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The life of Elon Musk is so strange ... even he is perplexed by it, and obviously amused!!

Twitter's new honcho beamed into the B20 business conference in Indonesia Monday ... and was engulfed in darkness and surrounded by burning candles.

Musk was asked about his $44 billion purchase of Twitter and how he's managing it all with Tesla and his other companies.

The world's richest man was shockingly transparent ... "I have too much work on my plate -- that is for sure. I am really working the absolute most amount that I can work from morning 'til night, 7 days a week ... this is not something I recommend, frankly."

Then things really got weird. During a long pause, Musk began looking around and smiling, seemingly baffled. "I don't know what else to say ... but it is um ... and I just look at this video and it's so bizarre."

Musk began laughing hysterically, ending with ... "I'm sitting in the dark surrounded by candles ... it's so bizarre."

As we reported ... Musk has been trying to get his bearings at Twitter ever since he acquired the company in late October. He fired thousands of employees to offset major losses caused by a downturn in ad sales, or so he says. Musk has also seen a flood of fake accounts appear on the social media platform -- which was exactly what he was attempting to stop.

Even more worrisome, President Biden has said Musk's foreign business ties should be investigated to make sure everything is on the up and up.

Jen Shah's sentencing in her fraud case isn't the only thing she's on edge about these days -- the 'Real Housewife' absolutely lost it during an explosive argument, screaming and cussing on the streets of Salt Lake City.

TMZ obtained this intense footage of Jen and 4 other people having a blowout in downtown SLC ... and you hear Jen scream several times, "F*** YOU!!!"

We're told this heated showdown happened around 9:50 PM on November 5 ... as they say Saturday night's alright for fighting! It's unclear what sparked the dispute, or who the other combatants are, but there's some clear chatter about someone's husband.

There's also one person, not Jen, who hurls a homophobic slur a few times.

You could understand why Jen might be wound pretty tight -- she's about to find out her punishment after copping a plea deal in her fraud case.

As we reported ... Jen went before a federal judge in July and pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. As part of her plea deal, the feds dropped one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, but she could still get up to 14 years behind bars.

At the end of the Saturday night argument, Jen stormed off and our law enforcement sources say cops were not called to the scene.

Mike Pence says Donald Trump's characterization of him as a coward on January 6th was reckless and made him angry ... and he got emotional talking about it.

The former Veep talked about that dark time with ABC's David Muir, and when Muir read back the ex-Prez's tweet as the insurrection was unfolding ... you can see MP get visibly upset, seemingly searching for the right words.

Eventually, he found them ... saying Trump's suggestion that he lacked the courage to do what was necessary to avoid a "steal" couldn't be more off the mark. Pence told his daughter, who was also at the Capitol, it takes more courage to uphold the law than to break it, which is what DT wanted him to do.

As Pence speaks, you see him incessantly tapping his foot ... itself a show of emotion.

Remember, Pence was overseeing the certification of the 2020 election on Jan. 6 ... when at some point in the day, in the middle of their session, hundreds of rioters came barreling through Capitol doors and windows, causing lawmakers to hide in fear.

For some reason, Muir pressed Pence about what he thought Trump could've possibly been doing at the White House that whole time -- Pence had no idea because he wasn't there. Pence told Muir he'd have to take that one up with Trump himself.

There's not much ambiguity here ... Pence has not only broken ties with Trump, he has contempt for him. It's especially stunning because during Trump's presidency Pence was his #1 cheerleader.

Like millions of Yankees fans ... Derek Jeter tells TMZ Sports he's super hopeful his old squad is able to keep Aaron Judge in Pinstripes -- and re-sign the superstar this offseason.

Jeets didn't mince words when we got him out in NYC this week ... explaining he "of course!" wants the outfielder back at Yankee Stadium for 2023 and beyond.

The problem? It's unclear if that'll actually happen.

Judge, of course, is a free agent ... and after turning down a monster contract offer from the Yankees before the 2022 season began, some believe he could be looking elsewhere in the coming weeks and months.

Jeter told us he isn't sure where things stand in the negotiations between Judge and the Yankees -- or where else in the MLB the star could end up.

But, watch the clip ... he sure seems to be wishing Judge stays put.

