'Jeopardy!' Hosts Just Mayim & Ken for Awhile ... No More Guest Hosts

"Jeopardy!" won't be going back to its revolving door of guest hosts after the quick exit of Mike Richards -- TMZ's learned it'll be Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings for the rest of 2021.

Sony production sources tell us the quiz show is going to keep it semi-consistent from here on out -- at least for this year -- with Mayim on hosting duty for more than half of the episodes, and Jennings shooting a few weeks worth of episodes.

We're told execs have not decided about next season yet, but are still searching for a full-time, permanent replacement for Alex Trebek, and as we've told you ... Mayim still seems to be the frontrunner.

When Richards stepped down as host, he suggested -- in an internal memo to staffers -- "Jeopardy!" would return to a series of guest hosts. However, he was also ousted as Executive Producer less than 2 weeks later ... so it's clear his plan no longer carried weight.

PERSONAL QUESTION
The Randumb Show

As you know ... Richards was tapped to replace Trebek on the syndicated daily version of the game show, but controversial comments he made years ago on his podcast resurfaced shortly afterward, and he quit after shooting just 5 episodes.

Similarly, while former champ Jennings is still guest hosting, we're told he's not seen as a real contender for the permanent gig ... due to past controversial tweets.

LEVAR'S LOCKED LIPS
BACKGRID

Meanwhile, LeVar Burton's still out there ... but Sony honchos already decided he's not their guy.

We've reached out to Sony, so far, no word back.

Soccer Star Reece James My Home Was Burglarized ... And I Caught The Cowards On Video!!!

THE ALLEGED BURGLARY

Reece James -- a Chelsea soccer star and member of England's national team -- claims his home was burglarized Tuesday ... and he says it was all captured by security cameras.

James says the incident went down while he was away from his house playing in a game for Chelsea ... claiming the footage shows clear as day how thieves stole a giant safe from his home.

In the video, you can see what appears to be four men pushing their way through a gate on James' property to get access to his house.

The men then appear to look into James' windows ... before breaking in using a giant sledgehammer.

James says you can see in the video the guys stole a safe from his place ... and then hauled it all the way outside and into a getaway car.

"They managed to collectively lift a heavy safe containing some personal items of mine into their car," James said.

The 21-year-old footballer says some of his priceless soccer awards were in the safe ... adding that law enforcement has been notified and is investigating.

"I am appealing to all my Chelsea and England fans to help identify and turn in these low life individuals who will never be able to rest easy as the evidence is mounting against them," James said.

"The police, my advisers and Chelsea FC (and many others) are all behind me as we have firm leads on who the perpetrators are. We are closing in on them."

James said, thankfully, nobody was home or injured during the incident.

"I want to let all of you know I am safe and well," James said. "I really do appreciate having the platform to tell you all about my misfortune and I hope together we can catch these individuals and deliver justice where it is due."

Nicki Minaj Trinidad Health Minister Rips Her ... White House Again Denies Invite

UPDATE

12:18 PM PT -- White House press secretary Jen Psaki was just asked at her daily press briefing if the WH extended Nicki an invitation, as she claimed. Psaki doubled down and said all they did was offer her a call so doctors could answer any questions she had about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

UPDATE
SOLVING THE SKEPTICISM
C-SPAN
UPDATE

12:18 PM PT -- Psaki added, "It was simply an offer to have a conversation."

Nicki Minaj's tweet about her cousin's friend becoming impotent and getting swollen testicles has really blown up ... to the point where she's getting chided both on American soil and beyond.

Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh blasted the rapper Wednesday, calling her claim about one person's alleged side effect of the COVID vaccine on the Caribbean island bogus.

ABOUT NICKI'S NONSENSE...

The health minister said the reason it took his department a couple days to respond is because they were looking into Minaj's comments, adding ... "Unfortunately, we wasted so much time yesterday running down this false claim."

As you know ... Nicki's received major backlash ever since she tweeted about why she's hesitant to get vaccinated, which included the anecdote about her cousin's friend in Trinidad.

9/14/21
THE FAUCI FACT CHECK
CNN

It led to senior health officials like Dr. Fauci condemning her unscientific claim, but Nicki later claimed she was invited to The White House to speak with medical experts and get educated on the vax.

However, a WH official later clarified that it did NOT extend an invite for Minaj to visit, but simply offered to hop on a phone call to discuss questions about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID vaccine after her tweets.

