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A former "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star might take the cake for one of the most tone-deaf publicity stunts ... she faked being beaten and kidnapped to promote her OnlyFans account, but says it was to raise awareness of sex trafficking.

Masika Kalysha posted the video of herself Tuesday in lingerie with apparent cuts, scrapes and bruises all over her body, claiming she got assaulted and was still in danger.

Then, she strangely asked for money to stave off her kidnappers, saying ... "They said you guys have to leave me tips and follow me so they can take the money or they're not gonna let me go."

In the caption to her video, she flat out claimed she was kidnapped and being held in a warehouse, and asked her followers to subscribe to her OnlyFans account and tip her so her captors would let her go.

She later deleted the video and posted a second one ... even more strange than the first.

Kalysha, now wearing a white robe, says she's totally fine and apologizes for possibly scaring people ... but insists she needed that "shock factor" to raise awareness for something important.

The reality star claims she's on set filming a project about child sex trafficking, and her kidnapping stunt was needed to grab people's attention for the important matter.

She even goes as far as to say everyone should know there's a method to her madness, while completely ignoring the insensitivity of her first vid ... or addressing how she might have tricked people into sending her money.

The words of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion came head-to-head with the word of the Lord on a city sidewalk -- and it sounds like the former might've beaten out the good book.

Check out this video of an older guy reading aloud from the Bible on a sidewalk, not too far from a masked young woman also reading from her phone, rattling off lyrics to "WAP." Try as he did, the gent got drowned out by the tune ... then again, the camera's further from him.

It's a funny scene though -- and a testament that blindly preaching to kids these days isn't a good way to reach 'em. Maybe reciting lyrics to Justin Bieber's "Baby" would've been more effective.

Speaking of, if you're wondering what sparked this ... it was a pro-choice rally that clashed with anti-abortion demonstrators, which seems to have gone on for at least 2 days. Both groups had signs touting their beliefs and were keeping a somewhat respectful distance away from each other. But, one secret weapon the young crowd had with them that the holy group didn't ... condoms!

Kanye West is pulling out all the stops to get on the ballot in a crucial swing state that he sorta needs to have half a chance at this thing ... and it's home to the Grand Canyon!

Sources tell TMZ ... Ye and his campaign are doing a full blitz to get his name in front Arizona voters' eyes come November, and a big part of that will lie in what KW and co. are willing to spend to get it done. Brace yourself ... we hear they'll drop half a mil if needed.

The devil's in the details ... we're told the 3rd-party petitioning group Ye has hired to gather signatures, Let the Voters Decide, is sending upwards of 100 people into the Copper State over the next week to try and gather 37,769 names ... the required number to get in.

Our sources say petitioners on the ground are getting paid $8 for every signature collected, so if you do the math ... that adds up quick. Ye's got money to blow though, obviously. Fact is ... Kanye needs Arizona considering he's been booted off nearly as many ballots he's on.

If you've been keeping counts ... Ye has qualified to appear on November ballots in eight states thus far, and he's been nixed from seven others. Arizona's a major swing state, so he's gotta lock this down if he seriously wants to contend. He's almost breaking even here.

Bette Midler is under fire for making xenophobic comments during Melania Trump's RNC speech, tweeting, "Get that illegal alien off the stage!" and "Oh, God. She still can't speak English."

The First Lady gave her speech in the rose garden of The White House, something that has never been done before. There has always been a figurative wall between 1600 Pennsylvania and campaign speeches. President Trump also appeared during the broadcast in The White House, and he drew fire dragging the military into the campaign. Two members of the military opened the doors as Trump made his entrance.

As for Midler's comments ... she is in fact an American citizen. As some pointed out in reacting to Midler ... Mrs. Trump speaks 5 languages, Slovenian, English, German, French and Italian.

Gigi Hadid just posted some new pregnancy pics ... and she's definitely got angel vibes.

The model took to Instagram Wednesday morning and posted several pics of her growing belly. The black and white photos look pretty glamorous and she looks pretty damn proud ... and it's easy to see why.

In one of her posts Gigi simply captioned it, "Growing an angel :)"  She also posted a series of photos with the date July 26 ... probably the date she shot those pics. In another post, she cradled her belly and captioned it, "Cherishing this time. Appreciate all the love & well wishes. Will never forget creating these special images with my friends @luigiandiango @gabriellak_j @erinparsonsmakeup thank you. I love you!"

TMZ broke the story ... Gigi and her on-again, off-again, on-again BF, Zayn Malik were pregnant with a baby girl. At the time, Gigi was around 20 weeks pregnant and in the days that followed they kept dropping hints about the big baby news without outright saying so.

It's hard to hide this bundle of joy now.

David Beckham isn't quite ready to pucker up for International Dog Day, but he is ready to show off his newest pooch, which seems more than eager to plant one on its owner.

The soccer star posted a cute photo Wednesday in honor of the holiday, showing off the Beckham family's newest canine addition, Sage, which made its debut this past Christmas.

In his IG post, David can bee seen trying to resist face licks from Sage. He captioned it ... "Happy International dog day 🐶 sage trying her luck with a kiss on the lips 💋." Lips or not, it looks like Sage is getting her share of face time with papa bear.