After Judge's historic '22 season -- it's not hard to see why the former shortstop believes the Yankees should stop at nothing to get him back ... the dude hit 62 home runs, and batted .311!!

MacKenzie Scott's $2.5M donation to an Ohio high school -- which largely serves minority students -- is being put to good use, by giving the high schoolers a big jumpstart on their college credits.

Metro Early College Middle & High School in Ohio isn't your typical school -- its curriculum focuses on STEM (science, tech, engineering and mathematics) ... while providing students the opportunity to take classes at nearby colleges and intern at local businesses during the school day.

Meka Pace, the superintendent of Metro tells TMZ ... while the school has a lot to offer, it can get expensive. Metro typically spends $350K/year on enrolling 84% of its students in university classes. MacKenzie's donation will allow more students to take college classes.

That's not all, MacKenzie's contribution will help with transportation ... the kids need to go from school to their internships and back, something that's been a big obstacle in the past.

FYI -- MacKenzie just gifted millions of dollars to several nonprofits in Ohio ... including a $6.5M donation to the Columbus Urban League.

Unclear what her connection is to the state of Ohio ... but Pace says she's humbled MacKenzie took notice of the school's commitment to excellence.

R&B singer Keri Hilson was 25 years old when she put her name on the map and on the top of the music charts back in 2007. After signing with rapper and music producer Timbaland, Keri was hitting the ground stage running!

Keri definitely made her mark on the mid-2000s after being featured on Timbaland's track "The Way I Are" and continued to make big waves with hit songs "Knock You Down" and "Pretty Girl Rock." She worked with industry icons including Lil Wayne, Usher and Ciara.

'My name is Keri, I'm so fly, it's a lil' bit scary!'

Elon Musk may have just put his own foot in his mouth regarding his new baby, Twitter -- because he pissed off a U.S. Senator ... who has the power to investigate him, officially.

The Chief Twit got into a digital squabble Sunday with Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts ... this after the lawmaker sent EM an official letter asking for an explanation on why so many people have been able to impersonate others on Twitter, including Markey himself.

You see, a WaPo reporter recently did what a ton of others have done lately -- changing their profile names/pics and pretending to be another public figure. In this case, the journo was assuming Markey's identity to prove a point ... and the Senator wants some answers.

Markey was firm ... accusing Elon of putting profits over Twitter's integrity, to which the man in question fired back, "Perhaps it is because your real account sounds like a parody?"

He followed up by poking fun at the fact that Sen. Markey has a mask in his profile pic, but the legislator wasn't in a kidding mood. He appeared to threaten Elon with the prospect of Senate hearings if he didn't get his house in order ... beyond just Twitter, in fact.

Markey wrote in response, "One of your companies is under an FTC consent decree. Auto safety watchdog NHTSA is investigating another for killing people. And you’re spending your time picking fights online. Fix your companies. Or Congress will."

Elon left it there, but he started to get mocked as well by other reporters and pundits ... many of whom noted that he just might've screwed himself into a subpoena to testify -- seeing how Markey sits on a few key subcommittees that oversee exactly what Elon dabbles in in the private sector ... like Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, The Boring Co. and now Twitter.

Donald Trump is becoming public enemy #1 in the Republican Party after being blamed for the midterm election results -- but Jon Voight's sticking by him ... for whatever that's worth.

The actor posted a new video Sunday addressed to the American people ... and it's pretty ominous. He decries the wins Democrats secured and suggests there's malfeasance afoot -- echoing false election denial claims propagated by the ex-Prez and his staunch supporters.

JV is one of those diehards, it seems, because he says DT is the only one who can restore truth and justice in this country again ... and he says that'll happen when he's back in office.

FWIW, Trump hasn't officially announced he's running for President again in 2024 -- but has stopped short of saying it for well over a year now. He's also got some big announcement on Tuesday ... which may, in fact, be him throwing his hat in the ring once more.

It's a little weird to see just how down the rabbit hole Jon finds himself -- he talks about a looming third world war, linking it to our domestic politics. His whole speech here is strange.

