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Kanye West appears to be getting quite comfortable with the new mystery woman he's been spotted with around Los Angeles ... sharing a meal and good conversation.

We've obtained a photo of Ye and the mystery blonde Monday inside the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. We're told the pair seemed quite comfortable, chatting while they ate. Unclear why, but Kanye's been spotted at that hotel a lot lately -- so it's possible he's calling it home these days.

The blonde is the same woman he was seen with as they entered the hotel earlier this week -- we don't yet know who she is, but we haven't seen them together outside of the recent sightings. So, if they're indeed an item, it's a new thing.

As we reported, Kanye was previously linked to Julia Fox and Chaney Jones, but both relationships seemed to drop off before getting serious -- at least for Ye. Remember, Chaney did get that tattoo. Oops!

Ye's been rather MIA since his appearance on Alex Jones' "InfoWars" where he announced his love for Hitler and Nazis.

Fresh off Georgia's blowout national championship win, the Bulldogs already have a new enemy -- PETA -- 'cause the animal rights org. is calling for the victors to officially retire their live mascot, Uga.

TMZ Sports has learned, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals fired off a letter to University of Georgia president, Jere Morehead this week ... asking the school to replace its iconic English bulldog, Uga X, with a human at sporting events.

The org. claims Uga's presence at games increases demand for breathing-impaired breeds like pugs, bulldogs and boxers ... and they want Georgia to lead by example.

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman released a statement on the matter ... saying, "As the back-to-back national champion, can’t UGA find it in its heart to honestly examine the impact of its promotion of deformed dogs and call time on its outdated, live-animal mascot program?"

"PETA is calling on Jere Morehead to be a peach and replace poor Uga with a human mascot who can support the team in a winning way."

Of course, Georgia has used live mascots since the 1950s ... starting with Uga I. The current mascot, Uga X, did not make the trip to Los Angeles for Monday's game due to the five plus hour flight.

Kaylee Goncalves came face-to-face with a police officer three months before she and her college roommates were murdered in Idaho -- and the whole encounter was caught on video.

The University of Idaho student was captured on police body cam video walking out of the house in Moscow, ID, August 16, approaching cops. As you know, Kaylee, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were fatally stabbed inside that home on November 13.

In the video, released Wednesday by Law & Crime Network, Kaylee was straightforward and compliant with the officer, who informed her that neighbors called 911 to complain about noise at her house party.

The officer said he had nothing against "overage" people drinking at a party, but once neighbors "start calling the cops, then we have an issue." Kaylee responded, "Fair."

After some more back-and-forth, the cop told Kaylee he would let her off with a warning, but if it happened again, he would write her a $300 to $400 noise ticket.

The officer ended by telling Kaylee "don't do it again" ... "I'd hate to come back in a few hours and have to issue that." Kaylee thanked the cop and wished him a nice day.

Fast forward to Dec. 30 ... Bryan Kohberger was arrested and later charged with the murders of Kaylee and the other three victims after allegedly stalking them. Kohberger, a Washington State University grad student, has denied any wrongdoing and says he'll fight the charges.

Emily Ratajkowski's making Madison Square Garden the setting for her own little soap opera -- she and Eric Andre hit the Knicks game, but not together ... instead, she was with a mystery dude.

Emily and an apparent new date were chatting it up courtside Wednesday night as the Knicks defeated the rival Pacers, 119-113.

The duo was definitely giving first-date vibes, but seemed to have some chemistry ... and even arrived together outside the Garden.

Once they were inside, the soap-esque plot twist became apparent ... as Eric was also enjoying the game.

The comedian didn't publicly make any contact with Emily -- with whom he recently went on a date -- but did do some celeb hype for the cameras and other Knicks fans.

It looks like he might've gotten the better seats than ER this time around, because he showed off his perfect view.

As we reported, Emily and Eric enjoyed a romantic evening together in NYC over the weekend, going out for food, drinks ... and presumably lots of laughs.

Emily's been super active on the dating scene since she filed for divorce from estranged husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in September ... the 31-year-old model's been linked to DJ Orazio Rispo, artist Jack Greer and, of course, Pete Davidson.

Prince William and Kate Middleton are lookin' as unbothered as they can in their first public appearance since Prince Harry's bombshell new memoir aired out a ton of royal family dirt -- much of it related to his brother.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were smiling from ear to ear Thursday as they left Windsor Castle and took off to Liverpool ... where royal fans/subjects greeted them at the opening of a new hospital.

