THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Queen Elizabeth Requests Meghan Markle, Prince Harry & Baby Archie's Return to U.K. for Royal Event. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will reportedly be returning for their last round of official royal engagements. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry could be returning to the U.K. next month for their last round of official royal engagements. Queen Elizabeth II reportedly requested that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who will no longer be using their "royal highness" titles, join the royal family for the annual Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, according to The Sunday Times. Meghan, 38, and Harry, 35, are expected to attend the event with their son Archie, who will have just turned 10 months old. Following the appearance, the couple will return to Canada where they are beginning to settle into their new non-royal life after their decision to step down as senior members of the royal family. The family of three has been staying in a $14 million mansion on Vancouver Island, where Meghan enjoys the scenery on hikes with her beagle Guy and the couple's Labrador. "They are enjoying living a quiet life," an insider recently told PEOPLE. "They go for long walks, they do yoga, and Meghan cooks. They ?are real homebodies who love to chill out with Archie and the dogs." But last week, the homebodies took a quick trip to Miami where they made their first joint public appearance since transitioning from royal life at a private JP Morgan event. PEOPLE confirmed that Harry gave a speech at the event. The father of one reportedly spoke about his experience with losing his mother, Princess Diana, and his decision to leave the royal family. According to The Times, Meghan also spoke at the event, focusing on her love for her husband. Their new life has brought Meghan much closer to her circle of friends, as well as her mother Doria Ragland, who lives in Los Angeles. Ragland, a social worker and yoga instructor, spent the holidays with Meghan and Harry in the weeks leading up to the couple's announcement that they were stepping down as senior royals. And she's been an important source of support ever since. "She definitely gets a lot of her strength from her mother," a close friend told PEOPLE of Meghan. While the transition still holds many question marks for Harry and Meghan, the most important part has been focusing on being the best parents for Archie. "Archie is the priority. It's very much still about taking care of him and putting the family first. He's a happy kid -- he loves to laugh," an insider said. "Archie and Harry have such a good time together. And Meghan is a great mom. She's very much about tending to him. They are trying to live their life as regular parents." (People)

Prince Andrew Will Give Daughter Princess Beatrice Away at Her Wedding Amid Epstein Scandal. "He plays a very traditional role in her life. She's his greatest supporter. This is obviously very hard times," the insider told PEOPLE. Princess Beatrice will have her father Prince Andrew by her side on her wedding day. The Duke of York will give his eldest daughter away when she marries Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi at St. James's Palace in London on May 29, PEOPLE confirms. During the couple's wedding planning last year, a source told PEOPLE that Andrew would likely play a major part in his daughter's wedding despite the scandal surrounding his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that caused him to "step back" from his royal duties in November. "He plays a very traditional role in her life. She's his greatest supporter. This is obviously very hard times," the insider told PEOPLE. Andrew wasn't in attendance at his daughter's engagement party in London in December. The prince likely skipped the party, which was thrown by Mozzi's mother at Chiltern Firehouse, due to the ongoing controversy surrounding his ties to Epstein. The fallout from his disastrous BBC interview about his friendship with Epstein saw his official royal role collapse to almost nothing in a matter of days. He was removed from his hundreds of charitable patronages and his office was forced out of Buckingham Palace. But he remains tight-knit with his family, including ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and his two daughters, Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. "Beatrice would never do anything to be hurtful to her father. He's going to be by her side and she's going to be by his," the source added. Unlike Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Princess Eugenie's nuptials, Beatrice and Mozzi's wedding will be a smaller celebration. The couple will not have a carriage procession, which "is keeping with their wishes for a more low-key" affair, says a palace source. The ceremony inside the Chapel Royal will also not be televised, which is something the couple had decided from the start. The Chapel Royal, where both Prince George and his younger brother Prince Louis were christened, can only hold up to 150 people, which reinforces Beatrice and Mozzi's ceremony will be a very intimate one. Their reception will follow at Buckingham Palace and take place in the gardens of Queen Elizabeth's home in central London. Beatrice's younger sister Princess Eugenie shared her excitement over the news on Friday, sharing a sweet throwback photo of the two sisters as bridesmaids. "She's so excited... Today the family announced Beatrice will marry Edo on 29th May 2020. Very proud of this moment. Xx," she wrote. (People)

