THE OTHER STUFF . . .

The first photo of Keri Russell and Adam Driver in Broadway's Burn This. "You can imagine them in bed together." That's what Tony-Award-winning director Michael Mayer has to say about the crackling first publicity image of Keri Russell and Adam Driver for their upcoming Broadway play, Burn This. "You feel this erotic and emotional connection very strongly," he adds. The Star Wars: Episode IX costars are returning to the stage for the first ever revival of Lanford Wilson's Pulitzer Prize winning drama, which begins previews on March 15 with opening night set for April 16 at New York's Hudson Theatre. Brandon Uranowitz (Falsettos) and David Furr (Noises Off) round out the cast. Russell and Driver lead the action as Anna, a professional dancer and choreographer, and Pale, a coke-addicted hyper-active restaurant manager, who are brought together when Robbie, Anna's dance partner and Pale's brother, dies in a mysterious boating accident. The play follows the explosive chemistry between these two strangers as Wilson probes love, lust, and the power of raw attraction in his smoldering, award-winning play. The original production of Burn This starred John Malkovich and Joan Allen in Driver and Russell's roles in a buzzy production that made the leap from its 1987 Off Broadway iteration to the Great White Way. Mayer has circled around the play for some time, and was initially attached to an announced 2017 staging slated to star Jake Gyllenhaal which never came to fruition. The director finally gets to sink his teeth into the Pulitzer winner with a star-studded cast. "Lanford Wilson wrote a play 32 years ago for Adam Driver and Keri Russell to star in and they are going to do it justice," he teases. (Entertainment Weekly)

Prince Philip Apologizes to Woman Injured in Car Crash: "I'm Deeply Sorry." Prince Philip has apologized to the woman injured in a car crash last week. On Jan. 17, the 97-year-old crashed into Emma Fairweather's car near Sandringham Estate. He went uninjured in the crash, but Fairweather reportedly broke her wrist. Another woman in the car had scrapes on her knees and the 9-month-old baby in the backseat fortunately was not injured. Buckingham Palace released a statement that day about the situation. "The Duke of Edinburgh was involved in a road traffic accident with another vehicle this afternoon," it said. "The Duke was not injured." Prince Philip went to a doctor later on as a precaution but was cleared. Following the car crash, Fairweather spoke to the Sunday Mirror and told the publication that she was "upset" that the Duke of Edinburgh had not apologized to her as of two days later. "It has been such a traumatic and painful time and I would have expected more of the Royal Family," she said on Jan. 19. She added, "I love the royals but I've been ignored and rejected and I'm in a lot of pain. It would mean the world to me if Prince Philip said sorry but I have no idea if he's sorry at all." Well, it seems now Prince Philip and the royals have heard her pain and offered their apologies last week. On Saturday, Mirror published a photo of a letter allegedly sent to Fairweather from the Prince. The letter was dated Jan. 21. Buckingham Palace told the Mirror that the letter was genuine. Prince Philip typed a letter but wrote the salutation and signature in blue pen. "I would like you to know how very sorry I am for my part in the accident at Babingley cross-roads," it began. "I have been across that crossing any number of times and I know very well the amount of traffic that uses the main road. It was a bright sunny day and at about three in the afternoon, the sun was low over the Wash," it continued. "In other words, the sun was shining low over the main road. In normal conditions I would have no difficulty in seeing traffic coming from the Dershingham direction, but I can only imagine that I failed to see the other car coming, and I am very contrite about the consequences." Fairweather, however, disputes Prince Philip's statement about it being a "bright sunny day." She told the Mirror, "Prince Philip apparently said to a witness that it was the sun that dazzled him but I can't see how that could be true when it was overcast." Prince Philip admitted he was "somewhat shaken after the accident" but he was "greatly relieved" that no one in Fairweather's car was "seriously injured." He went on, "I have since learned that you suffered a broken arm. I am deeply sorry about this injury." He concluded the letter, "I wish you a speedy recovery from a very distressing experience." Queen Elizabeth II's husband has since been seen driving around the area in a new Land Rover. While a letter with Sandringham Estate's seal on it and a signature from Prince Philip is a once-in-a-lifetime souvenir, Fairtweather knows exactly where she's going to keep it. She told the paper, "It will just go in a file with all the rest of paperwork on this." (Eonline)

