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Elon Musk is officially Twitter's new daddy -- at least according to Elon Musk -- who says he hopes the platform will continue to be a digital town square for years to come.

The Tesla/SpaceX boss explained his reasons for the $44 billion purchase Thursday, saying, "There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide in our society."

He continues, "In the relentless pursuit of clicks, much of traditional media has fueled and catered to those polarized extremes, as they believe that is what brings in the money, but, in doing so, the opportunity for dialogue is lost."

He says, "That is why I bought Twitter. I didn't do it because it would be easy. I didn't do it to make more money. I did it to try to help humanity, whom I love. And I do so with humility, recognizing that failure in pursuing this goal, despite our best efforts, is a very real possibility."

Elon's Twitter bio reflects his new purchase as well, calling himself the "Chief Twit." There's also a video that circulated this week showing the guy roaming about headquarters with moving boxes.

Like we said ... it closes the book on what turned out to be a bitter acquisition -- one that almost didn't happen when Elon threatened to pull out at the last minute. Remember, he said he felt Twitter wasn't giving him enough info on bots and spam accounts ... and that the value of the company might not have been as high as he was willing to pay at first.

In his mind, it gave him every legal reason to walk away -- but Twitter wasn't budging without a fight. The old regime took him to court and was dead set on holding him to the original terms, and as a trial loomed ... Elon blinked first and agreed to go through with it.

There's been a lot of talk about what Elon might aim to change at Twitter now that he's in charge. You'll recall, this all started with his gripes about free speech being severely limited on the platform -- and all signs point to him loosening the rules a bit as far as what's acceptable to tweet ... much to the chagrin of many critics, including current employees.

Speaking of those folks, there've been recent reports claiming that Elon plans to gut at least 75% of Twitter's workforce -- while also bashing a lot of them as left-leaning. There've been protests to push back on this, but at this point ... it's Elon's show, and he calls the shots.

Khloe Kardashian wants everyone to know how she feels about Tristan Thompson, and it's a short story ... she says he's a "F***ing liar!"

The way it went down is kinda weird ... there are cameras rolling on an audience screening an episode of "The Kardashians," when Tristan pops up and talks about expanding his fam with Khloe. You hear her shriek, "LIAR!!!"

Khloe then triples down in the confessional on the latest episode, calling Tristan's wistful comments about their relationship a "crock of s***."

She recalled thinking ... "I believed you and I was listening to you and I was receiving everything you said. But you're a f***ing liar!'"

As you know KK and TT have had insane drama. TMZ broke the story back in July ... they were expecting a baby via surrogate shortly after stories surfaced Tristan had a baby with a personal trainer Maralee Nichols last December. What's worse, Tristan cajoled Khloe into having a second baby, knowing Nichols was pregnant with his baby.

Witnesses tell TMZ ... Chris' Greg Yuna chain was snatched off. It's a chain where all the links come apart, so it fell apart on the street when the culprit snatched it. The suspect ran away and the chain was recovered by Chris.

Witnesses also say police took photos of Chris' injuries, which include a deep cut on his nose.

'SNL' alum Chris Redd was in no laughing mood in NYC Wednesday night ... the comedian got slugged in the face by some random dude and was rushed to the hospital, but, thankfully, he's gonna be OK!!!

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Chris drove up to the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village around 9:40 PM and got out of a vehicle when all hell broke loose.

We're told a man, apparently wearing a security guard uniform, ran up to Chris and clocked him in the face, bloodying his nose.

Cops were on patrol in the area and quickly responded to the scene, but the assailant had already run off. Police don't know the motive for the alleged assault.

People gathered around to assist Chris -- as you see in video obtained by TMZ. Blood was on the sidewalk and several steps leading down to the Comedy Cellar. Chris was scheduled to perform there Wednesday night.

He was taken to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, where he was treated and released.

Delonte West has been arrested again, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to the Fairfax County Police Dept. in Virginia, officers were called to a local parking lot at around 5:53 PM on Oct. 15 after they say witnesses saw the former NBA player trespassing in a vehicle.