There's a special piece of Martin Luther King Jr. memorabilia up for sale ... a handwritten note where he shares his personal definition of love. It's pretty cool ... one of MLK's admirers asked him the meaning of love, and the civil rights icon scribbled a super-deep quote ... the note is hitting the market through the memorabilia company Moments in Time -- and they're hawking this slice of history for a cool $42,000!!! Martin's message is from sometime in the mid-1960s... and he says, "Love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God." Powerful stuff, for sure. Anything written in MLK's handwriting is super rare and valuable ... there's not much out there other than inscribed books ... and he even slapped his John Hancock on the bottom of the parchment. It's kinda funny ... the note was acquired from a memorabilia dealer in England who apparently didn't have a clue as to what he had in his possession. See, it pays to know your world history. (TMZ)

Packers star pass rusher Za'Darius Smith is putting some serious heat on his OWN quarterback, telling TMZ Sports ... Aaron Rodgers needs to marry Danica Patrick ASAP!!! "Look, 12, I know I'm on TMZ," Smith hilariously told us out at Super Bowl festivities in Miami on Wednesday ... "But, man, most definitely, you should marry that lady!" Rodgers and Danica have been dating for over two years ... and things are definitely SERIOUS between the two. They've publicly said "I love yous" ... she's rooted him on at Packers games, despite being a Bears fan ... and the two even just bought a $28 MILLION mansion together in Malibu. But Rodgers has yet to bend the knee and pop the question ... and Za'Darius tells us his QB needs to change that. "She's a lovely woman," Smith says. "I've met her." In fact, Smith says he thinks Rodgers giving Danica a ring could elevate the QB's game ... telling us his own career really took off once he committed to his GF during his Baltimore Ravens days. "She kept me locked in," Smith said. As for Rodgers' future in Green Bay ... Smith says with or without Danica, Aaron's going to play for a long time -- guaranteeing Rodgers has at least 10 MORE YEARS left in him!!! (TMZ)

Oprah Winfrey Tears Up Defending Gayle King Amid Kobe Bryant Controversy. Through thick and thin, Oprah Winfrey will always have Gayle King's back. Earlier this week, the CBS This Morning host came under fire following her interview with Lisa Leslie, in which King seemed to press the retired WNBA superstar about Kobe Bryant's 2003 rape charge. After fans of the Lakers legend began slamming her online, Gayle addressed the controversy on IGTV, saying that the snippet from their conversation had been taken out of context by the network. Now, while criticism continues to pour in -- from 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and even imprisoned Bill Cosby -- Oprah is speaking out and defending her longtime pal. "She is not doing well," the media mogul said as she choked back tears on Today with Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager. "She is not doing well because she now has death threats and has to now travel with security. She is feeling very much attacked. Bill Cosby is...tweeting from jail." "She's not doing well and feels that she was put in a really terrible position," the 66-year-old continued. "In the context of the interview, everyone seemed fine, including Lisa Leslie. It was only because somebody at the network put up that clip. I can see how people would obviously be upset if you thought that Gayle was trying to just press to get an answer from Lisa Leslie." Though the TV legend knows this too will eventually pass, she revealed her best friend has not slept in days. "I was on the phone with her this morning," Oprah admitted. "I was on the phone with her last night. I was on the phone with her the night before. I think you stand in the gap. You try and be there for your friends." For her part, Oprah is upset with the way people are slamming Gayle, citing the "hate" and "meanness" the Emmy winner has been receiving. "I think anyone can criticize anything, but the misogynist vitriol and the attacking to the point where it is dangerous to be in the streets alone because it's not just the people who are attacking..." she told Hoda and Jenna during their live audience show. "It's the other people who take that message and feel like they can do whatever they want to because of it." On Tuesday, CBS aired Gayle's interview with the retired athlete, however it wasn't until the following day when a clip was shared on social that it went viral. In a now-controversial moment, the host is seen asking her guest about Kobe's "complicated" legacy, bringing up his since-settled rape case on multiple occasions. "I think the media should be more respectful at this time," Lisa said. "It's like if you had questions about it, you've had many years to ask him that. I don't think it's something that we should keep hanging out his legacy." Addressing the scandal herself, Gayle said she was "mortified" by how the conversation was misinterpreted. "Unbeknownst to me, my network put up a clip from a very wide ranging interview, totally taken out of context and when you see it that way, it's very jarring," she admitted. "It's jarring to me. I didn't even know anything about it. I started getting calls, 'What the hell are you doing? Why did you say this? What is happening?' I did not know what people were talking about." "For the network to take the most salacious part, when taken out of context, and put it up online for people who didn't see the whole interview is very upsetting to me," she continued. "That's something I am going to have to deal with them. There will be a very intense discussion about that." Shortly after, in a statement to E! News, CBS also addressed the drama. "Gayle conducted a thoughtful, wide-ranging interview with Lisa Leslie about the legacy of Kobe Bryant," read the message. "An excerpt was posted that did not reflect the nature and tone of the full interview. We are addressing the internal process that led to this and changes have already been made." (Eonline)

