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Mike Posner let fear drive him to train for months to climb Mount Everest, but his fear had nothing to do with actually scaling Earth's tallest mountain -- instead, he was more afraid of NOT doing it.

The EDM star told us all about his epic adventure when he joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" ... explaining that the idea to tackle Everest first came to him 2 weeks after finishing his epic 2019 trek across the United States.

Instead of kicking back after that accomplishment, Mike says he found himself terrified he'd wake up one day a "fat, old, white guy" who'd only done one cool thing -- that 6-month walk from NJ to Cali. Getting to the 28,000-foot Himalayan summit would definitely take care of that concern!!!

And, he says the climb was actually harder than he thought it would be ... especially mentally. Fact is, many mountain climbers -- some way more skilled than Posner -- die trying to conquer Everest ... so he was quick to give props to the people who helped him get it done.

Mike told us he's ecstatic to be back much closer to sea level, and grateful his Everest trip helped raise about $230k, and counting, for the Detroit Justice Center.

Kim Kardashian's security team is working OT once again -- this time intercepting a disturbing package from a fan that included a diamond engagement ring ... and Plan B. Seriously.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the package, addressed to Kim, was sent to her home and discovered by her guards on June 3. We're told Kim's team has reason to believe the items were sent by a man who's shown up there several times in the past.

We've obtained photos of the ring and the Plan B. The ring looks like a real diamond, though it's tough to tell the quality. For obvious reasons, her security wasn't exactly concerned with the number of carats -- instead, job 1 for them is making sure these strange deliveries never get to Kim.

Our sources say the man first came to Kim's home in February, asking to see her and then again, just a couple weeks ago, he showed up to her gated community claiming he was there to pick her up for dinner.

He's allegedly been harassing her online too, posting a self-made marriage certificate and another item that read, "Queen Kimberly” is “sitting up in thy big castle alone waiting for her Knight in Shining Armor.”

We're told his social media accounts have been shut down, and Kim's legal team isn't taking any chances -- they plan to file a restraining order against the man ASAP.

Longtime 'Bachelor' host Chris Harrison is done with the popular reality TV dating franchise ... months after he sparked controversy by defending one of its contestants for her allegedly racist past.

After a 19-year run, Harrison will reportedly receive a massive payout to step away and keep quiet about his departure.

News of Harrison's permanent exit -- first reported by Deadline -- comes hours after the premiere of the 17th season of "The Bachelorette" hosted by Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe ... and just days after it was announced that David Spade and others would be guest hosting this summer's season of "Bachelor in Paradise."

Of course, Chris first stepped away from his 'Bachelor' duties indefinitely back in February, after he got immediate backlash for defending Rachael Kirkconnell's alleged racist past.

Many believed Harrison was dismissive and excusing of the racist behavior alleged against Rachael -- who was one of the final few women vying for Matt James' heart on the most recent 'Bachelor' season -- when he was interviewed by former 'Bachelorette' Rachel Lindsay.

After Chris's initial apology wasn't very well received, he issued a more heartfelt one, then later did it in person on 'GMA' ... and said he was committed to change.

Despite that, it seems he never made it back in the good graces of Bachelor Nation ... and Harrison reportedly reached a confidential settlement with network honchos late Monday night to say farewell.

Mariah Carey's looking to downsize and try something new -- that's the real reason she's parted ways with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, not any personal feud ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell us ... Mariah prefers to work with a smaller team where she has more personal time with managers, and Jay's powerhouse agency has a more wide-ranging business model.

We're told at Roc, artists like Mariah could have 20 or more people working on her team in various departments -- marketing, social media, music, merchandise, etc. -- and she simply felt it was time to pare down to a more intimate team.

Our sources say there was no "explosive argument" between the 2 music legends as reported by some outlets -- something Mariah shot down on Twitter. We're told they actually decided a couple months ago to amicably end the business relationship that started in 2017.

Carey's joining Range Media Partners, a move we're told also coincides with her manager Melissa Ruderman doing the same thing. Ruderman left Roc in early 2021 to become a partner in the music division at Range, and we're told she's still going to be working with Mariah.

Range is no small agency, but our sources say it uses smaller teams of skilled managers for clients ... which is exactly what Mariah wants these days.

Margot Robbie and her hubby are building a beachfront home smack in the middle of a homeless encampment that has overrun the area ... but they are undeterred.