While their faces say everything's peachy keen, Harry's "Spare" has to be on their minds. As it's been WIDELY reported, Harry unloaded his side of the royal family drama in the book, revealing he and Wills have been bitter rivals since even before Meghan Markle came into the picture.

Of course, the Duke of Sussex says things got even more heated post-Megan -- claiming big bro William grabbed him by the collar, ripped his necklace, and knocked him to the ground during a 2019 fight sparked by William allegedly calling Meghan "difficult" and "rude."

It is an interesting coincidence Kate and William are in Liverpool ... birthplace of The Beatles. In better days, at least publicly, royal watchers referred to Harry, Megan, William and Kate as the new Fab Four.

Kobe Bryant's game-worn jersey from his sole MVP season is about to hit the auction block ... and TMZ Sports has learned it could sell for a whopping $7 million!!!

The signed Purple and Gold threads are from Bryant's 2007-08 season -- the only time the legend won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award in his 20-year career -- which he wore for 25 games, including 6 playoff matchups.

Sotheby's, which is hosting the auction, tells us the item is the "most valuable Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey to ever appear at auction" as the Lakers legend "scored a total of 645 points over 8 months in this jersey."

He averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game that season and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals.

What also makes the jersey so rare -- Kob signed the gear by writing his first name on the stitched number on the back.

FYI, this is also the same jersey Kobe was seen tugging on in the first round of the 2008 playoffs -- one of Bryant's most iconic photos of all time.

"This jersey has influenced popular culture in a way that is seldom seen in the sports community, becoming iconic and synonymous with the image of Kobe Bryant," Sotheby's said.

"In California alone, there are more than 15 murals depicting him in this jersey, with wings, American flags, and snakes in the background."

The jersey is expected to sell for anywhere between $5-7 million when bidding opens up on Feb. 2.

The current record for the most expensive piece of Kobe memorabilia is a worn, autographed jersey from his rookie year ... which sold for $3.7 million in 2021.

The mother of one of Jeffrey Dahmer's victims is pissed Evan Peters won a Golden Globe for portraying the serial killer on Netflix ... she says he should've paid tribute to the victims.

Shirley, the mother of Dahmer victim Tony Hughes, tells TMZ ... Evan should have used his acceptance speech to mention the families who are still suffering from Dahmer's crimes, or to say Hollywood should put an end to telling stories about killers and glorifying them.

Evan won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his work playing Jeffrey Dahmer in the Netflix miniseries "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" ... and in his acceptance speech, he told the audience he hoped something good would come from his win, and the series.

Shirley's scoffed ... saying nothing good will come from Evan's award for the Netflix series. She says it just adds to the grief for the families of the people Dahmer killed, replaying the tragedy over and over.

Tony's mom also had this to say about Evan's big night ... "There's a lot of sick people around the world, and people winning acting roles from playing killers keeps the obsession going and this makes sick people thrive on the fame."

Also in his speech, Evan mentioned how hard it was to do the Dahmer series ... but Shirley's questioning why he took the role in the first place. She says he shouldn't have played the role out of respect for the families still living with heartbreak from losing loved ones.

Bottom line for Shirley ... "It's a shame that people can take our tragedy and make money. The victims never saw a cent. We go through these emotions every day."

Amazing news ... Peyton Hillis' girlfriend says the former NFL star is off the ventilator and now "on the road to recovery" -- just days after he suffered significant trauma in a swimming accident in Florida.

Singer and actress Angela Cole, who's been dating Hillis since at least 2021, provided the positive update on her social media page late Wednesday night ... writing in a caption on a video of the couple, "Please continue to pray for he's still got a ways ahead of him, but thank you for all of your prayers and love and support thus far. It truly makes all the difference."

"Today was a good day," she added.

Hillis needed to be helicoptered to a hospital back on Jan. 4, after he reportedly jumped into the ocean on Pensacola Beach in order to save two of his children who were caught in riptides.

The former running back's uncle, Greg Hillis, said in a Facebook post after the accident that Peyton suffered kidney and lung damage in the rescue ... and in the ensuing days, things looked so dire, fans, family and friends actually held a prayer vigil for him in Arkansas.

But, according to Cole, Peyton's now on the mend.

"So proud of this man and so incredibly grateful for family and this incredible hospital," she said.

