar. But he was also a stud on the wrestling mats in college -- earning All-American honors at Oklahoma in '06. That's precisely why 6'7", 265 lb Swagger says when he steps into the cage to fight J.W. Kiser at Bellator 214 on January 26 ... he'll look NOTHING like Punk -- who got destroyed in both of his UFC fights. "I'm different for so many reasons," Swagger told us ... "I've been wrestling since I was 5 years old, bro." "I have over 150 Division 1 college wrestling matches, and I'm gonna rely on that as my amateur MMA and boxing career to help when the anxiety kicks in." Punk -- who lasted less than 3 minutes before Mickey Gall almost choked the life outta him -- had no prior combat experience before signing with the UFC at 36-years-old ... no real wrestling, boxing or jiu-jitsu experience to lean on. "I think the biggest thing that you're gonna see is the difference between me and him is that I am prepared. I am 100% prepared to take this fight, to go into that Octagon, go in that cage and inflict my will on anybody." (TMZ)

Lauren Sanchez's 'loose lips' lead to leak of racy Jeff Bezos texts. Former TV anchor Lauren Sanchez had "loose lips" about her relationship with Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, sources tell The Post -- and now the whole world knows. Cringe-worthily romantic text messages exchanged between the pair and published on Thursday by the National Enquirer raised the question of which member of the besotted-but-still-married pair leaked them to the tabloid. Sources close to the investigation say Sanchez sent the sexts to a friend to show off about her relationship with the world's richest man -- and then the pal slipped the texts to the Enquirer. "Lauren's over the moon [about their relationship]," said a source. Meanwhile, a source who has seen the raunchier text messages -- which the tabloid didn't publish, but that include explicit selfies -- says Bezos has more to boast about than his bank account. "He's big," said the insider. One Enquirer staffer who worked on the story says the four-month-long operation -- amusingly dubbed "Project Alexa," after Amazon's digital assistant -- was top secret. "Only four editorial people knew of Project Alexa," the staffer said. "We followed their every move. They had no idea -- which is kinda ironic given [Bezos] had his own private security with him all along." Sanchez did not return a call seeking comment. (TMZ)

Meghan Markle's Half-Brother Arrested for DUI. Meghan Markle's half-brother Thomas Markle Jr. is making headlines again, but this time it isn't for their family feud. E! News can confirm the 52-year-old was arrested for a DUI in the wee hours of Friday morning in Oregon, as first reported by TMZ. At 1:33 a.m., authorities pulled him over and performed a field sobriety test which confirmed that Thomas was inebriated. He also blew a .11, three points over the legal limit of .08 percent. He was then sent to a detox center so he could "sober up" and be released. This is not Thomas' first encounter with police. Markle Jr. was arrested in January 2017 after he pulled a gun on his fiancee, Darlene Blount, during a heated and drunken argument. At the time of his arrest, Blount reportedly told officials she feared for her life, but she dropped the case the following month. Then, in July 2018, Blount and Markle Jr. got into another fight while under the influence, which resulted in Darlene giving Thomas a black eye. She was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of fourth degree assault, however Markle Jr. told the Daily Mail he hoped the charges will be dropped. Not long after, the couple told the Daily Mail they quit drinking in the hopes that it would help to get the charges against Darlene dropped. Markle Jr revealed he told the district attorney handling the case, "We're getting couples' counseling, individual counseling and we've drastically just cut alcohol and beer out of our lives." They recently told the outlet that they believed the case would be dropped by February. Blount and Markle Jr. plan to celebrate the end of the saga by holding their wedding in March. News of his arrest comes days after Meghan's older brother announced he extended an invitation to Meghan and Prince Harry to his March wedding. Thomas and his fiancee shared that they hoped their ceremony would provide an opportunity for Thomas Markle Sr. and Meghan to reconcile after months of drama. "Starting out the New Year by bringing our family closer together is definitely on the to-do list -- it's very important," Markle Jr. told the Daily Mail. Although, Thomas is doubtful that a reunion will take place. In November, he told Daily Mail, "But if I bet a dollar on [Meghan] coming, I could retire off of that if she did -- those are the odds of her coming." (Eonline)

James Middleton Candidly Reveals Battle With Depression: It's a "Cancer of the Mind." James Middleton is opening up. While Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's younger brother has long kept out of the spotlight, it seems the 31-year-old businessman is ready to share his story. Just a day after his public Instagram account emerged, The Daily Mail published an essay penned by Middleton, in which he candidly revealed his secret struggle with depression and attention-deficit disorder. As he explained in the essay, his mental health had deteriorated for a year before he sought help two years ago around December 2017. "I know I'm richly blessed and live a privileged life. But it did not make me immune to depression," Middleton wrote. "It is tricky to describe the condition. It is not merely sadness. It is an illness, a cancer of the mind." As he continued, "It's not a feeling but an absence of feelings. You exist without purpose or direction. I couldn't feel joy, excitement or anticipation only heart-thudding anxiety propelled me out of bed in the morning. I didn't actually contemplate suicide -- but I didn't want to live in the state of mind I was in either." As Middleton recalled, it was his childhood struggle with dyslexia that made his journey through school a challenge as taking tests was difficult and his grades suffered. Simultaneously, he was unaware he was suffering from ADD. "I'm not criticizing the system. But because I didn't know my brain worked differently -- and neither did my parents -- I couldn't find a way of steering round my ADD. If diagnosis and help had happened sooner, I'd have found life so much easier," he wrote. By 2016, he sought out his doctor and tests revealed he had an irregular heartbeat spurred by stress and anxiety. While Middleton was able to handle the symptoms with medication, he did not address his depression through 2017. "I barely functioned, stopped talking to my friends, went through the motions of living and working but achieved nothing at all," he described. Ultimately, by the end of that year, he told his doctor he needed help and has been seeing a psychiatrist, who also diagnosed him with ADD, ever since. With the help and support of his family, loved ones and dogs, the Duchess of Cambridge's younger brother has been able to embrace himself entirely and learn how to cope. "Today, I feel a new sense of purpose and zest for life," he assured. As for the decision to speak out now, he was inspired by the work of his sister and brother-in-law, Prince William. "This is precisely what my brother-in-law Prince William, my sister Catherine and Prince Harry are advocating through their mental health charity Heads Together," he wrote. Ultimately, Middleton is eager to use the platform he has been given for good. "People have asked me, too, if my public profile has made it harder for me. Would I have become so depressed if I hadn't been subject to the pressure of public scrutiny that comes with my association with the Royal Family?" he added. "The answer is, I believe I would. But I wouldn't have found a voice or an outlet for my story if it hadn't been for the people I'm related to. And that puts me in a unique position of privilege and trust. I feel I have a duty to speak out, so I can help others who are suffering as I did." As Middleton concluded, "If I could leave you with just one thought, it would be this: 'It's OK not to be OK.'" (Eonline)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fall Book Discussion and Movie Series

Book discussion group to meet

City Page Survey