The Aussie actress and her mister, Tom Ackerley, are knee-deep in construction at their Venice Beach house ... which is chock-full of dirt, debris and Caterpillar machinery all about the grounds.

The 2-story property -- a double lot no less -- when completed will be worth upwards of $15 million ... a stone's throw away from the famed and touristy Venice boardwalk.

Lately, it's been looking a lot less touristy because of the homeless crisis in the area ... as tent cities piled up along the walkway for miles during the past year-plus of the pandemic. It's so bad it's become a humanitarian crisis, and there's also been an alarming crime surge that goes along with it.

No matter for Margot and Tom ... because they seem dead-set on finishing what they started there and moving right on in.

Polo G's set to have a big June -- his new album drops this week, and he just dropped nearly $5 mil on a huge mansion near L.A.

The rapper's the new owner of a massive 7-bed, 8-bath home in the San Fernando Valley, which is described as a car collector's dream estate. It's unclear how many rides Polo's working with, but the nearly 1-acre lot features a whopping 36 parking spaces, including a 14-car garage!!!

So, parking ✅

As for the Mediterranean-style house itself ... it's almost 11,000 sq. ft. with a rotunda entry that leads to a vintage-looking staircase. There's a custom wine closet and bar, formal dining room and a billiard room all on the main level.

The kitchen and bedrooms are enormous and boast all the expected luxuries, and of course ... the outside's incredible too. The pool, spa, BBQ area and lighted tennis court are all surrounded by stone terraces and patios.

We're told Polo G bought the place for $4.885 million. Emil Hartoonian, Bryan Castaneda and Andrew Mortaza of The Agency held the listing ... and Daniel Dill of WEA repped the "Pop Out" rapper.

G's new album, "Hall of Fame," comes out Friday and includes his highly-anticipated collab with Nicki Minaj on "For the Love of New York."

Barack Obama says flatly ... cancel culture has become a dangerous weapon in America, but he sees a silver lining.

Obama talked about what he calls the dangers of demanding human perfection during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper. His take ... "At least in conversations with my daughter, I think that a lot of the dangers of cancel culture and we're just going to be condemning people all the time, at least among my daughters they will acknowledge sometimes among their peer group or in college campuses you'll see folks going overboard."

As for Sasha and Malia, he adds, "But they have a pretty good sense of look, we don't want, we don't expect everybody to be perfect."

That said, he went on to say cancel culture has its place when there is cruelty or discrimination, and he believes young people are leading the charge to correct such injustices.

Obama tells Cooper ... his daughters and their peers don't simply accept stuff like the criminal justice system being tainted by racism or people being discriminated against based on their sexual orientation -- they know it's wrong and are trying to change it.

As you may recall ... Obama's slammed cancel culture before, back in 2019, but he referred to it as "woke" culture and made it clear he doesn't believe it equates to activism.

Liam Payne says he was going through an addiction hell while he was a member of One Direction, and he's also opening up about suicidal thoughts.

The singer was on Steven Bartlett's "Diary of a CEO" podcast when he said there was a time while the band was on tour that he was heavy into alcohol and prescription drugs.

He points to pictures of himself on a boat where he looks bloated ... calling it his "pills and booze phase." Liam added, "My face was 10 times bigger than it is now. The problem was, the best way to secure us was to lock us in a room, and what is in the room? A minibar."

Liam said that environment quickly lent itself to throwing a huge party for 1 "that seemed to carry on for years." When asked if the drinking and drugging led to suicidal ideation, Liam admitted ... "Yeah. There is definitely some stuff I have never spoken about to do with it. It was really, really severe."

Liam was 16 when he joined One Direction ... which became the biggest boyband in the world after their 2010 launch on "The X Factor." They split up in 2015.

Jim Fassel -- the former NFL head coach who led the NY Giants to Super Bowl XXXV -- has died ... and his ex-star player, Michael Strahan, is heartbroken.

Fassel passed away Monday in Las Vegas after suffering a heart attack following chest pains, his son, John, told the L.A. Times.

And, when Strahan was asked about his former coach on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday ... the ex-pass rusher explained he was crushed to learn of the passing.

"Just a great man, great coach," Strahan said of Fassel. "And, he will be missed. But, I was definitely shocked this morning to find out this news and I just wanted to send my love and condolences to his family."

Strahan continued, "Great man. I enjoyed every minute with him as my coach and after my career when we continued to stay in touch and talk."

