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Will Smith is once again reflecting on the ups and downs of his life over the past couple years -- and he says he's a work in progress ... who shouldn't rely on outside validation.

The actor was onstage and addressing a crowd Saturday in Saudi Arabia for the Red Sea Film Festival -- where he talked about a number of things ... but perhaps most notably, he addressed his "many adversities" over the past couple years and how he's processed it.

Of course, he's very much alluding to his Oscars slap moment -- but he also seems to be touching on his personal life as well, especially as it pertains to his marriage with Jada Pinkett Smith. Check out what he says about the highs and lows of fame ... it's interesting.

It's a long-winded response he has here, but essentially ... it boils down to not needing the outside world to clap for him on any given thing he's doing, professionally or otherwise.

It sounds like Will has sought that as the years have gone on ... but he now says he has to teach himself to be content with himself/his mission regardless -- vowing to continue on the path of self-improvement and to not let outside influences affect him as much as they have.

On how he's reacted to setbacks, WS says he's "deeply human" ... and that is virtue is not perfected, although he hopes to sharpen it now going forward. His goal these days is to perfect his light, and to teach others about the craft of filmmaking/storytelling.

It might sound like a lot of mumbo-jumbo ... but there are kernels of wisdom in what Will's saying. From what we can glean -- he's essentially promising not to let the world get him down, or to rile him up ... regardless of what's being said, or who's saying it.

As you know, Will's been the subject of A LOT of chatter lately ... not so much for the slap these days, but for his relationship -- which was recently revealed to be less than traditional.

The other good news out of this weekend appearance is the fact he revealed 'I Am Legend 2' is a go ... and that Michael B. Jordan is going to be in it -- with a script now done.

Julianna Margulies recently said Black people were "brainwashed" to hate Jews -- something she now regrets ... and is apologizing over.

The actress, who's Jewish, made the inflammatory comment late last month on a podcast appearance with Andy Ostroy ... where they talked about young people's overwhelming embrace of Palestine in the Israel-Hamas war -- something they chalked up to antisemitism.

Specifically, Margulies mentioned African-Americans and people in the LGBTQ+ community as being wholly misguided in their position on the matter ... saying they'd be the first ones to be discriminated against -- if not outright killed -- in just about any Muslim country.

JM went to express disbelief that Black people, specifically, as a group seemed to be speaking out against Israel/Zionists -- which she apparently views as hating on Jews, at large, as well -- and then brought up the fact that Jewish people had stood with Blacks during the Civil Rights era ... and basically said the same should be done now in return.

She then said that a recent Ken Burns doc on the Holocaust should be mandatory viewing in schools these days -- especially for the Black community ... whom she suggested either didn't know the horrid history, or whom she said had probably been taught to "hate Jews."

It caused a lot of backlash, and on Friday ... she folded, saying -- "I am horrified by the fact that statements I made on a recent podcast offended the Black and LGBTQIA+ communities, communities I truly love and respect."

Margulies continued ... "I want to be 100% clear: Racism, homophobia, sexism, or any prejudice against anyone’s personal beliefs or identity are abhorrent to me, full stop."

She added ... "Throughout my career I have worked tirelessly to combat hate of all kind, end antisemitism, speak out against terrorist groups like Hamas, and forge a united front against discrimination."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are being encouraged to speak up on behalf of King Charles after he was named as one of the alleged "Royal racists" -- this per a new report.

The Telegraph cites two sources close to the Royal Family as calling on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to pipe up and defend Chuck amid these renewed claims of racism -- this, of course, after Piers Morgan took it upon himself to ID the King as one of the senior Royals allegedly named in a Dutch translation of a new book touching on the issue.

The other senior Royal who allegedly made remarks about Archie's skin color and who was named in the book, according to Piers, was Kate Middleton ... Prince William's wife.

Now, the context of what either of them allegedly said has yet to be revealed -- but it was apparently concerning enough for Meghan to bring it up in an interview with Oprah.