Cops say when they arrived on scene, they found West near the parking lot ... but claim he became combative when they attempted to slap cuffs on him.

According to an FCPD spokesperson, West took off running ... but was tracked down a short distance away. He was eventually taken into custody.

Cops say West was ultimately booked on four criminal charges over the incident -- vehicle trespassing, entering a vehicle, fleeing from law enforcement and drunk in public. Jail records show he was released from custody on Oct. 16.

The news for West fans is troubling ... considering the embattled ex-Dallas Mavericks point guard had appeared to be turning his life around. He had landed a tryout with the Big3 earlier this year .... and even scored a gig with a flooring company in June.

In fact, just after he was hired, the company said it was thrilled with the job West was doing.

But, Mark Cuban told us earlier this month he had been made aware that things weren't going smoothly with his former player ... saying West was still struggling with some issues.

Leslie Jordan was a treasure to folks in Chattanooga, Tennessee, his hometown ... and now the city plans to honor the late actor, and it's working with his family to make it happen.

Leslie, who died Tuesday in Los Angeles, is being remembered as "one of the cherished sons of Chattanooga," according to a rep for the city ... who also tells TMZ, Leslie brought joy to the community for many years.

We're told one of Leslie's family members reached out to the city about securing a facility to honor his memory. The city is now partnering with Leslie's fam to make it happen, by finding a venue for a memorial service and making sure to pick a date that works well for Leslie's loved ones.

Chattanooga, we're told, is also open to other ideas on how to best remember Leslie -- some of the ideas being kicked around include renaming a street or building in his honor but we're told the final call will be up to his family.

The rep tells us Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly knew Leslie since they were teenagers, when they worked together at a local restaurant ... so his ties to the city run deep.

We're told Leslie made sure to return to Chattanooga to participate in civic events and volunteer with local charities even after his Hollywood success.

TMZ broke the story ... Leslie was driving his BMW in Hollywood when investigators believe he suffered a medical emergency and crashed into the side of a building.

He was on his way to the "Call Me Kat" set for filming, and we're told he had been complaining recently about shortness of breath.

Back in Chattanooga, we're told folks are still in mourning ... and the city is trying to balance showing respect for Leslie's family with being responsive to community members who want to celebrate him.

Leslie's also going to be honored in West Hollywood, where he frequented restaurants and coffee shops. We're told the WeHo city council will adjourn in Leslie's honor at their next meeting.

The hit 2000s show "MTV Cribs" is making a huge comeback ... and we've got a first look inside some celebs' homes to be featured on the season premiere.

This first episode is bound to pick up right where the series left off, showcasing the homes and lifestyles of some of the biggest names in Hollywood ... including Nicole Scherzinger, Olivia Culpo and Dwight Howard.

The former Pussycat Doll knows a lot about living large ... she'll be showing off her luxury home, located right on the Sunset Strip.

It comes with all the bells and whistles you might imagine ... including a theater, swimming pool and an amazing view.

Culpo will also be opening her doors this season. The 30-year-old model seems to have lots of space for entertaining. It'll be interesting to see how she kicks back, when she isn't posing in all her hot shots.

NBA champ Howard is going to have plenty to show and tell, too. His home features a 14-car garage, separate pool house, 5 kitchens, 20 HVAC units, and a saltwater pool with an outdoor fireplace.

There's even an elevator and underground tunnel that connects detached garages with the main house! Clearly, he got the "go big or go home" memo ... and he's doing both.

Kanye West is making a quick move to find a new home for his Yeezy shoes ... hitting Skechers headquarters to talk with the company's honchos, but immediately got turned away.

Sources familiar with Ye's visit tell us he was at the company's main office Wednesday morning in Manhattan Beach, CA ... but this was not a scheduled meeting with management.

Skechers says, Ye "arrived unannounced and without invitation at one of Skechers’ corporate offices in Los Angeles. Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two Skechers executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation."