Regardless of what Trump and his holdout cronies might say ... the voters are making their voices heard at the ballot box. Thus far, Dems will retain control of the Senate -- and even though the House might go to Republicans, it'll probably be a slim majority.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson has died ... this according to several prominent figures in the MMA community.

The former UFC fighter reportedly passed away this weekend after battling an undisclosed disease he's apparently been dealing with for quite a while. Unclear what it might be, though ... the rest of the details surrounding his death have yet to be released.

UFC's Michael Chiesa sent out a post for condolences, writing ... "RIP Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. One of the most prolific KO artists our sport has ever seen. My prayers go out to his family and everyone affected by this tragedy."

Other MMA fighters and journalists also posted tons of tributes for the guy ... the news seems to have shocked just about everyone, as Rumble's been out of the spotlight for a while.

One notable remembrance came from Daniel Cormier, who faced Rumble in the Octagon a couple different times. He writes, "Rest Easy my brother. For a guy who struck fear in so many peoples heart Anthony Johnson was a caring person. From random text to check ins during loss. What a person he was, Rumble will be missed. Sometimes life doesn’t seem fair. Horrible news."

What DC's referring to is the fact that Rumble was notorious for his sheer strength and force -- which translated to brutal knockouts that he'd often put on display in his prime. One good punch could put a guy to sleep, and he certainly had a rep for trying to prove that in bouts.

His record was incredible in its day ... 23 wins, 17 of which were by KO or TKO. He only had 6 losses. Rumble competed in several UFC events over the years -- dating back to 2006 -- but he never won a title. For a while, he was ranked #1 in his weight class, pre-retirement. He parted ways with the UFC intermittently, but officially cut ties in 2020 to join Bellator MMA.

Rumble fought at different levels ... middleweight, welterweight, light heavyweight and eventually heavy in his later years. He had the most success in the latter classes.

He was 38.

Nas's home was burglarized this weekend -- and it sounds like a lot of crap was jacked.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... two men broke into the rapper's Calabasas property Saturday around 8:30 PM PT, apparently having smashed through a rear door to gain entry. We're told Nas's team became aware of their presence due to a Ring camera.

When the two guys were leaving, we're told the crew saw them ... and they called the cops. By the time officers arrived, the two dudes were long gone. Nas wasn't home, BTW -- he was in NYC for an album release party. Nobody else was at the house either, it seems.

As for the damage done ... our sources say the guys tore the place apart and left with at least two bags worth of stuff. Unclear what exactly was taken, or how much it's worth.

We're told Nas is still out of town and will have to come back and do a proper inventory of the items stolen, which will then give authorities an idea of what they're looking for. No arrests have been made and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating.

Kim Kardashian was honored by her peers while receiving an award for helping children ... and the star power from those who went on camera to give her kudos was pretty cosmic.

The 2022 Baby2Baby Gala went down Saturday night in L.A., and the honchos presented Kim with the "Giving Tree Award" for supporting the charity for over a decade and helping it grow to where it is today. The org offers resources to impoverished kids all over the world.

Before she came on stage to accept, showrunners played a montage they'd filmed with a ton of celebs who each expressed why Kim was worthy of such recognition ... and they were able to snag some of the most famous faces in Hollywood to heap on the praise.

Among those who spoke on KK ... Chris Rock, Serena Williams, Katy Perry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ryan Seacrest, Hillary Clinton and more. Of course, her own family got in on it too -- including her mom, Kris Jenner, three of her sisters and even her daughter North.

Tyler Perry presented Kim with the award, and in her speech ... she mentioned what justice means to her, and essentially ... she said it meant what's right is right no matter what.

Dua Lipa won't be performing at the World Cup after all ... according to Dua Lipa.

The singer shot down rumors Sunday that she'd hit the stage in a couple weeks for the opening ceremony in Qatar, which is usually a pretty big gig that tends to draw international stars. Shakira's done it before, so has J Lo, Pitbull, Black Eyed Peas and others.

A lot of people thought DL was up next -- among other artists who've been speculated on -- but she's saying it ain't happening ... all because of human rights, apparently.

Dua says, "There is a lot of speculation that I will be performing at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar. I will not be performing and nor have I ever been involved in any negotiation to perform." She adds ... "I look forward to visiting Qatar when it has fulfilled all the human rights pledges it made when it won the right to host the World Cup."

