Kirsten Bloom Allen Ballerina Helps Ukrainian Dancer-Turned-Soldier 'Artists Helping Artists'

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SUPPORTING THE RESISTANCE

Ballerina Kirsten Bloom Allen is pulling off the near-impossible ... getting life-saving supplies to a fellow dancer in Ukraine, who's been forced to put aside his true passion so he can defend his country.

Oleksii Potiomkin says he wanted to help his fellow Ukrainians and protect his family at all costs, but supplies were scarce. When he and Kirsten joined us Wednesday on TMZ Live, she explained why she refused to sit by idly while a fellow dancer was in need.

Kirsten tells us she reached out to Oleksii online -- they knew each other through dance -- and they created a list of things needed for the Hospitallers, a volunteer paramedic group he joined that tends to Ukraine's wounded soldiers.

Kirsten says she shipped the supplies to another ballet dancer in Amsterdam, who took them through Poland and to Oleksii in Ukraine. Now, she's launched a fundraiser, hoping to get more supplies into the country such as medical supplies and food.

Oleksii tells us this war is forcing people from all walks of life to step up and fight for the cause. He started helping people on his own with medicine and aid, even before joining the Hospitallers.

Heroic and inspirational -- both fitting words for what Oleksii and Kristen are doing to protect Ukraine, and to help others heal.

Kirsten is asking anyone wanting to donate to head to her website, kirstenbloomallen.com

KOURTNEY K & TRAVIS BARKER Viva Las Vegas!!! First Pics of Wedding Ceremony

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Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker are VERY much a couple in love ... check out the pics of their late-night Las Vegas wedding ceremony.

Kourtney posted 10 pictures from the ceremony, and you see her and Travis wearing matching black leather jackets inside the One Love Wedding Chapel, with an Elvis impersonator pronouncing them husband and wife.

KK and TB are all smiles as they mug for the cameras and share some loving embraces ... and, in true Kourtney and Travis style, there are a bunch of pics of them kissing.

Kourtney had a bouquet of red roses, and they also wore matching sunglasses inside.

TMZ broke the story ... Kourtney and Travis hit the chapel early Monday morning after the drummer performed live at the Grammys. They didn't allow the venue to take any photos, instead bringing their own photographer and security.

Kourtney captioned the photo dump ... "Once upon a time in a land far, far away (Las Vegas) at 2am, after an epic night and a little tequila, a queen and her handsome king ventured out to the only open chapel with an Elvis and got married (with no license). Practice makes perfect."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The "no license" admission obviously points out it wasn't a legal ceremony ... but like Kourtney said, practice makes perfect!

Kourtney was seen out and about in Los Angeles on Wednesday, the first time in public since the nuptials.

K-Pop Star BamBam, Warriors Merch Collab Draws Huge Crowd ... Outside Team Shop

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K-Pop superstar BamBam and the Warriors are teaming up once again -- this time, the GOT7 rapper released a merch collab with his favorite NBA squad ... and a huge group of Warriors fans gave up their Wednesday morning to get their hands on it!!

Remember, BamBam -- the Warriors' global ambassador this season -- helped GSW hooper Andrew Wiggins secure a spot in the All-Star Game in February ... calling on his millions of social media followers to vote for the 27-year-old forward.

BamBam's newest Dubs collab is proving to be just as successful ... with a long line forming outside the Chase Center team shop as fans try to snag the exclusive merch.

The shirts and hoodies feature a yellow, blue and red basketball being held up by the iconic K-Pop finger heart, as well as the BB logo and his favorite number -- 97.

There's also another design with BamBam's name, #97 and a ball going through a hoop.

The merch drop comes one day before BamBam's performance during halftime of the Dubs' matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers ... which is believed to be the first K-Pop performance in NBA history.

While the shirts and hoodies are awesome, fans might have also been trying to be one of the lucky customers to snag a meet and greet with BamBam himself!!

