Ye Hires Melinda Gates' Divorce Lawyer ... To Rep Him in Kim Case

Kanye West has hired yet another divorce lawyer, this time tapping into the same attorney who represented Melinda Gates in her multi-billion dollar divorce case with Bill Gates.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Ye's retained Robert Stephan Cohen of Cohen Clair Lans Greifer Thorpe & Rottenstreich LLP as his sixth divorce attorney in the back and forth with Kim Kardashian. Interestingly enough, Cohen is based in New York, and the Kim divorce is in Los Angeles, so Ye's also bringing on Nicholas A. Salick of Salick Family Law Group, APLC as his counsel in California.

Not only has Cohen represented Melinda, but he's also had clients like Rupert Murdoch, Chris Rock, Athina Onassis and more.

TMZ broke the story, Kim filed for divorce in November, and a judge declared her legally single back in March, after she filed docs stating, "I very much desire to be divorced." The couple still has to iron out custody and property details.

FIGHTING TO BE HEARD
ABC

We know Kim and Kanye already had a prenup in place, so property shouldn't be an issue. As far as custody, that seems to be settled too, as Kanye recently said Kim's got the kids about 80% of the time and mostly raises them.

Kim and Kanye's relationship has been a rollercoaster since she first filed, at times they've gotten along -- hitting their kid's events together -- and at others, he's attacked her on social media on everything from her relationship with ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson, to where their kids go to school.

Bishop Robbery 2 Men Charged With Armed Robbery ... Allegedly Stole Jewelry Mid-Service

Two men have been charged in connection with an alleged armed robbery that took place in the middle of a church service which was stopped short while two men allegedly jacked some jewelry from the bishop during their live stream.

2 men from Brooklyn -- Juwan Anderson and Say-Quan Pollack -- were charged with armed robbery for their roles in the July 24 incident ... according to Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York on Tuesday.

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HOLY MOLY

Peace's statement reads, "As alleged, the defendants brought guns into a place of worship, stealing from two members of the clergy, and terrifying the congregation in the process" ... adding, "to commit such an act during a religious service is incomprehensible."

Peace notes a 3rd suspect is still at large.

The incident was caught on camera during the service's live stream ... showing Bishop Lamor Whitehead stopping mid-service and quickly getting on the ground -- as two men begin to take items off his person.

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Whitehead tells TMZ ... "Today is the start of healing. We will let the justice system continue to work as I continue to do what God has called me to do."

Some have attributed the crime to Whitehead flaunting fancy cars and bling online ... but he goes on to say he hopes those pointing fingers at him "understand that I along with my family and church are the victims and not the villains.”

PnB Rock 17-Year-Old Arrested for Murder ... Alleged Shooter's Dad Still Wanted by Cops

UPDATE

10:44 AM PT -- A woman by the name of Shauntel Trone has also been arrested in connection to the shooting ... cops arrested and booked her for accessory to murder. We're told Trone is the stepmom of the 17-year-old arrested.

UPDATE

8:18 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources say the 17-year-old son of Freddie Trone has been arrested in connection to the shooting. We're told the son was the shooter, and Freddie drove the getaway car.

UPDATE

Our sources also say the father and son duo were already in the restaurant's parking lot when PnB arrived, seemingly removing the possibility that PnB was targeted from a social media post from his GF showing they were eating at Roscoe's. We're told after the murder, the suspects burned the getaway vehicle.

LAPD is naming a suspect in the murder of PnB Rock ... he's still on the loose, and should be considered "armed and dangerous."

Cops announced Wednesday morning, Freddie Lee Trone, is the guy detectives have fingered as "a person involved" in the Sept. 12 slaying of the rapper as he sat in a Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles.

They've released this photo of Trone, but haven't yet said if he's the only person they're seeking in the case. You'll recall, police said there was a getaway car waiting outside the L.A. restaurant after PnB was shot and killed.

The killer fled with several gold and diamond chains the Philly MC was wearing as he ate lunch with his girlfriend.

ARREST MADE

Police are urging the public to contact 911 if you see Trone or have any info on his whereabouts.

Originally Published -- 6:30 AM PT

Dana White Donates $10K To Muay Thai Fighter ... Who Lost Legs In Tragic Accident

Dana White was so touched by the story of a Muay Thai fighter who's trying to make a comeback to the ring after losing his legs in a tragic work accident last year, he opened up his wallet and donated $10,000 ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The fighter's name is John Esposito -- and back in December 2021, his life changed forever while he was doing his job as a road worker.