Snoop Dogg says he didn't threaten Gayle King and wants 'no harm to come to her'. Snoop Dogg isn't looking for a fight with Gayle King. The rapper, 48, took to Instagram Saturday to make that clear after calling out the CBS correspondent for mentioning late basketball star Kobe Bryant's 2003 rape case. "I'm a non-violent person," Snoop says in the video. "When I said what I said, I spoke for the people who felt like Gayle was very disrespectful towards Kobe Bryant and his family." "Now with that being said," he continued, "what I look like wanting some harm to come to a 70-year-old woman? I was raised way better than that. I don't want no harm to come to her and I didn't threaten her, all I did was said, 'check it out, you outta pocket for what you doing and we watching you. Have a little more respect for Vanessa, her babies and Kobe Bryant's legacy.'" He went on to stress that he's "non-violent" while insisting he can only "speak from the heart." "Some of you who don't have a heart wouldn't understand that," he quipped, ending the video. Snoop's original post emphatically condemned King, 65, for bringing up Bryant's legal battle during her interview with WNBA star Lisa Leslie, calling her a "funky, dog-haired bitch" during the monologue. Oprah Winfrey later claimed that the viral interview clip led to King receiving death threats. (PageSix)

Kobe Bryant wasn't just a UFC fan -- he was a big investor -- and got a huge distribution check from the company just days before he passed away ... so says Dana White. The NBA legend was famous for his business savvy off the court -- and White says part of Kobe's portfolio was an ownership stake in UFC and Body Armor, the official energy drink of the UFC. White tells TMZ Sports ... that 2019 was the most successful year in UFC history which resulted in massive payouts for all of the investors. "Kobe got a distribution from the UFC the Wednesday before the incident and he was so pumped up and excited and he said what everybody always says, 'I wish I had invested more!'" White says he'll remember Kobe as a great dude and an important part of the UFC fabric -- and tells us the organization plans to honor Kobe on Saturday at UFC 247 in Houston. As for the fight card, White says he's extremely fired up about the main event -- Jon Jones vs. Dominick Reyes -- telling us Reyes is a dangerous man with a real shot to beat the G.O.A.T. And, if Reyes wins, there will no doubt be a rematch. There's more ... after the controversy between Joe Rogan and Stephen A. Smith following the Conor McGregor vs. Cowboy Cerrone fight, we asked if the two TV stars would be working together at UFC 247, Dana replied, "I don't think so." Remember, Rogan said he was upset with the ESPN host for crapping all over Cowboy's "atrocious" performance during the UFC 246 post-fight show. Smith said he felt like Cowboy quit -- to which Rogan essentially said Smith's opinion was uninformed and just plain wrong. Conor McGregor felt Smith disrespected Cowboy and publicly called for Stephen A. to apologize. White says he's not a fan of announcers ripping pro fighters -- but acknowledges that everyone is entitled to their opinion. (TMZ)

Shaquille O'Neal made a video to help sell his L.A.-area home -- but what it shows is the NBA star has honored 3 late rappers with some VERY cool art. Of course, Shaq is a BIG rap nerd -- not only has he dropped albums, but he LOVES the genre and has a particular affinity for guys like Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac. So, when he posted a brand new video tour of the Bell Canyon mansion he put on the market for $2.5 million ... the art on the walls caught our eye. He's got two Biggie pieces along with a portrait of Pac and a newer image of Nipsey Hussle -- three great rappers who are all gone, but not forgotten. If you're interested in the actual property, yeah -- it's pretty sick!! 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 5,217-square-feet with a chef's kitchen, wet bar, media room, sick pool, wine closet ... and it's all walking distance to the community center gym and tennis courts. Guessing the art doesn't come with the house ... but then again, everything's negotiable, right? (TMZ)

Cindy Crawford's Son Presley Gerber Unveils Dramatic Face Tattoo. Presley Geber is feeling misunderstood... and now he has a face tattoo to prove it. The 20-year-old son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and tequila mogul Rande Gerber has a new addition to his ever growing collection of tattoos. Let's just say you won't be able to miss it. Celebrity tattoo artist Jonathan "JonBoy" Valena helped Presley bring his vision to life on Friday. "Thanks homie," he captioned a video of the painful tattooing process. JonBoy poked fun at Presley's celeb spawn status, writing, "Sorry mom." Just a few weeks ago, Presley and little sister, model Kaia Gerber, enjoyed a sibling ink session and got a number of delicate tattoos together. Presley previously tattooed Kaia's name on his arm. In Jan. 2019, Presley was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. He was charged with two misdemeanors and the case is still ongoing. (Eonline)