Coachella 2022 Swedish House Mafia & The Weeknd Sunday Headliners

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The honchos at Coachella have found their replacement act to fill Kanye's slot as headliner for the biggest night of the festival -- The Weeknd will join Swedish House Mafia.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Abel has agreed to the gig, and Swedish House Mafia -- who was supposed to headline Friday night -- will now go Sunday. The pairing makes a lot of sense, the two have the hit song "Moth to a Flame" together, released just this year.

SHM and The Weeknd also both have the same management team, under SALXCO ... so both sides were already familiar.

What's more ... the performance marks SHM's big return to the desert as well as a sort of kickoff to their album "Paradise Again," which will release April 15 followed by a world tour this summer.

We're told at this time it's unclear exactly how the show will work, if one will perform before the other, or if they'll switch off throughout the set ... however, we're told given time constraints to get a show ready, Weeknd's show will likely be shorter than usual, and he's essentially a bonus to what would've already been a kickass SHM set.

TMZ broke the story -- The Weeknd, Silk Sonic and Red Hot Chili Peppers were on the organizer's short list of acts to take Kanye's spot ... Silk Sonic shut it down, as Bruno Mars didn't believe there was enough time to get a worthy show together.

However, our sources say there were some other names being considered by organizers as well, including Justin Bieber and Travis Scott. We're told Travis was unable to get a show together because of time constraints.

Of course, Travis was supposed to headline in 2020 -- but that was canceled because of COVID -- and again in 2022, but Coachella canceled his performance after the tragedy at Astroworld. Obviously, it's a good sign for TS fans wanting to see him back on mainstream festival stages if Coachella execs were willing to start talks back up with his team.

As we first reported, Kanye backed out of the festival with less than two weeks before showtime ... but now, Coachella has its headliners.

Kim Kardashian 'I'm Very Happy and Very Content' ... Gushes About Pete

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FINALLY AT PEACE

Kim Kardashian's done playing it cool in public when it comes to Pete Davidson ... instead, she's pouring her heart out about how happy she is, and all that's left is for one of 'em to say the L-word.

The SKIMS founder opened up about her romance with the 'SNL' star Wednesday morning on 'GMA' ... saying, "It's just a good feeling to be at peace".

As far as how serious things are, Kim says, "I mean, I am a relationship kind of girl, for sure".

Kim didn't outright say what the relationship means for the long haul, but she did say, "I wouldn't be with someone if I didn't plan on spending a lot of my time with them".

While Kim skirted spelling out just how serious she and Pete ... there's plenty of visual evidence now.

TMZ broke the story -- Pete's met her kids, or at least one of them. We got this video of PD and North as they tooled around in a golf cart in Scott Disick's gated L.A. community. ... which is not far from Kim's home.

Kim and Pete have been a thing for about 6 months, and now that he's getting closer and closer with her family -- fair to say it's plenty serious.

Will Smith Cops Didn't See the Slap ... But Citizen's Arrest Was on the Table

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There's growing anger toward the LAPD for not arresting Will Smith on the spot even after Chris Rock said he didn't want Will busted -- but fact is, there were only 2 ways cops could have taken Will out of the Dolby Theater in cuffs.

LAPD sources with firsthand knowledge tell us only one officer was inside the auditorium, and he was backstage and didn't see the slap. Since it was misdemeanor battery, the only way a cop could arrest Will on his/her own is if it was committed in their presence, and it was not.

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TAKIN' NO DISRESPECT

We're told the officer backstage heard what happened and then beelined it for Chris' dressing room, where he waited outside for a while and then asked Chris if he wanted to press charges. We're told Chris was clear he did not, and our LAPD sources dispute what Oscar producer Will Packer claimed ... that Chris was asked if he wanted Will removed.

So there was one other way Will could have been arrested. Someone in the crowd -- and there were several thousand -- could have gone up to a cop and asked to make a citizen's arrest. Under California law, "a private person may arrest another for a public offense committed or attempted in his presence." No one in the crowd asked to do that.

Now we've also learned there was a flood of angry folks -- people who either called LAPD or actually went to one of the divisions -- and asked to arrest Will for battery. Thing is ... they didn't witness the slap in person -- watching it on TV doesn't count -- so LAPD could do nothing.