Fassel joined the Giants as an assistant coach in 1991 and later became the head coach in 1997, when he won NFL Coach of the Year honors.

Fassel eventually took Strahan and the G-Men to Super Bowl XXXV in the 2000 season ... where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

Fassel was fired in 2003 after piling up a career 58-53-1 record ... but he still went on to be an offensive coordinator for the Ravens before wrapping up his coaching career as the head man for the United Football League's Las Vegas Locomotives.

He was 71 years old.

R. Kelly's 2 lead attorneys are jumping ship ... they officially want off the case just as his federal trial is approaching, and it means he could have some serious legal shuffling to do ... TMZ has learned.

Attorneys Steven Greenberg and Michael Leonard -- who've been with Kelly for years -- filed documents late Monday requesting to withdraw from the singer's federal case. Their reason for wanting to pull out is all about a clash with other members of Kelly's legal team.

Greenberg and Leonard tell TMZ ... "We refused to try a case with lawyers who don’t have the appropriate level of experience and skill because that is not in the client's best interest. It is a shame that lawyers can’t suppress their own egos or self interest and do or act in the client's best interest."

The remaining Kelly attorneys with whom the old ones clearly have beef are Thomas A. Farinella and Nicole Blank Becker ... and they have a different view of how this went down. They tell us, "The only comment we have at this time is that Mr Kelly terminated both lawyers prior to filing their motion."

Now, the judge would have to sign off before Greenberg and Leonard could be fired, and that hasn't happened ... yet.

Either way, this power struggle on his legal team comes at a crucial time for Kelly. His federal trial -- which includes charges of racketeering, sexual exploitation of a child, kidnapping, forced labor and bribery -- is set to begin August 9.

Greenberg and Leonard tell us they want out because, in their opinions, Farinella and Becker don't have enough experience with federal criminal cases -- but they add, "We wish Mr. Kelly nothing but the greatest success."

Kelly has remained in custody while awaiting trial, and although he's filed several motions to get out on bail -- citing things like fear of catching COVID -- the judge has repeatedly turned him down

'Pioneer Woman' Ree Drummond's nephew, Caleb, is facing a DWI charge after cops say he was tipsy and fast asleep in his vehicle when they arrested him ... just a month after a nearly fatal wreck.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, cops say they got a call around 5 AM on April 17 about a Ford truck at a dead stop at a traffic light in Osage County, OK -- and it had been that way for at least 3 cycles of the light.

Cops say when they approached they found Caleb sleeping behind the wheel, and even though they knocked on his window numerous times ... he didn't respond.

When cops opened the driver's door they say there was an overwhelming odor of booze coming from Caleb, who finally woke up. Amazingly, cops say his truck was still in drive and he'd dozed off with his foot on the brake.

All of that would have been bad enough, but then cops say they found an open beer, cool to the touch and practically full ... plus a box of ammo and a loaded 9mm handgun.

According to the report, Caleb struggled to get the truck in park, and actually put it in reverse initially. When he stepped out, he lost his balance and cops say he had "thick slurred speech, red bloodshot eyes." When they asked for his driver's license, cops say he handed them a credit card.

Caleb also failed field sobriety testing, and said, "I know I shouldn’t have been driving,” and “I’m glad I wasn’t caught a few hours ago” ... according to cops.

He was arrested and prosecutors have charged him with driving while impaired and open container, both misdemeanors. We're told his BAC was .05. It should be noted, Caleb was not hit with any weapons charges.

Dana White tells TMZ Sports ... he hopes Floyd Mayweather finally hangs up the gloves after his exhibition with Logan Paul.

... but as for Logan Paul fighting in the UFC one day, Dana ain't exactly saying no!

INTERESTING!!!

First, Floyd ...

"I would love to see Floyd retire," White tells us ... "He's had an incredible career and to do these type of fights, it's silly."

Now, to Logan ... who has repeatedly said he would kill for a shot to fight in the UFC since he has a legitimate wrestling background and feels he could actually compete in the Octagon.

So, Dana ... would you ever sign Logan Paul to a UFC deal?

"I don't know man ... I don't know."

"Here's the thing, not to say that I haven't taken a guy in that's been 0-0 into the UFC and done those types of fights before ... I don't know."

White is obviously referencing CM Punk, the former WWE superstar who got 2 fights in the UFC despite no prior professional MMA experience. Punk lost both of his fights in a lopsided fashion.