Remember, Meghan was careful with how she characterized what was allegedly said ... and what the implication might be. But when Oprah asked if these alleged convos were, perhaps, suggesting that Archie being "brown" and too dark would "be a problem" ... Meghan said it was a safe assumption to make. So, she certainly appeared to cosign that narrative.

Of course, on top of airing her concerns to O, MM also wrote letters to Charles sometime after the fact about these alleged remarks ... a revelation that came to light in Omid Scobie's book, "Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy's Fight for Survival."

It was in this correspondence, according to Scobie, that the people who allegedly made comments about Archie's skin surfaced ... which then somehow leaked in the Netherlands. Those versions were yanked, and Scobie has insisted he doesn't know how the names even got in there in the first place ... claiming he never wrote them down in any draft.

Since 2021 -- when this alleged racism bombshell came to light -- Harry, specifically, has pushed back on what he and Meghan actually alleged about his family at the time. He told a British reporter earlier this year that the media had taken what they said and warped it into a racism accusation. Lately, he's been backpedaling ... merely suggesting implicit bias.

Anyway, fast-forward to right now -- as Charles and Kate's names are being thrown around as alleged racists -- and the Telegraph quotes an insider as saying ... "For the couple that talked about ‘death by a thousand no comments’, the silence at this point is deafening."

Another source they quote says it's "interesting" that Harry and Meghan haven't said anything to either confirm or deny the reports of Charles and Kate being the ones who allegedly made these comments ... especially since they once sought the Palace's help when the 2 of them first got together, and Meg's name was getting dragged through the mud.

Meghan and Harry have famously suggested the Palace's silence at the time was done on purpose -- alleging a coordinated campaign was afoot and claiming the Royals have been in bed with the British press ... while hinting that Meg was offered up as the sacrificial lamb.

What's rich here ... apparently, Buckingham Palace and/or Chuck's inner circle now wants them to go to bat for him -- which is the ultimate irony ... this is, if you buy what Meg/Harry have been selling for a long time. Basically, fans of theirs see this as overdue revenge.

The funniest part about all of this is that the whole "racism" storyline has long been dead in the water -- and Harry didn't even really harp on it during his press run for his own book.

Beyoncé is all set to take the top spot at the box office this weekend with her new concert film — but it’s falling way short of another this year … guess who.

The Queen Bey had a strong first-day start to the weekend with her 'Renaissance' flick — which raked in about $11.5 million between Thursday previews and Friday’s full day of showings. Projections have it pegged to make somewhere in the ballpark of $20-$24 million domestically through Sunday.

Like we said, it’s certainly a solid figure as far as concert films are concerned — especially historically — but it pales in comparison to how Taylor Swift’s 'Eras' movie did in the same window a few months ago … when it made $39 mil domestically between Thur/Fri, and ended up with a huge haul of $92 million for its total opening weekend.

Of course, at this point, the “Eras” tour film has grossed well over $250 million worldwide.

Not to compare the two, but you kind of have to when Bey and Tay are the biggest pop stars in the world … and they both released concert films within a short window. The juxtaposition is only natural, and the numbers are what they are.

It should go without saying … they most certainly support one another regardless, and attended the other’s premiere, respectively -- Bey in L.A. for Tay, and Tay in London for Bey.

And yes ... they posed together on both occasions, so it's no bad blood whatsoever -- or so it seems, anyway. Their fervent fan bases tend to be a little more competitive at times.

In any case, the real winner here is AMC — which exclusively distributed both movies and is cleaning up big time. Rather than use an outside studio partner, they did it themselves … and so far, it seems to be paying off.

Theo Von has entered the college football chat — and he confused the hell out of some OGs on the air … which was absolutely hilarious to watch.

ESPN tapped into the TikTok zeitgeist and hired Theo Von as their celebrity guest panelist for “College GameDay” Saturday … where he, Pat McAfee and the rest of the professional analysts sat around making picks ahead of a packed schedule.