Esposito says he was filling in potholes on the side of a highway, when a car sped into the work area and hit him from behind, pinning him against a trailer. The 30-year-old said the amputation of his legs "happened on the spot."

FIGHTING CHANCE

"Halfway through the flight on the medivac, I flatlined," Esposito said recently while recalling the incident. "They were able to resuscitate me, though, and bring me back to life."

John -- who fought regularly prior to the accident -- has worked tirelessly the last nine months to get back in between the ropes ... hitting mitts from a wheelchair while he learns to move around with prosthetics.

After hearing of his journey, Liam Tarrant, founder and president of The Muay Thai Project, alongside friends Chris and Sarah Romulo, started a GoFundMe to help Esposito on his road to recovery.

And, after Tarrant appeared on UFC fighter Angela Hill's "Ceremonial Weigh-In" podcast to speak about it all ... White ended up donating $10K to the cause.

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Tarrant tells us thanks to White's generosity -- as well as other donors -- the GoFundMe has already exceeded its initial goal ... and is approaching $30,000.

Tarrant says the cash will ultimately go toward Esposito's recovery costs "in the coming months & years."

"Fighting is the loneliest sport in the world," Tarrant said in the GoFundMe, "but we're letting our brother know that he isn't alone on his journey. We're all in his corner."

Hailey Bieber I Didn't Steal Justin Away from Selena ... Here's the Truth, Fans

Hailey Bieber is clearing the air about the fan-fueled notion she stole Justin Bieber from Selena Gomez -- saying that couldn't be further from the truth.

Her appearance on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast dropped Wednesday, and they got right into the subject -- with host Alex Cooper directly asking if there was ever any overlap between Justin and Selena's relationship and Hailey's with Justin ... especially right before they got married.

BIEBER BREAKDOWN
Call Her Daddy

Hailey flatly denies it ... essentially saying she's not a homewrecker and was never romantically involved with JB while he was with another person -- Selena or otherwise.

She goes on to say she's aware the timing of things -- especially from the outside looking in -- might appear like there was a quick succession of romances, from Selena to Hailey, but she insists she waited.

And, this part will interest Selena fans ... Hailey suggests Selena and Justin 2.0 wasn't as serious as the rest of us thought at the time!

Just to clear up the timeline here ... Justin and Selena were hanging out A LOT in late 2017 and seemed to rekindle their relationship through early 2018, until they abruptly split. Soon thereafter, Hailey entered the picture, and before long they tied the knot.

INVESTIGATING THE SECRETS
TMZ.com

Based on what Hailey's saying here, it sounds like there's more to the dynamic (Justin and Selena's, that is) than the public knows, but again ... she's firm on never having double dipped with Justin while he was with other women.

One more interesting tidbit from her -- she says Justin and her getting together might've actually been the best thing to help him move on from Selena ... even if it looked somewhat quick to the outside world. She also addressed the toxic fandom.

Selena stans have long gone for Hailey's neck over the idea she swooped JB, but Hailey says those fans simply have it wrong, and hopes they understand that the person they're hating on from behind a screen is a regular human with emotions.

When asked if Justin or anyone in their circle now has ever asked Selena to try to put an end to the hatred her fans are dishing ... Hailey says no -- adding Selena doesn't have to, as she doesn't owe her anything and that there's no personal beef between them whatsoever.

She ends by saying she's spoken with Selena since marrying Justin, and that she respects Selena. HB also finishes by noting, she and Justin know the truth ... and they're at peace.

The timing is interesting ... Selena's documentary 'My Mind & Me' comes out in November.

Ski-Climbing Star Hilaree Nelson Found Dead At 49 ... After Avalanche On Peak In Nepal

Hilaree Nelson -- a world-famous ski mountaineer -- has tragically been found dead after she fell from a mountain following an avalanche in Nepal this week.

She was 49 years old.

According to the New York Times, Nelson and her partner, Jim Morrison, were attempting to ski down Manaslu -- the eighth-highest mountain in the world -- on Monday when she was knocked off course by a massive snowslide and went missing.

Authorities say they immediately launched a search for her -- though bad weather hampered their efforts. Finally, on Wednesday, government officials said they located her body.

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Sachindra Yadav, an expedition liaison officer, confirmed Nelson's death to the New York Times.

"Her body has been brought to Kathmandu for autopsy," Yadav said. "It's intact but covered with snow."

Nelson was a legend in the extreme skiing sport, The North Face -- one of her sponsors -- called her "the most prolific ski mountaineer of her generation."