The Prop Matt LeBlanc "Stole" From the Friends Set Will Melt Your Heart. When Friends ended 15 years ago, Matt LeBlanc decided to take a little piece of the show with him. The Joey character revealed the piece he "stole" from the set on Friday's episode of The Tonight Show. As fans will recall, Joey and Matthew Perry's character Chandler had a Magna Doodle hanging on the door of their apartment. Every so often, its drawings and words would change. This was thanks to Paul Swain -- an electrician on the crew who would add fun little sketches to it. "I stole it and gave it to him, so he's got it. So, that's kind of cool," the actor said. "I could have sold it for a lot more." However, that Magna Doodle wasn't the only item LeBlanc swiped. He also said he took the foosball from Joey and Chandler's foosball table. He now keeps it in his toolbox. He also joked he took a "ton of cash" from the show's success. "I couldn't fit the couch in my car," he quipped. Friends premiered back in 1994, but LeBlanc still remembered his audition like it was yesterday. After going in a "bunch of times" for the role, LeBlanc knew the casting decision had come down to himself and one other person. However, he figured he had the role in the bag after the other actor came in dressed like a cowboy -- a far cry from Joey's persona. "I was like, 'Well, one of us is way off base,'" LeBlanc recalled. Even after almost two decades, fans still can't get enough of the show. In fact, Netflix reportedly paid around $100 million to keep it on its streaming service after diehards caught wind it might be taken off and freaked out. However, it seems like the 51-year-old celebrity isn't a fan of binge-watching old episodes. "I have a hard time watching it these days," he said. "Yeah, because it makes me feel like I'm 100 years old." (Eonline)

Adele Enjoys a Date Night With Her Husband at Elton John's Concert. Hello from the other side! Adele made a rare public appearance on Friday when she stepped out for a date night with her husband Simon Konecki. The two were spotted arriving backstage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for Elton John's tour: Farewell Yellow Brick Road. The "Someone Like You" singer stunned in a colorful, patterned ensemble. She accessorized her look with hoop earrings and black heels and tucked her hair back into a chic and sophisticated bun. It's no surprise Adele would want to attend Elton's big show. After all, the two seemed to have formed a close connection. The "Skyfall" star told Vogue Elton reached out to her before she had throat surgery in 2011. Fans will also recall she wrote the "Rocket Man" star a handwritten note when she couldn't attend his wedding in 2014. Although, she promised to see Elton and his husband David Furnish in 2015. While Adele keeps her fans in the loop by occasionally posting pictures on Instagram, she tends to stay out of the public eye. Although, she did attend the Grenfell Tower National Memorial Srevice in London back in December. She also had a secret visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen, which Meghan Markle supports, that same month. However, she wasn't the only celebrity to attend Elton's farewell tour. The Muse's Matt Bellamy and the Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins attended the show, too. In addition, Sam Smith, Lady Gaga and Niall Horan were at the show earlier this week. (Eonline)

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman's Son Connor Makes Rare Public Outing. Connor Cruise is all grown up! As the son of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, the 24-year-old's personal life has been covered by a shroud of secrecy. From a young age, the star and his parents maintained the utmost privacy, but every once in awhile, the public gets a view of the elusive figure. Thursday night was one of those rare instances when Connor was spotted out and about. A bearded Cruise was seen leaving Beverly Hills restaurant Madeo in a navy long-sleeved shirt, which was rolled up to show off an array of tattoos, and black jeans. The middle child of the Cruise kids appears to be visiting the Los Angeles area, since he currently lives in Clearwater, Fla. with his father. Cruise and Kidman adopted Connor and his older sister Bella during their marriage, which ended in 2001. Their family-of-four has since moved to different places across the globe, with Nicole living in her native Australia with husband Keith Urban and their two daughters, and sister Bella living in London with her husband, who she wed in 2015. As for Tom, his home base is in Clearwater, Fla. with Connor, where the Church of Scientology has its headquarters. According to People, Connor has his own home in "a Scientology community" and devotes his time to deep-sea fishing. Despite the distance between Bella and Connor to their mother, Bella has shared that they are a "very close family." "I love mom. She's my mom. She's great. I see her sometimes and I speak to her," the eldest of the family told Australia's New Idea magazine in 2012. Likewise, Connor has said that he and his mom "are solid." And while Nicole rarely discusses her relationship with her children, who remain in the Church of Scientology, she recently spoke about the mutual respect they have for one another. "They are adults," Nicole said about their children. "They are able to make their own decisions. They have made choices to be Scientologists and as a mother, it's my job to love them." (Eonline)

Fire Breaks Out at Ed Sheeran's Country Estate in England. Ed Sheeran's country home was seeing fire on Friday. Fire crews headed to the Grammy-winning crooner's estate in Suffolk, England after a "small building fire" was reported. A call was made around 7:30 a.m. and, thanks to the work of three fire engines, it was put out and the smoke ventilated in less than two hours. "Three engines were sent to the incident, from Framlingham, Saxmundham and Halesworth," a Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service representative said. "Crews extinguished the fire quickly and then ventilated the area of heavy smoke." The cause of the fire and the state of any damage is unclear at this time. E! News has reached out to Sheeran's rep for comment. A East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said there were no jobs matching the description for the fire in the county on Friday. The star grew up in Suffolk and reportedly lives at the estate with his fiancee, Cherry Seaborn. Thinking of you, Ed! (Eonline)