BTW, Victoria appears to have been the photog here ... she posted a BTS shot that might be just as adorable -- showing Dave cradling Sage, who looks all too pleased with the attention.

Sage is the Beckhams' third dog ... they have two other Cocker Spaniels, Fig and Olive, who've been with the brood for a bit now. As with any incoming family member, though, Sage is the one getting most of the fam's love ... social media-wise, anyway.

Don't worry, you're just as important F&O. It's just Sage's time to shine right now ...

The "Real Housewives of New York" are going to look a little different this upcoming season ... we've learned producers want to feature more than just rich, white women.

Production sources tell TMZ ... 'RHONY' is looking to diversify the current all-white cast for season 13, and producers are actively searching and in talks with some potential new faces.

There's already a few openings, which in theory makes it easier to make the cast more diverse ... Dorinda Medley announced Monday she's leaving the show, following Tinsley Mortimer out the door.

Our sources say Dorinda was not fired, and her departure was a mutual decision that had been previously discussed before she and Bravo ultimately pulled the trigger.

We're told rumors of Ali Wentworth, wife of George Stephanopoulos, potentially joining 'RHONY' are NOT true ... there's no talks about her coming on board and she's not in the running to join the show.

Fact is ... Ali would not add any diversity to a cast that was nothing but white women in season 12.

Producers are up against the clock here too ... we're told 'RHONY' is slated to start shooting in the Fall.

Tommy "Tiny" Lister is using his bullying powers for the greater good ... spreading the word in this new tv spot to help grieving families looking for a baller tombstone.

The "Friday" star got in front of the camera for Cemetery Tim -- he's the guy behind the extravagant tombstones for Eazy-E and Nate Dogg, among others. Those tombstones instantly went viral when their images circulated online ... and now Cemetery Tim and Deebo have teamed up to let your average family know they too can get the Hollywood treatment.

Check out the commercial ... it's both hilarious and informative. Deebo and Cemetery Tim inform families Tim's company -- The Headstone Whisperer in Yakima, WA -- accepts layaway for families who want to send off relatives in style but need help with payments.

We're told Deebo not only filmed the commercial last weekend but also hung around to meet around 700 people who showed up for a meet-and-greet. Deebo really went all out ... signing autographs and recording personalized messages for people who waited in the long line. The commercial begins airing locally on TV in about a week.

It's been a busy year for Deebo. As we first reported ... he teamed up with "Pineapple Express" to deliver medical and recreational weed in L.A.

No word if Deebo rode his bike up to Yakima.

Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow just got himself an amazing welcome-to-the-NFL gift ... a diamond chain of his jersey number!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the Heisman Trophy winner wanted to do something special after inking his massive, $36 million rookie deal, so he hit up celeb jeweler Leo Frost to whip up the one-of-a-kind piece.

We're told the awesome #9 pendant is made of 18k white gold and VVS diamonds ... sitting on an 18k white gold prong-set Cuban chain with VVS diamonds.

In other words, the rook's got taste!!

For those who paid close attention to our pre-draft jewelry roundup back in February, this should come as no surprise. As Leo told Burrow at the time, "After the draft, I'm thinking we make this a fat ass piece for you, #9? A fat #9."

Leo delivered on his promise ... flying to Cincinnati this week to hand over the final product ... and Joe loved it!!

It's been one crazy year for the Ohio boy -- he won a natty, won the Heisman, helped raise $500k for his hometown food bank, and went #1 overall in the Draft.

New York rapper Mims (real name Shawn Maurice Mims) is best known for dropping the earworm single "This Is Why I'm Hot" in 2006 ... but it wasn't until the spring of 2007 that Mims became a household name after the rap jam caught fire and went on to top the Billboard Hot 100 charts and opened the door for his debut album Music Is My Savior which included the songs "Like This" and "Just Like That."

Mims has switched from the music business into the tech industry and now puts his creative energy into apps.

Pulling out money from an ATM in a Texas suburb was all it took for this black man to be cornered and interrogated by white police officers, who thought he had too many credit cards.

The incident went down recently at a gas station in Burleson, a suburb of Fort Worth, and video shows one of the officers asking the man to prove the numerous cards in his wallet are his.

The guy explains he's in a rush to help his wife, whose car he says had broken down, but police make him slowly cycle through all the credit cards in his wallet so they can match the names on the cards to his ID.

The man wonders why cops are making a big fuss, and one officer tells him someone in the store thought he was acting suspiciously.

At one point, the officer outrageously asks the man how he ended up in the suburb and everything checks out in the end ... but now the guy is saying the entire interaction was racist.

Hard to argue.

We reached out to the Burleson Police Department ... so far, no word back.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's son has been hit with several felonies stemming from his alleged knife attack on a neighbor in June ... and now he's facing nearly 10 years behind bars.

We broke the story ... cops in San Clemente, Calif. arrested 28-year-old Adam Abdul-Jabbar after they say he attacked his neighbor during an argument.

Adam's neighbor says he complained to the basketball legend's son about helping his grandma with outdoor trash cans ... which the man says set Adam off.