The only difference this time around was Theo’s very unpredictable nature and rants — which certainly shone through during the telecast, especially when he was talking about the matchup between Louisville and Florida State.

Apparently, TV thought it was 2013 again … ‘cause he invoked Jameis Winston’s name to talk about the Seminoles’ chances. Only problem … Winston has long left the university, something Pat reminded Theo of … forcing him to pivot and come up with a new rationale.

It was pretty typical Theo, but Lee Corso couldn’t believe (or comprehend) what he was hearing … making for a funny-ass exchange live on TV.

The Royal scandal books just keep coming, and Jussie Smollett is on the ropes after losing his appeal. So we gotta ask ...

Two men accused of throwing punches in the brutal beatdown of a Nardo Wick fan have turned themselves into police ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the suspects -- 34-year-old Zachary L. Benton and a 15-year-old male turned themselves in to Tampa PD Friday night. They are charged with felony battery. The 15-year-old is also charged with minor in possession of a firearm while wearing a mask.

A source close to Nardo tells us the men did not have a close relationship with the rapper ... they were friends of friends.

We're told the two suspects reached out to Nardo's team earlier this week to discuss logistics of surrender. That's interesting ... they had enough of a connection to reach out to someone from Nardo's team.

TMZ broke the story ... video shows Nardo fan George Obregon Jr. walking up to the rapper after a show, and getting ambushed and sucker punched by two people who were walking out of the venue with Nardo. Cops tell us Benton is the one who first punched Obregon and the 15-year-old ran over and punched him several more times.

George's mom told us her 20-year-old son was just seeking a photo with Nardo when he was attacked. He was taken to the critical care unit of a hospital with a severe concussion and brain bleed. We do not know his current condition.

Nardo apologized for the incident but blamed the other men ... saying he can't control how grown men react. He also said he was upset by the whole incident.

Susan Sarandon is now walking back antisemitic remarks she delivered at a pro-Palestinian rally in NYC last month ... offering her apologies to anyone she offended.

The actress posted a lengthy statement on Instagram Friday night, explaining that she made a "terrible mistake" when she said Jews are “getting a taste of what it is like to be Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence.”

Susan uttered the words in front of a large crowd at the November 17 rally in Manhattan's Union Square.

The demonstrators were protesting against the Israel-Hamas war, which broke out after the terrorist group invaded the Jewish state on October 7. Hamas militants, who rule over the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, slaughtered some 1,400 Jews, including babies.

In her IG post, Susan said she was invited to the event, but was not supposed to speak, yet ended up on stage with a mic in her hand, trying to communicate concerns about a rise in hate crimes throughout the country.

She pointed out the controversial phrasing she used falsely implied that Jews have not faced persecution. She then highlighted centuries of Jewish oppression and genocide in Europe, as well as the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, PA.

Susan went on to say she "deeply regrets diminishing the reality" and for voicing her hurtful remarks.

Bill Maher loves the XMAS season, 'cause it's fun ... but he's alarmed at all the people who embrace the religious element to a point they want to shove it down everyone else's throats.

The 'Real Time' host launched on the growing number of Republicans, now led by freshly-minted Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who want to turn America into a Christian state.

Although Johnson and many other Republicans have promoted an official religion for the USA, Bill notes they've forgotten about the whole separation of church and state thing.

Rep. Lauren Boebert recently scoffed, "I'm tired of this separation of church and state junk." Her leader, Mike Johnson, has called for a Christian nation that dominates all areas of American life.

Seems pretty basic ... the country was founded on freedom of religion. It's engrained in our Constitution -- 1st up on the Amendment roster -- yet an alarming number of Republicans are hell-bent on breaking that wall -- separation of church and state.

Gloria Allred can add another high-profile case to her resume ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the famed attorney has been hired by the girl at the center of the investigation into OKC star Josh Giddey as cops work to determine if he had an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

We broke the story earlier in the week ... Newport Beach PD launched an investigation into the situation, but the girl and her family are not cooperating with law enforcement.