Her bio on her personal website said her "expedition career has led her to many 'firsts' in the world of ski mountaineering including linking two 8000m peaks in one push, first ski descents in Baffin Island, a first American ascent and ski descent of Papsura peak in India and a first ski descent of the 4th highest peak in the world, Lhotse."

The mother of two was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2018.

R.I.P.

Jeffrey Dahmer Prosecutor Backs Milwaukee Cops ... No Racial/Gay Bias in Case

The prosecutor who put Jeffrey Dahmer behind bars is pushing back against the narrative Netflix puts forth in its new show -- namely, that cops ignored obvious clues because the case involved gay and/or Black people.

Former Milwaukee D.A. Michael McCann -- who personally prosecuted Dahmer in the '90s -- tells TMZ ... the notion that MPD officers turned a blind eye to Dahmer's victims because of their race or sexual orientation is ludicrous, despite what "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" portrays.

The true crime drama is getting a lot of buzz right now, and while McCann says he hasn't seen it yet ... he's aware of how Netflix and co. are playing things -- very anti-cop and leaning into perceived racial and homophobic bias throughout the episodes.

McCann is flatly denying that characterization, saying neither race nor sexual orientation had influenced how police investigated Dahmer. He insists if they'd known they had a serial killer in their midst, they would've moved in immediately to put a stop to it ... regardless of the victims' backgrounds.

He explains Dahmer's M.O. simply didn't allow for them to discover the truth any sooner than they did in 1991 -- when one of his victims escaped and brought cops to Dahmer's apartment.

McCann notes Dahmer didn't leave a lot of obvious evidence lying around, and covered his tracks well.

He also thinks there's something to the fact that Dahmer's victims were men -- saying women who went missing back then were investigated by assuming the worst. On racism and homophobia generally, he acknowledges it's been a problem historically in law enforcement ... but is still adamant that it played no role in how officers went about handling Dahmer.

Of course, not everyone will buy what McCann's selling here ... especially seeing how Glenda Cleveland -- played by Niecy Nash -- alerted Milwaukee PD to Dahmer's behavior many times before he was eventually captured. Many suspect cops wrote her off because she was Black.

Most of Dahmer's 17 victims were also Black, and the show depicts cops as being sickened by the gay lifestyle. According to McCann, though, that's Hollywood fiction. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Lizzo I Just Made Flute History!!! Plays James Madison's 200-Year-Old Flute

9/27/22
BLAST FROM THE PAST

Lizzo's making musical history with a damn near ancient instrument -- she's now the first person to play a crystal flute that once belonged to one of America's founding fathers!!!

The singer unveiled the big surprise during her show Tuesday night in D.C. -- the ultra-rare flute was made in 1813 and used to belong to James Madison ... AKA U.S. President #4.

She was pretty nervous about even holding the flute, much less playing it, and told the crowd ... as only Lizzo could, "Bitch I'm scared."

Lizzo played her first note and the crowd went WILD -- she followed it up by twerking while playing some more. Take that, Madison!!!

She shared her excitement online after the show, too ... telling her followers she's the "first and only person" to play this flute. She adds, "I WILL NEVER BE OVER IT."

Lizzo got an invite from Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden earlier this week to visit "the largest flute collection in the world" while in town ... and the singer took her up on it, adding "I'M PLAYIN THAT CRYSTAL FLUTE!!!"

MAKIN’ HISTORY
TMZ.com

Goal achieved.

Cara Delevingne Lookin' Amazing at Paris Fashion Week ... Good Sign for Friends?

Cara Delevingne is looking incredible as she gets back to work showing off a new fashion collection -- and that could be a heartening sight for friends who've been worried since a couple weeks ago when they say she was in a very bad way.

Cara was out at a Paris Fashion Week party Tuesday for her Cara Loves Karl collection ... a gender-neutral line she announced last month, inspired by her close friendship with the late designer Karl Lagerfeld.

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The model posted a similar fit on Instagram Tuesday -- also from the collection -- and got a ton of love from her fans in the comments.

Of course, this outing comes after one of Cara's closest pals, Margot Robbie, was visibly distraught earlier this month shortly after leaving Cara's home.

Sources with direct knowledge told TMZ ... Cara's been struggling for a while -- initially with mental health issues, but now the people closest to her believe she needs rehab, too.

We're told Margot and other friends have been advocating for her to get into a treatment program.

Cara was spotted touching down in Paris Monday ... cruising through the airport incognito -- she appeared to be rolling solo, too.