Demi has landed on her feet after her extended stint in rehab, following her near-fatal overdose last July. She's been back in L.A. since November and has been dating her sober companion, Henry Levy. Demi, who has struggled with addiction for years, was sober for 6 years before her relapse and has clearly made sobriety her priority. Several years ago she chose to live in a sober house for an extended period of time to help ensure she would not relapse. The photo shows a chip that signifies 6 months of sobriety. (TMZ)

Every time David Arquette launches off the top rope, his family cringes inside ... 'cause the actor-turned-wrestler's sister tells TMZ Sports his new career scares the hell outta her!! We spoke with Golden Globe-winner Patricia Arquette about David's new, more bloody career as a pro wrestler ... and she says he's got her full support ... even if she's too scared to watch him perform. "It scares me a little bit. We're all scared as a family," Patricia says. "But also, I know this is David's life and David is an eccentric, wonderful, incredible person and it's his path." Patricia says she's most worried about David getting hurt ... and rightfully so. Have you SEEN what he does in the ring?!? As we've previously reported, Arquette has been on a mission to get respect as a real deal wrestler -- after participating in one of the worst storylines EVER back in the WCW days. Arquette won the WCW heavyweight title back in April 2000 as part of a promotion for his movie, "Ready 2 Rumble" ... a stunt that's been panned as the lowest moment in pro wrestling history. But, David has been laser-focused on redemption and even went to Mexico to train with luchadores to prove he can hang with the big boys. His comeback has been nothing short of impressive -- he's executed crazy aerial maneuvers, bulked up ... and even sacrificed his body in a death match. The 47-year-old was hospitalized and got stitches -- but returned to the ring a short time later. We just saw Arquette a few weeks ago and he made it clear he ain't slowing down any time soon. (TMZ)

XXXTentacion's legacy lives on, in the form of a baby boy who was born 7 months after his tragic death. X's girlfriend gave birth Saturday to Gekyume Onfroy. The kid already has a nickname -- Yume! Gekyume is derived from a word X created. It means "a different state" or the next universe of thought. X's mom and girlfriend say X himself chose the name for his firstborn son. Both mother and child are healthy. Yume was born 3 days after what would have been X's 21st birthday. TMZ broke the story ... X was murdered in his car last June in Broward County after 2 men were lying in wait as he left a motorcycle dealership. Four men were arrested and are awaiting trial. (TMZ)

Chris Brown's touched down in the USA, less than a week after being arrested overseas for allegedly raping a woman ... something he strongly denies and led him to file a defamation suit. CB landed in a private jet with his crew at the Van Nuys airport outside L.A. Saturday afternoon. Everyone looked pretty chill after the long flight ... and what was surely a turbulent week in Paris. As we reported ... Brown was arrested by French police Monday after a woman claimed she was raped by the singer in his hotel suite. CB was released on his own recognizance without bail hours later, though, and free to leave France ... though he stuck around for work. While the rape case hasn't been dismissed, we're told police had big problems with the accuser's version of events ... which factored into their decision to let Brown go. Chris also has a problem with her accusations, and he's taken action by filing a defamation suit and criminal case against her Thursday morning. (TMZ)

Weezy F Baby and the F is for future first-rounder ... 'cause Lil Wayne just signed Deandre Baker -- a projected top-10 NFL Draft pick -- to his Young Money APAA Sports Agency!!! The legendary rapper made the announcement himself on Twitter, writing, "Welkome to the family @DreBaker1_ !! Lets Work!" Of course ... the signing is a huge one for Weezy -- Baker was a superstar at Georgia and mock draft experts already have him penned into the top half of April's first round. In fact, Baker was so good with the Bulldogs ... the dude won the Jim Thorpe Award for the best DB in the country!! "Deandre is a silent Assassin on that field!! I can't wait until he shows the world why he's the #1 corner in this draft!," COO of Young Money Entertainment Cortez Bryant said. Lil Wayne's killin' it ahead of spring's NFL Draft ... 'cause other top prospects like Alabama's Quinnen Williams and Georgia's Mecole Hardman Jr. have already signed deals with the company. Translation ... young moola, baby!!! (TMZ)