Dr. Dre has his sights set on a lucrative music deal, one that would sell the rights to some of his royalties and master recordings ... and we're told the price tag is well over $200 million -- WAY MORE than is being reported.

The music mogul is close to selling off some of his music assets in two separate deals ... one with Shamrock Holdings, and another with Universal Music Group ... according to Billboard.

The possible Shamrock deal looks like this ... Dre sells his artist royalties from two of his solo albums -- his share of N.W.A artist royalties, plus his producer royalties and the writer's share of the music where he doesn't own publishing rights.

The potential deal with UMG is a little different ... Dre sells the master recording of his first solo album, "The Chronic," plus his share of some Kendrick Lamar music.

Dre's not selling all of his music ... Billboard characterizes these transactions as mostly "passive income streams" that generate about $10 million annually ... and he's NOT selling his ownership stake in his record label, Aftermath.

Sources close to Dr. Dre tell TMZ ... the actual selling price is actually tens of millions of dollars higher than the $200 million figure Billboard is reporting.

Congrats, Dre. 💸

'RHOA' star Phaedra Parks' ex-husband Apollo Nida has started a new chapter of his life ... getting married nearly 7 years after finalizing his divorce from the housewife.

Apollo and his new wife, Sherien Almufti, tell TMZ ... they got hitched October 14, 2022, during an intimate ceremony with close family and friends at a church in the Atlanta area.

The couple has kept their nuptials under wraps from the public until now. We're told Apollo's kids and ex-wife Phaedra all knew about the wedding, though they didn't attend.

Apollo says he and his ex-wife turned a leaf ... they're co-parenting much better now and there's no more bickering. In case you didn't know, there was a ton of drama surrounding their drawn-out divorce ... after they officially pulled the plug on their marriage in 2016.

As for Apollo and his new wife, they tell us they've reached a point in their lives where they wanted to take the next step and move on after first meeting about 10 years ago. Apollo got engaged to Sherien back in 2016 ... while serving time behind bars for cashing stolen checks and laundering more than $2 million.

While it may seem like an unconventional love story ... they say they've known each other for a decade, and their ups and downs have made them stronger.

Clipper Darrell was welcomed back to Crypto.com Arena with open arms on Tuesday ... as the L.A. Clippers and AEG showered their iconic superfan with gifts, champagne and some awesome tickets!

CD -- real name Darrell Bailey -- got the red carpet treatment in his second game back since he was knocked out by an arena security guard during an L.A. game on Dec. 12 ... and you can see in pics and videos, obtained by TMZ Sports, he had a blast in his return.

Darrell got to hang out with ex-NFL star Terrell Owens and actor Joe Torry -- after being hooked up with a bunch of goodies in the bowels of the arena.

Darrell, who also attended Sunday's Clippers game against the Atlanta Hawks, had a big smile on his face, appearing to have some courtside seats for the contest too!

And, as icing on the cake, the Clippers even treated Clipper Darrel to a big win ... as they rolled over the Dallas Mavericks, 113-101.

Of course, the scene was very different at the Clippers vs. Celtics game last month ... when a Crypto.com Arena staffer knocked out the superfan with a big punch following a dispute.

Before this adorable gal on her dad's bike turned into a singer and TV personality, she was just strapping into her helmet, sipping on some juice and hitting the road in Nantucket, Massachusetts ... on her way to fame!

After the release of her 2014 single, it was clear this musician loves to empower her listeners and is "All About That Bass." She has appeared on numerous competition shows like "RuPaul's Drag Race" and "The Voice."

Need one more hint? One of her most recent songs has trended on TikTok and will make you look!

Odell Beckham Jr. got snippy with a passenger who was annoyed by the NFL star's actions during his infamous plane incident back in November -- calling the person on the airline both "fat" and "ugly."

The interaction was all captured on Nov. 27 on police body camera video, which the Miami-Dade Police Dept. released this week, just moments before the 30-year-old former Rams receiver was booted off the plane.

In the footage, you can see cops approached the American Airlines ride at Miami International Airport and spoke with flight attendants, who told them Beckham was unresponsive despite them instructing him multiple times to put his seatbelt on. They eventually said they wanted him off the ride.

When officers made contact with Beckham, he downplayed the incident to them.

"I've never had this happen to me," Beckham can be heard telling the officers in the video.

Cops eventually told him in the clip, "We're going to have to deplane everybody on this plane, and then you're still going to get off." Beckham responded, "That's fine."

As passengers got off the plane, one of them told the Super Bowl champ to just get off ... and that enraged OBJ.