Now, we don't know if Kanye did his research or not, but Skechers is owned and operated by a Jewish family -- Robert Greenberg founded it, and his son Michael is currently the President. Considering his rampant anti-Semitism, you could say he barked up the wrong tree.

A spokesperson tells us, "Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West. We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech. Again, West showed up unannounced and uninvited to Skechers corporate offices."

We're guessing Kanye's goal was for Skechers to be his new partner for the Yeezy shoe brand -- working both as a manufacturer and distributor, as Adidas did before it dropped him this week. Well, he struck out.

Still, Kanye was also spotted in good spirits at a local bagel shop before his meeting -- his smile certainly doesn't look like that of a man out $900 million -- a figure reported by Forbes.

As we reported, Kanye's anti-Semitic comments were the final straw for several business and professional relationships for Kanye -- including Balenciaga, his legal team and of course, Adidas who have all dropped him in the last few weeks.

These soon-to-be-stars clearly loved dressing up for Halloween before their big break ... but can you tell who these celebs are back when they were just little tykes?

Anne Hathaway, Ariana Grande and Cheryl Burke are just a few of the kiddos who donned a cute costume for the spooky season -- but good luck figuring out which one is them!

This actor is better known for hangin' with a group of dudes on TV ... but who is the mystery kid all ready for Halloween?

This '90s star took the world by storm with her hit show ... but is this witchy gal who you think it is?

English actor Peter Hinwood was 29 years old when he was cast as Rocky Horror -- the blonde Frankenstein-esque muscle man and one of Dr. Frank's creations -- in the 1975 horror musical "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

Hinwood shared the big screen with Tim Curry as the lingerie-clad mad scientist who takes credit for Rocky, Dr. Frank N. Furter, Richard O'Brien as the doctor's long-haired servant and the castle's butler, Riff Raff ... and Susan Sarandon as the newly engaged gal who get stranded in the rain with a flat tire, Janet Weiss.

Drake and 21 Savage are pushing back the release date for their highly anticipated joint album ... because the producer is battling coronavirus.

Champagne Papi announced the delay Wednesday, revealing on his Instagram story that his longtime producer, Noah "40" Shebib, became infected with COVID while mixing and mastering the album.

Drake and 21 Savage's project is called "Her Loss" and it was due out this Friday ... but it's going to be the fan's loss, because Drizzy says the collab is being delayed at least a week, with the new release date moved to next Friday, Nov. 4.

Drake and Noah have worked together for years ... but based on Drake's post, it seems like the COVID diagnosis is only a minor bump in the road.

"Her Loss" was only announced a couple days ago ... Drake revealed the album's title and original release date in his new music video for "Jimmy Cooks," a song featuring 21 Savage off Drake's last album, "Honestly, Nevermind."

Kanye West is persona non grata for Peloton -- the exercise company is banning his music from any new future classes.

Peloton took a stance Wednesday in a statement to Pelobuddy ... "We take this issue very seriously and can confirm Peloton indefinitely paused the use of Kanye West’s music on our platform. This means our instructors are no longer using his music in any newly produced classes and we are not suggesting any class that includes his music in our proactive recommendations to Members."

They add, "You should know this was a decision we made immediately following his remarks. Again, thank you for sharing your concerns and thank you for being a Member of our Peloton community."

The statement comes on the heels of Peloton's Alex Toussaint -- a popular cycling instructor -- declaring he would not be playing Ye's tunes during any of his classes. He said this on Monday during his Hip Hop Ride at 7 PM ET ... without ever naming the guy.

Toussaint said he doesn't tolerate hate speech and that he stands with the Jewish community -- going on to promise he would foster a safe space and not play "that artist." It seems his bosses felt that policy should apply across the board ... and it's a big deal.

There's been a lot of folks wondering what might happen to Kanye's music as he continues to fall from grace. Until now, there hadn't been many rumblings about censoring//muting his catalog -- but at this point, it appears the door's starting to be opened a bit.

Jerry Lee Lewis is not dead ... as we previously reported.