'Roma' actor denied visa ahead of Oscars. Netflix is working on getting a visa for Jorge Antonio Guerrero, the Mexican actor who played Fermn in "Roma," so that he can attend the Academy Awards, Variety has learned. Guerrero has applied for a U.S. visa three times and has been denied each time. He was initially rejected for a tourist visa, and two subsequent attempts were denied despite support from Netflix and the filmmakers. In an article published on Tuesday, Guerrero told the magazine Quien that he had been unable to attend the Golden Globes or gala screenings. He said that he had a written invitation from the producers, but that didn't help. "I brought a letter that they didn't want to read," he told the magazine. "On my second try, they said that I was going to work, and I answered no, that I was going as a guest. And that last try was a little memorable, because it seemed like there was anger on the part of the woman who interviewed me." The State Department said it could not respond to a request for comment on the matter due to the government shutdown. "Roma" was nominated for 10 Academy Awards on Tuesday, including best picture and actress for Yalitza Aparicio. The ceremony will be held Feb. 24 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Guerrero has appeared in the Telemundo series "Luis Miguel," and has a role in the next season of the Chilean TV series "Besieged." In an interview with the Mexican newspaper El Universal published Thursday, Guerrero said he is not offended by the visa rejection. "I have not felt at any moment offended, angry, or victimized," he said. "Nobody has done anything to me, that's very clear. How many other people does that happen to? How many people have to risk their life to go to the United States, not to be invited to a red carpet, but in order to work?" (PageSix)

Trace Cyrus went wild on his female followers after some of them reported him to Instagram as a porn peddler, for posting a pic of his fiancee. Miley's older brother posted a pic of Lauren Sanders with his hand on her neck, and some clearly took issue by contacting the social media service. Trace launched, saying, "F*** ALL U JEALOUS GIRLS REPORTING MY PIC OF MY BAE!!!" He went on ... "If you're not happy with your look then f*** do something about it!!! Go to the gym, learn to do your makeup properly, find out about fashions that fit your body type." Trace didn't stop there ... "There's so much that can be done. But don't go hating on my girl because she's hot!! There was nothing wrong with the picture I had posted." Instagram deleted the pic from his account and Trace blamed his female critics ... "So many of u miserable girls out there f***ing flagged it so it got taken down!! I believe every woman can be beautiful but JEALOUSLY & lack of confidence in yourselves makes u all look disgusting." (TMZ)

Sarah Palin's oldest son is walking free in Alaska after being released from a residential center he was forced to live in following his domestic violence arrest ... TMZ has learned. The Alaska Department of Corrections confirms Track Palin was released Thursday from the Cordova Residential Center, where he was serving his sentence for a domestic violence incident. As we reported ... Track was sentenced to a year in the center in October for allegedly hitting a woman with whom he lived. Track checked into the facility Dec. 5, and Thursday's release means he's getting out way earlier than expected. According to online court records ... Track is getting credit for time spent on an electronic monitoring device, hence the early release. Palin is no stranger to the criminal justice system in Alaska. Back in 2016, he was arrested for drunken domestic violence ... he also allegedly had a gun on him. He also went through a nasty divorce in 2012 in which he made off with $30k, $500 in tools and a $1,000 gun collection. (TMZ)

Killer Mike says Americans know better by now -- weed doesn't cause the same harm as booze, cigarettes or even sugar ... so it's time to get progressive with the drug. The Atlanta rapper and activist was on "TMZ Live" Thursday and gave us his take on the medical marijuana ad being blocked from airing during the Super Bowl. Mike says it's not fair to blame CBS or the NFL for this, because the U.S. as a whole has been too slow to accept the benefits of cannabis ... and it's shameful. His solution -- citizens need to make sure promoting a progressive agenda on marijuana is top of mind when they go vote in the next elections ... so people like those in the rejected Acreage Holding PSA can get the help they need. There's more -- if ya don't know, Killer Mike has a new show on Netflix called 'Trigger Warning,' where he gets creative dealing with some of America's biggest issues and controversies. Case in point -- he thinks the notorious Crips and Bloods should capitalize on their brand to market their own sodas and have some friendly competition in the process. He points out that the mafia and biker gangs do it and cash in ... so it's only fair. Agree or not, ya gotta respect it. (TMZ)

A few lucky DMX fans working at a Maryland gas station were among the first people to see the rapper after he got out of prison, and when they asked for a photo he replied ... "X Gon Give it to Ya!" Folks at the Royal Farms store in Frederick tell TMZ ... DMX and his crew of about 20 pulled in Friday night around 7 PM to gas up and grab some goodies. We're told everyone immediately recognized him and he was super friendly to the staff ... agreeing to snap several pics before they took off. TMZ broke the story ... DMX became a free man again Friday after he was released from federal prison in West Virginia. He completed a one-year sentence for tax evasion. He was first seen out in public post-prison with his son and fiancee, grabbing breakfast at a local spot. As we've told you ... the rapper is planning on dropping a new album and tackling some new movie projects in 2019, including a possible biopic. So, stay tuned! (TMZ)

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