Chris remains mum on the whole incident. Our Chris sources say he's still "processing" what went down, so he could have a change of heart. But for now ... the LAPD can't do anything.

Pete Davidson Cartin' With North West!!! ... Kim Introduces BF to the Kids

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Kim Kardashian has taken a big step in a relationship that is getting more and more serious ... her boyfriend, Pete Davidson, has now met the kids.

Pete and North West were cruising around late Sunday afternoon in what appears to be Scott Disick's gated community in L.A, near Kim's house.

They were riding around in a pink, electric MOKE car for around 30 minutes -- from 5 - 5:30 PM ... so Pete was in no rush to see the Grammys.

You can't see her in the video, but we're told Penelope Disick was also in the little whip, so it was truly a family affair.

Kim and Pete have now dated for around 6 months, so Pete being around the kids isn't a stretch. In many divorce cases the exes agree that anyone with whom they become romantically involved cannot be around the children ... typically for 6 months, so Pete's intro is in line with the norm.

Pete is now ensconced in the Kardashian clan. Also on Sunday, Pete and Scott Disick clowned around in the same MOKE he drove later with North.

Rapper Goonew Family Defends Corpse At Nightclub ... 'It's What He Would've Wanted'

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ONE LAST NIGHT

Rapper Goonew's family thinks those criticizing the memorial service for the artist, where his dead body was propped up on stage at a D.C. nightclub, is nobody else's business ... because the service went down exactly as he would've wanted it.

The artist's mother and sister, Patrice and Ariana Morrow, tell TMZ ... when they first met with the funeral home, Patrice made it clear she didn't want anyone looking down on her son. They wanted him to be propped up on display after seeing other services do something similar.

The crown on his head was the funeral home's idea ... because he was known as the "King of Maryland." His family says he was the life of the party and loved to have fun, so they knew he wouldn't have wanted a somber funeral.

Prior to Goonew's death, Ariana says her brother made it clear he did not want to be buried in a suit. The family tells us the 24-year-old rapper didn't go to church, which would've made a casket and being dressed in a suit come off as phony. They decided to dress him in his regular clothes, making him appear as he would've if he were still alive.

His family says they've received tons of love and support from those who knew the former DMV rapper. Following the service, he was taken by horse-drawn carriage through his neighborhood, before being buried at the cemetery.

As we reported, Goonew's memorial service at Bliss Nightclub in D.C., went down Sunday night ... getting mixed reviews from the crowd. The club has apologized for what went down, and claimed they had no idea his body would be on display.

Pope Francis Kisses Ukrainian Flag Taken From City Of Bucha ... Calls For Violence, Death To End

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PLEA FOR PEACE

Pope Francis is condemning the war in Ukraine -- and arguably Putin -- by kissing a flag that once flew in the city of Bucha ... where Russians soldiers left dead bodies tied up and lying in the streets after torturing and shooting them.

The Pope displayed the tattered and stained flag to his weekly audience Wednesday in the Vatican's auditorium. After kissing and displaying it, the crowd burst into applause.

The Pope said, "Recent news from the war in Ukraine, instead of bringing relief and hope, brought new atrocities, such as the massacre of Bucha."

He pled for the barbarism to come to an end. After his speech, the Pope invited several refugee children to join him on stage, saying, "Let's not forget them, and let's not forget the Ukrainian people."

The Pope decried a lack of support from the United Nations. He's been considering a trip to Kyiv ... slamming Putin for the destruction he's caused.

It's all but certain the Pope's pleas will fall on deaf ears. Putin is committing genocide on Ukraine ... slaughtering civilians, including hundreds of children, not to mention destroying city after city..

Joe Exotic Dillon Willing to Sign Off On Divorce ... With a Few Conditions

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Joe Exotic's estranged husband Dillon Passage is willing to sign off on divorcing the 'Tiger King,' but he wants to work out a settlement first.

Dillon's attorneys, Chris Kirker and Holly Davis, tell TMZ … their client is eager to finalize the divorce, as long as Joe agrees to his terms.