Katie Couric I Have Breast Cancer

Katie Couric, a TV icon, is battling breast cancer.

The 65-year-old former "Today" show anchor just revealed she was diagnosed in June. Cancer is no stranger to Katie ... she lost her first husband, Jay Monahan, to colon cancer in 1998. Her sister died from pancreatic cancer and her mother-in-law died from ovarian cancer. She said, "My mood quickly shifted from disbelief to resignation. Given my family's history of cancer, why would I be spared? My reaction went from, "Why me? to Why not me?"

Katie said, "Every two minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. On June 21st, I became one of them. As we approach #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth, I wanted to share my personal story with you all and encourage you to get screened and understand that you may fall into a category of women who needs more than a mammogram."

She went on to describe her struggle ... "I felt sick and the room started to spin. I was in the middle of an open office, so I walked to a corner and spoke quietly, my mouth unable to keep up with the questions swirling in my head."

Katie underwent surgery back in July. She started radiation treatment early this month.

Best wishes to Katie.

Navy SEAL PED Use Under Scrutiny ... Amid Hell Week Death

Navy SEALs are apparently using performance-enhancing drugs en masse -- a phenomenon under the microscope after a recent death -- and now ... the branch is cracking down.

This all came under increased scrutiny after 24-year-old SEAL trainee Kyle Mullen died suddenly earlier this year while he was participating in the training program ... specifically, during Hell Week, where would-be SEALs are put through extreme conditions.

While Mullen's mother denies her son was on any type of steroid/PED that could've adversely affected his health -- paraphernalia found in his car shortly after his death has caused concern among Navy brass, spurring them to request more testing to detect this stuff.

There's a list of banned substances -- including PEDs -- that the Navy doesn't want its recruits using ... even though, in reality, it seems many of them are. Mullen's mother told CNN that her son relayed this to her while he was alive ... that more often than not, prospective SEALs were juicing up for competitive advantages in the elite program.

Officials believe this problem goes beyond just human growth hormone, BTW -- the PED problem is said to be rampant and wide-ranging ... which is obviously worrying, seeing how much this stuff has been found to be bad for the average person's health, increasing heart rate and blood pressure levels beyond normal -- and that can lead to death.

After Mullen's death, other cadets were ordered to undergo urinalysis to test for PEDs, but the Navy wants blood testing approved (and funded) because they believe this issue needs to be weeded out and strictly forbidden.

A Naval senior officer told CNN ... there is "beyond a reasonable doubt that a significant portion of the candidate population is utilizing a wide range of performance-enhancing drugs."

CRACKING DOWN
TMZ.com

While there's no question a lot of PEDs can screw with a person's health, one must wonder -- if it actually gives our soldiers a competitive advantage in battle ... should this be approached with a laissez-faire POV?

Hurricane Ian Florida Man Wakeboards ... In Flooded Streets

It's not every day you can wakeboard in the street ... so when the weather from Hurricane Ian caused a huge flood, a Florida man was there with his board!

A bystander in Marathon, Florida caught the performance on video ... where a pickup truck,  submerged in water, pulled the wakeboarder through the flooded streets.

There were even spectators there ... cheering on the wakeboarder.

Even though it looks fun (heck, is fun), Hurricane Ian is no joke. The storm could bring 155 MPH winds when it slams into Florida on Wednesday, according to Weather.com.

Last week, Hurricane Ian struck the Cayman Islands and Cuba, leaving at least 2 people dead in Cuba and millions without power.

This is the second major hurricane of the 2022 season.

Several sporting events in Florida, and even South Carolina, have been postponed due to the severe weather, including UCF's game, originally scheduled for Saturday game, that's been moved to Sunday.

As of now, the Buccaneers-Chiefs game is still on for Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, but an NFL spokesman said the league is "monitoring the storm and continuing to talk to both teams."

Stay safe, everyone!

'Jeopardy!' Champ Amy Schneider I'm Married!!! Ties Knot with Partner

Amy Schneider's going from winning "Jeopardy!" to just flat out winning in life -- the historic TV champ says she's hitched, and she actually did it on the Q.T. quite a while ago.

Amy revealed her marriage news on her social media, where she announced ... "Genevieve Davis and I are delighted to announce that on Monday, May 9, we were married in a small private ceremony at the Alameda County Recorder."

The newlyweds said they'll be doing a more "traditional wedding next summer, but our lives have been much too busy this year to get very far in planning it, and we couldn’t wait that long to proclaim our love and commitment to each other."