"You're everything wrong with the world," Beckham can be heard saying in the video. "Looking at me to get off a plane, for you. I would never. Ever in my life get off the plane for you. Specifically you. Maybe everybody else, I would get off the plane."

Beckham continued, "You gon' wait 40 minutes and I'm going to be on a private plane home. Yeah, with your fat ass. Get your ass off the plane for a second."

"Enjoy the cheese board on the way home with your ugly ass."

As we reported, Beckham was eventually escorted off the plane by authorities. His attorney said of the incident that Beckham had simply fallen asleep, and a flight attendant just blew the situation out of proportion.

Jeff Beck, a guitar legend who first made a name for himself back in the '60s, has died.

In an announcement Wednesday, his family said, "On behalf of his family, it is with deep and profound sadness that we share the news of Jeff Beck’s passing. After suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis, he peacefully passed away yesterday. His family ask for privacy while they process this tremendous loss."

Of course, the death comes as a surprise to many, especially given the fact Beck just did a series of shows with his longtime friend, Johnny Depp.

Beck and Depp took the stage around the world following Johnny's trial with Amber Heard -- where crowds flocked to shows to not only watch the musicians in action, but to voice their support for Depp, too.

Johnny and Beck released a cover of John Lennon's "Isolation" in 2020.

Born in England, Beck first gained momentum with the Yardbirds and then became the frontman for the Jeff Beck Group as well as Beck, Bogert & Appice. He's won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance 6 times and once for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

He was also inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice ... as a solo artist in 2009, and with the Yardbirds in 1992.

Beck was 78.

Dakota Johnson has a new ad campaign with Gucci -- where she's rocking a ton of their gear, including animal skin handbags -- and PETA isn't happy about it ... not at all.

The actress just came out as an official ambassador for the luxury fashion brand, and appeared in a new commercial where she's showing off a ton of their products -- and, of course, there's photoshoots galore where DJ is in all Gucci. So, she's all in.

The problem, according to PETA, is that a couple of these Gucci handbags Dakota's advertising here are made with authentic reptile skins ... specifically, python and crocodile. Gucci isn't hiding it either, as its website touts the fact the hides are the real deal.

That doesn't sit right with the animal rights org -- and it let Dakota know all about it in an informative, yet somewhat scathing, letter to her team.

In the correspondence, obtained by TMZ, PETA takes issue with Gucci's python and crocodile handbags -- ranging from $3,100 to $31k -- being so unabashedly flaunted by Dakota ... which they say is odd, since she's outspoken on a lot of social issues.

They're right, her IG is full of advocacy posts for everything from BLM to women's rights and a lot more.

So, PETA's asking if she cares about the animals that were slaughtered for the bags -- and reminds her poachers and hunters go to extreme lengths to obtain the skins ... including torturing and ripping them to pieces while still alive.

PETA also mentions this tidbit ... "The killing of these snakes is so cruel that in California, it would be illegal to buy the very goods you’re promoting, because their sale is banned."

Gucci even acknowledges that fact on its web pages for a couple of these handbags.

Bottom line ... PETA is asking Dakota to strongly reconsider her association with Gucci and to denounce its use of exotic animal skins, especially with vegan alternatives available.

We tried looking to see if Dakota has spoken out on animal rights issues, specifically, and it sounds like she considers it a righteous cause -- seeing how her famous grandmother, Tippi Hedren, was a huge advocate of animal protection ... and DJ has spoken fondly of her work.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene talked a big game after Dr. Dre went after her for using his song, "Still D.R.E.," as a music bed for her entrance to the House chamber, but after Dre. delivered a legal threat -- stop using my music, or else -- she backed down.

A Greene staffer just sent a letter to Dre's lawyer, Howard King -- obtained by TMZ -- which reads in part, "On behalf of Congresswoman Greene, please be advised that no further use of Mr. Young's copyright will be made by a political committee or via social media outlet she controls."

It's really something ... Greene responded well before the 5 PM deadline imposed by King.

It had gotten really nasty. King initially fired off a letter to Greene in which he made clear, his client would not allow Greene "to promote your divisive and hateful political agenda."

Greene fired back with a statement of her own, saying, "While I appreciate the creative chord progression, I would never play your words of violence against women and police officers, and your glorification of the thug life and drugs."

So now Greene will have to find another artist if she wants a music bed to accompany her videos. Thoughts?