But, White respects Logan's work ethic and athletic ability -- as well as his marketing power ... and says there will always be a market for famous people to get in the ring.

"Imagine if Kim Kardashian wanted to fight Amanda Nunes ... how big do you think that fight would be?!"

"What do you think Kim Kardashian would make if she fought Amanda Nunes ... probably more than anybody's ever made, ever!"

There's more ... we also talked about that STACKED card for UFC 263 this weekend featuring the Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori and the return of Nate Diaz!

Before this tiny tot was known for being a professional basketball player, he was just another cute kid up next at bat on his little league team.

This famous sporty stayed focused on his basketball career and went from a college athlete to an NBA player in 2009, when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers. He was named rookie of the year following his start in the NBA.

Even though the name of this tiny tot's tee-ball team is a mystery ... we do know that he's been on some big-named NBA teams including the Detroit Pistons and also the Brooklyn Nets!

Mike Tyson says he was shockingly impressed with Logan Paul's performance against Floyd Mayweather on Sunday ... and thinks he's actually ready to take on a pro fighter in a sanctioned bout!!

In fact, Mike has a fighter in mind -- 37-year-old Swedish pro boxer Badou Jack, a former 2 division champ with victories over guys like Marcus Browne, Adonis Stevenson, Jean Pascal, and most recently, Dervin Colina.

Jack is a legit contender who is still pursuing titles ... and Mike thinks he'd be a good test for LP ... if he's serious about continuing his boxing career.

"I'm trying to get Logan Paul to fight Badou Jack," the champ said on IG Live with former boxer Zab Judah on Monday.

"I wanna see what he says about that."

Jack "The Ripper" is a beast -- he's 6'2" with a 30-3-3 record (14 wins by knockout) ... and previously held the WBC super-middleweight title.

So he's WAY more experienced than the YouTuber-turned-fighter ... but Tyson says that's the type of fighter Paul needs to be into ... and Judah agrees.

"Yeah, that's a real fight now. He fights Badou Jack, Logan Paul is gonna be in a big fight," Judah says.

"That's a whole different fight. You fight that guy, Badou is gonna give you a fight. Badou coming to fight! That's all Badou do is fight!"

Ellie Kemper's finally addressing photos of her in a debutante pageant run by an organization rooted in racism ... saying she should've done more homework on the group.

The actress -- known for "The Office," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Bridesmaids" -- is apologizing one week after the pics resurfaced showing her being crowned in 1999 as the new Queen of Love and Beauty at the Veiled Prophet Ball in St. Louis.

At the time, Ellie was a 19-year-old freshman at Princeton, and said, "The century-old organization that hosted the debutante ball had an unquestionably racist, sexist, and elitist past. I was not aware of this history at the time, but ignorance is no excuse. I was old enough to have educated myself before getting involved."

When the pics of Kemper resurfaced, activists pointed out the pageant had been organized by heads of major banks and corporations who refused to hire Black men.

Ellie added, "I unequivocally deplore, denounce, and reject white supremacy. At the same time, I acknowledge that because of my race and my privilege, I am the beneficiary of a system that has dispensed unequal justice and unequal rewards."

The pageant was established in the late 1800s by a former Confederate officer in St. Louis, which is Ellie's hometown.

Part of the tradition includes the winner being crowned by a so-called "Veiled Prophet" in an outfit that largely resembles the KKK's white robes ... though that connection has since been refuted after historians reportedly noted the pageant's outfit goes back to the 1870s while KKK members didn't start wearing white robes and hoods until the early 1900s.

Kid Rock dropped a homophobic slur like it was nothing while rocking the mic at a bar in Tennessee, and ranting about people recording him with their phones.

Seems the singer wasn't feeling the fact audience members had whipped out their iPhone cameras Saturday night when he took the stage at FishLipz Bar & Grill in Smithville, TN. He looked directly into one phone and barked, "F**k your iPhone, yeah!"

Kid then hurled the slur as he screamed, "You f**king f*****s with your iPhones out!!!" He also mocked fans recording him by pointing directly at his crotch, and telling them to post his junk.

We're told security at the joint was going around telling people to put down their phones ... but Kid Rock decided to take matters into his own hands.

Apparently, he hasn't been paying attention to concert crowds for the last 10 years or so -- 'cause it ain't like smartphones just came out. Of course, Kid's got a habit of blurting out whatever he's feeling while onstage.