They posted photos of the civil ceremony with the caption ... "A year ago today, I was in LA, waiting to fulfill a dream. The year since has been full of good days, but by far the best one was May 9th, when Genevieve and I got married. Without her, none of the other good days would have happened. I’m so lucky to share my life with her!"

Schneider had a historic run as the trivia champ, racking up 40 consecutive wins and earning $1.3 million. It placed her second on the all-time champions' list -- only behind G.O.A.T. Ken Jennings -- and up there with the best of the best.

INVESTIGATING THE SECRETS
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Schneider was the first woman on "Jeopardy!" to ever cross the million-dollar mark, and the first trans woman to qualify for the "Tournament of Champions" show ... which will air later in October.

She got engaged to her wife in February, and now they're riding off into the sunset.

Congrats!!!

Post Malone Back Onstage After Fall ... Performs in Pain

CLEVELAND COMEBACK
TMZ.com

Post Malone made his grand return to the stage after being hospitalized for his hard fall ... and while he might not have performed at 100%, the crowd was lovin' every minute.

The singer took the stage at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland Tuesday night ... thanking the packed crowd early on for coming out -- and repeated his explanation as to why he pulled the plug on Saturday's gig.

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NOT PART OF THE PLAN
TMZ.com

Folks in the crowd tell TMZ ... Post didn't seem to be fully healed -- his singing seemed labored throughout his set. They could hear him taking deep breaths.

He was clearly in pain ... grabbing on his ribs, walking and dancing almost in slow motion around the stage. At one point, Post took his shirt off and the crowd saw that his ribs were wrapped in what looked like ACE bandages.

Regardless of his performance, the audience was giving him TONS of props ... especially after taking such a nasty fall last weekend.

As we reported, Post suffered a fracture in his rib cage as a result of the fall.

DOWN BUT NOT OUT
TMZ.com

He's a real trooper. Good job.

Taylor Hawkins Tribute Chappelle Performs 'Creep' Miley, Joan Jett, Alanis & Foo Fighters, Too!!!

CHAPPELLE GETS CREEPY
BACKGRID

The late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins was honored in a massive way in Los Angeles -- with stars including Miley Cyrus, Joan Jett, Brian May -- and more taking the stage ... but it was a unique cover from Dave Chappelle that had fans talking.

The concert marathon, which didn't end until 1 AM, went down at the Kia Forum in L.A. Tuesday night -- it was the second show to honor Hawkins, with the first happening in London earlier this month.

Check out the video of Dave, he took the stage with Dave Grohl and the rest of The Foo Fighters for the cover.

However, fans were treated to some other truly special performances. Grohl played 'Bad Reputation' with Joan Jett and Travis Barker, Miley hit the stage with Def Leppard, Motley Crue performed, Pink did 'Barracuda' with Nancy Wilson, Alanis Morissette performed with RHCP drummer Chad Smith ... and then at 11:45, The Foo Fighters took the stage to play some of their hits.

As we reported, Hawkins' son Shane got on the drums during the London show ... he did the same during the L.A. tribute to play "Hero."

STARS PAY TRIBUTE
Instagram/@50shadesofgabay

Hawkins died back in March of a drug-related overdose. Investigators say at the time of his death he had opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and other drugs in his system.

'Heartland' Actor Robert Cormier Dies After Apparent Fall

Actor Robert Cormier, best known for his portrayal of Finn Cotter in "Heartland," died last week after an apparent fall, this according to his family.

His sister, Stephanie, told the Hollywood Reporter that Robert passed away Friday in an Ontario, CA, hospital from injuries he suffered during the fall. No official cause of death has been released.

An online obit described Robert as an "athlete, an actor, and a great brother" who loved to help others and always wanted to achieve more. It ended with ... "Rob's memory will live on through his passion for art and film."

Growing up in Toronto, Robert would tell his dad to call him "Robbie Van Damme" after his favorite actor, Jean-Claude Van Damme. Robert was a bartender before he got his big break in TV, landing roles in "Heartland," "Ransom," "American Gods" and "Designated Survivor." He also made a splash as Kit Jennings in the popular Netflix series "Slasher."

UPtv — which streams episodes of Heartland — released a statement on IG, calling Robert "an amazing talent, gone too soon," next to a photo of him with costar Amber Mitchell.

The network added ... "We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing. Our sincere condolences go out to his friends, family, and co-workers."

Robert is survived by his parents, Robert and Lisa, and 3 sisters Brittany, Krystal and Stephanie.

He was 33.

RIP

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