Now that Allred is involved, it begs the question ... why?

She could be tasked with liaising with cops, or even talking to Giddey's people about a potential settlement.

We reached out to the powerful attorney who told us, "We represent the family and we have no comment."

21-year-old Giddey is one of the better young players in the league, and the story has gotten a lot of attention ... but that's not a foreign concept to Allred.

Among some of her firm's high-profile cases ... she represented over 50 women who accused Bill Cosby of misconduct. She also worked for several women who accused former U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner of sending sexually explicit photos and messages.

There are still a lot of questions surrounding the alleged relationship, which first came to light publicly last weekend, including the girl's age, the state where it allegedly took place, and the nature of their relationship.

Kevin Turen, famous for producing HBO shows like "Euphoria" and "The Idol," died as a result of multiple heart issues ... TMZ has learned.

The producer's official cause of death is acute cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophic heart disease ... according to the medical examiner, who also lists coronary artery disease as another significant factor.

As we first told you ... Kevin suffered a medical emergency while driving his Tesla down a California freeway earlier this month, when his 10-year-old son was in the car.

Kevin's family told us the son was able to navigate the car to the side of the road, calling 911. Kevin was rushed to a hospital, where he ultimately died.

Remember ... we were told investigators quickly ruled out drugs and alcohol as a factor ... and now we know it was a fatal heart issue.

Mike Perry has fought in the UFC and BKFC, and can count the likes of Luke Rockhold, Cowboy Cerrone, and Michael "Venom" Page as previous opponents ... but none of those scraps were bigger than Saturday night's bare-knuckle fight with former MMA champ Eddie Alvarez!

"This is a very tremendous opportunity for me, the biggest fight of my career to date," Perry told TMZ Sports this week.

"Eddie Alvarez, he's got quite the resume. I'm happy to be against it, and I'm looking to shut it down whether that be finishing him or just picking him apart for 12 minutes."

FYI, Perry is 3-0 in BKFC (Rockhold, Page, Lane) ... and is the promotion's biggest star. Alvarez has less experience sans gloves ... he's 1-0 with a win over Chad Mendes.

As for where he goes after Eddie, Perry says he's "looking to put on a good performance and skies the limit" afterward.

"We saw Conor McGregor and me face off last time. I was talking a little bit of s*** about Sean Strickland, he's very upset about it. He's angry with me. Every time he talks to me he's like, 'We gotta box. We gotta box.' I wrote him and said, 'Come to the fight in Utah' and he didn't even open that message and read it."

There is absolutely no pleading the fifth with Andy Cohen and the minor changes in these two shots! You're in Andy's hot seat now, and that comes with one burning question ... do you have what it takes to locate the discreet differences?

The Bravolebrity gave a friendly smirk to the cameras and was lookin' too cool for school to be taking out the trash on a chilly NYC day! Given his warm attire, maybe he was headed to the North Pole ...

"Mazel" if you can button up the switch-ups!

Jimmy Kimmel better watch his back ... because his 13-year-old nephew, Wesley Kimmel, is banking on taking over Hollywood.

After all ... for his role as Dylan Callahan in the upcoming movie "Red One," the teen's minor contract, obtained by TMZ, unveils his whopping payday of $100K!!!

According to the contract, Wesley pocketed $95K in base pay for his work in the movie and banked an additional $5K for promoting it.

Wesley stars in "Red One" alongside big names Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka, and Lucy Liu -- bagging the gig after paying his dues in Disney+ shows such as "The Mandalorian" and "WandaVision."

The movie's official release date is still under wraps ... though considering its festive, action-packed theme, it looks like it'll hit Amazon Prime in the run-up to Xmas.

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... Babes In Sweatpants!

These Hollywood Hotties can pull off any look ... but they've made the comfy choice of snuggling up in their sexiest of sweats and making it look hot, hot hot!

Taking on the chilly months ... beautiful babes are lounging in style, so have a go at these famous faces who are staying snug for a while!