His legal team says they actually started negotiating a divorce settlement back in September with Joe's previous lawyer when DP and Exotic were already estranged ... but they hit pause on moving forward when Joe announced his cancer diagnosis.

As we first told you ... Joe ended up filing for divorce last week after more than 4 years of marriage, saying he wants to make their split official so he can marry his new prison lover.

Joe's new divorce attorney, Autumn Blackledge, tells TMZ … Joe wants to hammer out a deal, and it shouldn't be a problem, as long as Dillon's terms are "reasonable."

As for his terms -- Dillon's attorney says he wants both parties to walk away with what they owned coming into the marriage ... and he wants a permanent injunction preventing Joe from contacting him directly, stalking or harassing him.

Dillon's camp says those are the terms they offered back in September, when Joe's response was, "It will be a cold day in hell before I sign these papers ... You're out of your f***ing mind."

Sounds like it's gonna take some doing to reach a settlement, but Dillon's team stresses he's not looking for any big payday -- and Joe's camp says he wants something simple that allows each of them to take their own stuff and move on.

Easier said than done.

'Too Hot To Handle' Harry Jowsey Sliding in Instagram DMs ... 'I Have a List'

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KEEP SHOOTING YOUR SHOT

Harry Jowsey may not be dating Khloe Kardashian, but there are other fish in the sea ... and he's got his eyes on a few of them.

The "Too Hot to Handle" star sat down on the "TMZ Verified" Podcast and talked about a list of celebs he would love a shot with ... now that Khloe K is off the table, of course.

Harry says, he's already tried to DM actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld, but he was quickly shot down ... and, he may have a thing for singers 'cause he has also messaged Brazilian artist, Anitta.

And, the list goes on ... other celebs on his radar include actress Madelyn Cline and rapper Saweetie.

ICYMI, the last time we caught up with him, he denied dating Khloe Kardashian ... despite folks speculating the two exchanged Instagram messages.

He made it clear that he tried to DM her once but deleted it ... Khloe also came out, saying any dating rumors about her and Harry were absolutely not true.

While he told us he would still love the opportunity with Khloe, he says, he's single and ready to mingle ... and he clearly meant that.

GA Youth Basketball Ref Needed 30 Stitches After Postgame Attack ... Tournament Official Says

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The referee who was kicked and punched in the face repeatedly following a Georgia youth basketball game needed 30 stitches to stop the bleeding ... a tournament official tells TMZ Sports.

But, Kenneth Tarver -- the founder of KB Sports who helped put on the youth tourney in Lithonia over the weekend -- says, somehow, the guy is doing better now.

The terrifying incident was all captured on video on Sunday at the Love Of The Game event at the Stronghold Christian Church -- when several young players and other bystanders appeared to beat the hell out of a ref after a game had concluded.

Tarver tells us the game actually featured teams full of eighth graders ... but, he said he has no idea what caused the postgame scuffle.

Tarver said he has spoken to the referee since the incident -- and while he needed to be stitched up after the attack, Tarver said he's going to make a full recovery.

Tarver added that he's banned the team involved in the scuffle going forward ... and he vowed to beef up security at future events as well.

"I'm gonna make it safer for the officials," Tarver tells us.

As we reported, cops are investigating the incident. A spokesperson for the Stronghold Christian Church, meanwhile, added in a statement that they're hoping and praying that future competitors "who enter our facility will conduct themselves in the best manner."

Guess Who This Sassy Gal Turned Into!

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Before this girl decked out in pink and flowers turned into a child actress and singer, she was just a southern gal brightening up the world with her two older siblings.

This little flower girl skyrocketed to fame when she landed a starring role on a Nickelodeon show centered around Pacific Coast Academy. After taking a hiatus from the entertainment industry, she recently jumped back into the swing of things, as she released a book, a country music album and even stepped back into acting.

Still not too sure who this young, blonde lady could be? You can catch her in Netflix's "Sweet Magnolias."

Can you guess who she is?

'Walking Dead' SFX Chief Greg Nicotero ... The Finale is to Die for!!!