We're told the rock 'n' roll legend is alive, living in Memphis. Earlier today we were told by someone claiming to be Lewis' rep that he had passed. That turned out not to be the case.

Will Smith visited the Los Angeles Lakers to talk about staying strong in the face of adversity ... as the team tries to salvage its season after dropping its first three games.

Smith spent quality time with the Lake Show discussing themes that will be a part of his upcoming film, "Emancipation," such as the benefits of togetherness and practicing gratitude when difficult times arise.

WS got some facetime with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, and the team presented the 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' star with a No. 14 Lakers jersey.

The message in Will's talk was profound ... and came at a time when the Lakers have been experiencing constant scrutiny, a feeling Smith experienced earlier this year.

Remember ... the 54-year-old Philadelphia native faced immense public backlash and consequences, including a 10-year ban from the Academy Awards, for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.

Smith seemingly became public enemy No. 1 for the viral moment -- but he eventually apologized to Rock and has been doing damage control ever since to repair his public image.

Ultimately, Smith wanted to instill in the Lakers that no matter how grim things look, the only way to overcome them is by sticking together and appreciating the struggle.

Tory Lanez is going to be spending a lot more time inside -- a judge just placed him under house arrest until his trial against Megan Thee Stallion begins ... and it all stems from an alleged incident with August Alsina.

The order came down Wednesday during a court hearing in L.A. ... where it was ruled that Tory needs to be on lockdown until November 28 -- the start of the trial -- as a result of accusations he beat the crap out of Alsina in Chicago in September.

Prosecutors argued TL deserved to be remanded into custody because -- in their eyes -- he'd violated the conditions of his bail in the Meg case. They say he continues to pose a threat to public safety and that monetary bail alone wasn't enough of a deterrent.

Tory's attorney, Shawn Holley, pushed back, noting ... no charges had been filed in the Alsina case, and there were only allegations. As we reported, Alsina took to social media to allege Tory had sucker punched him, with bloody photos to boot -- this after he'd apparently been snubbed by the singer in passing earlier in the day.

The judge ended up splitting the difference, ordering Tory be confined to his home with a GPS ankle monitor beginning Friday.

Tory has to remain under house arrest until his felony assault trial gets underway. Remember, he's pleaded not guilty after being charged with firing the gun that seriously injured Meg in 2020.

When Adidas decided to stop producing products for Kanye West, people from around the globe rushed to the Internet to check the temp of selling the popular Yeezy shoe.

Google searches for the phrase "sell Yeezy" skyrocketed a whopping 581% Wednesday -- according to data commissioned by Celeb Tattler -- after news broke that Adidas was dropping their contract with Ye and stopping production of his brand's products.

The numbers suggest folks are trying to figure out if it's a good idea to start selling their Yeezy gear now, or wait for prices to potentially increase in the future.

As we reported ... Adidas, Kanye's biggest corporate partner, announced Tuesday they were cutting ties with Ye in the wake of building public pressure following his antisemitic comments.

The German shoe company says a "thorough review" of the Yeezy partnership projects a $246 million loss in net income this year by ending the deal.

The two Ohio fishermen who left the sports world stunned after allegedly stuffing fish with weights during a tournament pled not guilty to multiple charges on Wednesday.

42-year-old Jacob Runyan and 35-year-old Chase Cominsky were indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on felony charges of cheating, attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools ... as well as misdemeanor unlawful ownership of wild animals.

Both anglers appeared in a Cleveland court on Wednesday ... but neither spoke.

Runyan, a native of Ohio, and Cominsky, a native of Pennsylvania, were on the verge of winning $28,760 for the two seven-pound walleyes fish they caught during the Lake Erie event in September.

The problem ... officials were suspicious of Runyan's and Cominsky's haul -- and once they cut the fish open, they noticed they contained weights and other fish filets inside.

Both Runyan and Cominsky had been suspected of cheating in past tournaments, though there was never enough evidence to nab the two.

Fans at the event were frustrated ... and insisted that the honchos in charge file a police report against both men.