If you're unfamiliar, Qatar is notorious for mistreating its women and LGBT people ... often via punishment under the law. The country has made promises in the past to investigate certain matters and to improve its record, but many feel its fallen short time and again.

As for how this notion of Dua performing even got started ... we tracked down the source. A Twitter account called World Music Awards announced it recently, adding a bunch of other names that they claimed would be performing at the opening ceremony as well. While they seemed pretty sure of themselves, no reputable mainstream outlet picked up the news.

They asserted Shakira and BEP would be returning, not to mention J Balvin, BTS and Bollywood star Nora Fatehi. Nora is a performer, but not kicking things off. BTS's Jung Kook confirmed Friday he'd do the opening ceremony ... and thus far, he's the only official act.

Aaron Carter died without a will ... so now the State of California will decide who inherits his estate.

Family sources tell TMZ ... Aaron was advised by his attorney to make a will, especially because he had a child who depended on him.

We're told with all the drama between Aaron and his fiancée Melanie ... the L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services got involved and had 11-month-old Prince removed from their home. He's been living with Melanie's mom since September.

Aaron's lawyer still advised Aaron to make a will, but as you know circumstances tragically changed ... Aaron died a week ago.

Turns out Prince will not be left in the cold. In California, and most states for that matter, when a single person dies without a will and leaves a child behind, the child inherits the parent's estate.

Here's the rub ... we're told Aaron was not in a good place financially when he died. One source close to Aaron told us he was living hand-to-mouth and would typically spend what he earned in short order. His house, however, was on the market so the child may have security in any equity the sale brings.

Dolores Hughes, known affectionately as Mema, the unlikely/likely breakout star of the hit show, "Hollywood Hillbillies," has died ... TMZ has learned.

The exuberant grandma on the reality show died of heart failure at a hospital in Grayson, Georgia last Wednesday, according to her manager, David Weintraub.

"Hollywood Hillbillies," the #1 show on Reelz at the time, was a reverse version of "The Simple Life" and an obvious riff off the sitcom back in the day, "The Beverly Hillbillies."

Mema became the center of attention in her fam, which included grandson Michael Coppercab, who has gone on to become a YouTube star.

The show followed the family as they tried to navigate Hollywood, with the help of Ray J and Weintraub.

Weintraub tells TMZ, "Mema was the greatest, most outspoken 'tell-it-like-it-is personalities the world had ever seen on TV. I know that she will still be bossing all of us around from heaven."

Mema is survived by her husband, Paul Conlon, daughter Dee Dee Peters, son John Cox and grandson Michael Coppercab Kittrell.

Mema was 76.

Drake is $2 million lighter this morning after betting on the loser in Saturday night's UFC title fight, but for a good part of the fight he looked like he was gonna win big.

The iconic rapper -- known for his love of high-stakes gambling -- plunked down the INSANE amount of cash on middleweight champion Israel Adesanya to beat Alex Pereira during UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

Adesanya seemed to have the upper hand until the 5th round. Then, Pereira unleashed a series of brutal body blows that staggered Adesanya, although he didn't drop to the canvas. But, the referee decided to step in anyway and stop the fight.

Pereira's victory marked the third time he defeated Adesanya ... their other two clashes were kickboxing matches.

As for Drake, he captioned his ticket on Instagram with "been focused on the album gotta get back to stacking up" before the fight ... so stacking will have to be an even bigger priority now that Izzy lost.

Dave Chappelle zeroed in on Kanye during his opening monologue Saturday night on 'SNL,' explaining why Kanye now wears his chains outside his shirt.

Dave had an unusually long open -- 15 minutes -- and he spent lots of it talking about Ye's antisemitic rants. It was not exactly an embrace of the Jewish community -- he said it's not crazy to think Jews run Hollywood, but it's crazy to say it out loud.

Chappelle went on to say he denounces antisemitism and stands with his Jewish friends ... adding those words would have helped Kanye "buy time."

Dave said Kanye's words were so hateful even Adidas dropped him, and they were founded by the Nazis.

He went on to talk Kyrie Irving and the midterms, calling Trump "an honest liar" and Herschel Walker "observably stupid."