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eat your heart out, 'WD' Fans!!!

It's a wrap for "The Walking Dead" ... and as the blood and guts get mopped up from their set, one of the series' head honchos is promising fans ... they'll be dying over the ending.

We got Greg Nicotero -- an EP on 'TWD' and the lead special effects supervisor on the show -- at LAX Wednesday ... and considering they just finished filming for the last time as a crew just hours earlier, there was a lot to get to as far as final thoughts from the OG here.

For starters ... we asked if Norman Reedus was all good after recently suffering a concussion on set -- and, indeed, Greg tells us he's well healed ... while shedding a little more light on what happened. Sounds like he -- and everyone else -- was burnt out from a grueling schedule.

Greg also told us about future plans -- both 'Walking Dead'-related and otherwise -- and it sounds like he's got quite the slate of work ahead of him.

Now, of course ... we also had to ask what, if anything, he might've taken home as a souvenir -- and lo and behold, he doesn't disappoint. Greg says he certainly has a few mementos from his decade-plus of shooting ... pretty much all the big props you can imagine (shout-out Negan lovers).

You can tell the show has meant so much to Greg, which is why he left the best for last -- a guarantee to a bloodthirsty fanbase that this final season won't disappoint. Fingers crossed!

Coachella Weeknd, Red Hot Chili Peppers ... Top of List for Kanye's Headline Spot

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Coachella organizers are hard at work figuring out who will take Kanye's headlining Sunday spot at the festival -- and we've learned of 2 acts at the top of the list to take over.

First, who's out. We're told the organizers were hot for Silk Sonic, the dynamic duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. The pair make a lot of sense, coming off a clean sweep at The Grammys, including Record of the Year for "Leave the Door Open."

We're told Bruno Mars shut it down, saying there wasn't enough time for them to get a proper show together in time for Coachella.

As for who's still in play -- there's The Weeknd, who is coming off an insane year on the charts -- a new album and an upcoming stadium tour. We're told there's been talks between both sides, which stalled at one point ... but there's still a chance he takes the stage in some capacity.

Our sources say organizers were testing the waters to see if The Weeknd would perform a few songs along with Swedish House Mafia. They were also interested in The Weeknd as a stand-alone act. Our sources say no decision has been made.

Finally, our sources say The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a name that's being seriously considered. The group is set to hit the road this summer -- and recently played a low-key show in L.A. -- so they're ready to go. What's more, our sources say RHCP makes a lot of sense, because currently there's no major rock 'n roll act on the lineup.

One thing our sources have stressed -- there are others who are being considered, but the ones we just mentioned are at the top of the list.

TMZ broke the story, Kanye dropped out of his headlining gig with less than 2 weeks to go before Coachella. The first of two weekends kicks off April 15. Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and Swedish House Mafia are all locked in as other headliners.

Singing Heartthrob Bobby Rydell Dead at 79

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Music legend Bobby Rydell, one of the first teen idols back in the 1960s, is dead.

Bobby, whose famous songs include "Volare" and "Wild One," died Tuesday. A person close to Bobby tells us he had some health issues over the last few months and was recently diagnosed with pneumonia ... which is believed to be the cause of death. We're told it was not COVID-related.

Bobby was a central part of the Philadelphia dynasty in music ... so big, streets were named after him. Paul McCartney famously said Bobby's hit, "Swinging School," served as the inspiration behind The Beatles' early mega-hit, "She Loves You."

Bobby toured as part of The Golden Boys stage production with Frankie Avalon and Fabian, and he was easily the most talented singer among the trio of teen idols.

While Bobby's mostly known for his music, he was also a talented actor ... starring on TV, stage and film, most notably a role in the movie version of "Bye Bye Birdie" with Ann-Margret and Dick Van Dyke.

There's even a nod to Bobby in the Broadway and film version of "Grease" ... the high school, "Rydell High," was named after him.

Bobby sold over 25 million records ... and his other hits include "Kissin' Time, "Sway," "I've Got Bonnie," "The Cha-Cha-Cha" and "Forget Him."

He was 79.

RIP