The 60-year-old says Adam stabbed him numerous times ... causing serious injuries, including a fractured skull and brain bleed. The man -- who's since filed a civil lawsuit against Adam -- also claims he nearly died from blood loss due to the incident.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Adam has now been charged with 3 felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, one felony count of carrying a dirk or dagger, and three enhancements of inflicting great bodily injury over his alleged role in the incident.

If convicted on all counts, Adam faces up to nine years and eight months in prison.

"A dispute between neighbors should never escalate to violence, much less the ruthless nature of this attack," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Tuesday.

"Violence of any kind will not be tolerated in Orange County and those who choose to inflict violence on others will be prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to the fullest extent of the law."

Jacob Blake is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of being shot in the back by a cop in Kenosha, WI ... and he'll need a miracle if he's ever gonna walk again.

Jacob's father and mother got super emotional Tuesday as they asked for answers and prayers outside the Kenosha County Courthouse.

His dad fought back tears as he wondered why police shot his son in the back like his life didn't matter. His mother said she's praying for everyone, even the cops, and asked for an end to the riots and violence erupting in the aftermath of her son's shooting.

The family's lawyer, Ben Crump, and his legal team provided a harrowing update on Jacob's medical condition ... doctors are telling them Jacob will need a "miracle" to learn to walk again after a bullet ripped through his spinal cord.

Jacob was rushed into surgery Tuesday, with doctors removing his colon and small intestine. His lawyers also say he has holes in his stomach, plus damage to his liver, kidney and arm. More surgeries await Jacob, plus a long and difficult rehab.

Jacob's father got emotional again as he explained the toll the shooting is taking on the family ... he says his grandson keeps asking him why the police shot his dad.

His mother says Jacob's trying his best to keep in good spirits ... even telling a joke when she was finally allowed inside his hospital room.

The family says its planning to file a civil lawsuit to hold the cops involved accountable, and their lawyers are asking for the officers to be fired and arrested.

The shooting of another unarmed Black man resulted in growing protests Sunday night in Kenosha, which escalated to violence ... including a police officer being knocked out cold.

The unrest continued Monday, and a peaceful protest march through the city was again followed by violence and fires set to buildings after dark.

Jacob's mom says her son would not be pleased with the violence, and called for healing and prayer throughout the country.

As we reported ... Blake was shot 7 times in the back as he was walking away from cops and trying to get in his SUV. His partner and the couple’s 3 children were in the back seat of the vehicle screaming when police shot him. We're told they are severely traumatized by what they saw.

Kanye West took advantage of a tech company to advance his Yeezy brand and launch his popular Sunday Service, then left them high and dry ... according to a new suit.

MyChannel, Inc. says it's a black-owned business specializing in video and e-commerce technology. The company claims it linked up with Kanye in Spring 2018 to help Ye maximize revenues for his Yeezy merchandise.

MYC -- repped by attorneys Ben Meiselas and Michael Popok -- alleges Kanye got the company to work around the clock for him for 6 months based on a series of business promises -- including a future $10 MILLION investment -- and estimates it put in 10,000 man-hours and invested $7 mil of its own into the Yeezy project.

According to the suit ... MYC even moved its headquarters -- once to Calabasas and once to Chicago -- all to please Kanye and make the partnership work.

However, after the 6 months, MYC claims it became clear Kanye had no intention of following through on his promises and he cut ties ... but not before allegedly jacking its technology for his newly-launched Sunday Service.

The company alleges Kanye's promises of a partnership were just an effort to fuel his Yeezy brand and steal confidential tech to make millions on Sunday Service ... so now they're suing him over it.

Police in Texas slammed a man's forehead into a curb during a bloody arrest ... and cops also had an elbow and knee pinned on his head.

The violent altercation with cops in Beaumont, Texas was caught on camera, with bystanders screaming in horror as multiple police officers flip the man off his stomach, causing his head to smash into the concrete curb in the middle of a parking lot.

The man, whose name is Omar, claims he suffered a gruesome injury during the arrest -- a bloody gash above his right eye from the violent impact, a cut that required at least six staples.

The head slamming into the curb is alarming, and so are the elbow and knee pinning his face to the ground. It's only been 3 months since George Floyd's neck met a knee that ended his life.

We reached out to police in Beaumont ... so far, no word back.

Young children everywhere are returning to schools despite ongoing COVID-19 challenges, and here's a glimpse of what it looks like ... adorable, but concerning.

TMZ's obtained a photo of a little girl attending preschool in Camarillo, CA ... equipped with a clear plastic face shield with rainbow flair to protect herself and others from the coronavirus.

As you can see, she's also on a little island at her desk to adhere to social distancing guidelines, which is a shame ... because ya gotta think the other kids want to check out her 'Little Mermaid' water bottle.

Now, when dealing with 3, 4 and 5-year-olds, there's going to be difficulty in getting them to take proper COVID precautions -- hell, even adults can't get it right -- but we're told the school is trying to make the best of it.

As we've reported ... high schools in several states like Georgia have already demonstrated a lack of proper safety protocols for its returning students, and children are increasingly testing positive for the virus.

Clearly ... there's still a lot to learn.