Lynn Nottage -- a notable playwright -- suffered one hell of an ordeal getting locked in the bathroom at the Lincoln Center. And, thanks to her Twitter fingers ... she got help getting out!!! Nottage -- the only woman to have won a Pulitzer Prize for drama twice -- didn't mince words when she tweeted Thursday morning to her nearly 20k followers she's locked in the bathroom, saying, "I have been banging and yelling if you see this tweet send help!" Worth noting ... it appears she's tweeting from an iPad. Anyway ... about 13 minutes later the Lincoln Center's official account tweeted, "All is well! Thank you everyone for the speedy response. Lynn has been found and rescued. On with #IntimateAppaarel rehearsals!" Yeah, that's the current opera being produced at the famous theater. Lynn -- who won a Pulitzer for her plays "Sweat" and "Ruined" -- is producing the show's libretto. What's libretto you jabronis may be asking ... it's the text of an opera. (TMZ)

Mary Carey is fighting Pippi Longstocking, sorta -- the famed porn star is stepping into the ring to box the former child actress who played Pippi on the big screen. We broke the story, Mary signed a deal to fight in Damon Feldman's Celebrity Boxing promotion ... but the only question was who she'd fight? Now we know Mary's opponent is Tami Erin, most famous for her starring role in the 1988 movie, "The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking." We're told Tami agreed to a deal and signed a contract for the bout, which is going down April 18 at the Miami strip joint, the Booby Trap. Anyways, it's the first time Tami is stepping into the ring as a competitor ... and we'll see if she possesses superhuman strength just like Pippi, who can lift a horse with one hand!!! Celebrity Boxing has had some problems lately with stars like Farrah Abraham, Lenny Dykstra and Angry Bagel Guy dropping out last minute -- so hopefully Mary and Tami don't get cold feet. BTW, the Booby Trap's all warmed up for a good fight. 'Memba that's where Offset threw a flying punch Super Bowl weekend because someone sprayed champagne on Cardi B. Time for round 2: Porn Star vs. Pippi!!! (TMZ)

Dog The Bounty Hunter is no longer living under the same roof as Moon Angell ... we've learned she packed up her things and moved outta his home. Sources close to Dog tell TMZ ... Dog and Moon sat down this week for a deep convo, and he thanked her for everything she's done for him since his wife Beth Chapman's passing. Dog told Moon he's ready to move on, and she saw the writing on the wall -- time for her to move out. Our sources say Dog and Moon had an understanding that living with him was only temporary. She originally moved in to become his support system -- helping around the house, organizing his life -- after Beth's death left a huge void. It's not as bad as it sounds ... we're told it was just a natural progression for Moon to leave, they're still on good terms -- despite some family issues with their TV proposal -- and Dog's grateful for everything she did. As you know ... they revealed on Dr. Oz Moon had replaced Beth's clothes with her own things when she moved in. It was a painful transition for Dog, but he knew it needed to happen. Now, our sources say Dog is filling the empty closet space with his own things, he's feeling better and is focused on and excited about the future, with the hope of one day returning to TV. We're told he's no longer having suicidal thoughts either. Moon's gone, but she's not heading for the hills ... we're told she's sticking around in Colorado in case Dog needs her support once again. (TMZ)

Tragic day for the Cleveland Browns ... the team's first-ever live mascot, Swagger, has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 6 years old. The 145-pound bullmastiff joined the Browns as a puppy at the beginning of the 2014 season ... and ran out with the players before every home game until Week 10 of the 2019 season. The only home game Swagger missed was in 2017 ... when the Browns played in London. Swagger's son, SJ, took over the mascot duties as the cancer progressed ... and the beloved dog served as "Dawg Pound Captain" during his final Browns game. Swagger was a fan favorite at FirstEnergy Stadium ... and even got some one-on-one time with folks like UFC champ Stipe Miocic and Baker Mayfield. According to Browns fans in our office ... the dog was a true bright spot during some of the Browns' worst years. Mayfield posted a tribute to Swagger, saying "Doggy heaven got a good one today." The team says SJ will continue to fill his dad's shoes for 2020 and beyond. #RIP (TMZ)

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