NICKI'S NOT HAPPY

Nicki has not taken too kindly to this clarification, and responded with a 14-minute Instagram video claiming she was invited ... and suggesting she's being made out to look like a liar.

For what it's worth, Nicki also claimed her Twitter account had been suspended, but the company denied taking any action against the account.

Originally Published -- 6:36 AM PT

Jessica Alba Honest Co. Sued for Alleged COVID-Related Fraud ... Your Diaper Sales Claims Were Really Sh**ty

Jessica Alba's Honest Co. is being sued by shareholders who claim the company misled them by failing to disclose so many parents stocked up on diapers and other Honest products at the beginning of the pandemic that sales in subsequent quarters tanked.

The shareholders claim in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, they bought Honest stock after the company went public in May, 2021 because the financial reports from 2020 showed gangbuster sales. They figured, hey, this company is on the rise so let's get in now.

Just 2 months later, Honest released a report saying they lost $20 million in the second quarter of 2021, and stock prices plummeted nearly 43% from the public offering price.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The shareholders claim Honest hid an essential fact ... that consumers had stockpiled diapers, wipes and other wellness products because of the pandemic, and by the time the company went public Honest knew sales were falling in a big way.

Now the shareholders do concede ... Honest disclosed that COVID was a driver of high sales and there was no assurance that would continue. But, the shareholders says Honest actually KNEW sales were declining but didn't ante up the info.

We reached out to reps for Jessica and the Honest Co. ... so far, no word back.

JoJo Siwa on Nickelodeon Relationship Not Totally Fractured ... But Lots to Work On!!!

LET ME PERFORM!
TMZ.com

JoJo Siwa says her relationship with Nickelodeon isn't fractured beyond repair amid a dispute over her upcoming tour ... but she says it's gonna take a lot for them to mend fences.

We got JoJo outside the Loews Hotel in NYC and asked her about Tuesday's beef with Nickelodeon. She says the network's blocking her from performing songs from her recently released musical when she embarks on a 37-city tour in January.

JoJo told us her problem is Nickelodeon treating her like she's just a brand ... and forgetting she's a person too.

You can tell from her tone ... JoJo's ticked off the relationship's gone south. She says she's frustrated folks with less tenure than her at Nickelodeon are trying to call the shots on what she can and can't sing.

While JoJo says her home network's not supporting her ... she's turning to other child stars like Bella Thorne, Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato for sage advice.

Sounds like JoJo's hopeful they can still come to an agreement before her tour, but she also leaves open the possibility of going against the grain.

Bottom line for JoJo ... she'll stay loyal to her Nick fam, until they hurt her -- and it sounds like they're right on the edge.

Kim Kardashian Kourtney & Travis PDA ... I Love It!!!

KRAZY KISSERS
Ellen Tube

Kim Kardashian sees how incredibly close -- and physical -- Kourtney and Travis Barker's relationship is, and newsflash ... she's all about it!!!

Kim told Ellen DeGeneres Wednesday she loves how much her sister and Travis have grown together. She said it's incredible how they went from being friends and neighbors for almost 15 years to where they are now -- which is PDAVille, U.S.A. ... where they're clearly co-Mayors.

Ellen couldn't avoid the obvious topic ... asking Kim why Trav and Kourt can't seem to keep their hands, and tongues, off each other. Kim had 3 words to describe how she feels about it.

Kim did laugh and agree with Ellen that "it's a lot," but in the end ... she finds it cute. Kim says she loves love, so she loves them. There ya go.

APRIL 2021
FINGER LICKIN' GOOD

As we, and the sickeningly happy couple have documented, it doesn't matter where they are -- in the studio or on a NYC loading dock -- these 2 never have any problem showing some serious PDA.

When their relationship started it was all hands on deck. But, it hasn't been ALL about the physical part -- back in August, Kourtney notably helped Travis fly for the first time since the 2008 fatal plane crash that killed 4 of his friends, and left him with third-degree burns on 65 percent of his body.

APRIL 2021
BEACH BUMS
TMZ.com

That trip to Mexico must have gone well, because Travis was back in the sky when he and Kourt flew to Italy for, you guessed it ... more PDA.

Lil Mo Fat Joe’s ‘Dusty Bitches’ Jab Triggering … I've Struggled with Addiction!!!

Lil Mo is calling out Fat Joe for referring to her as a dusty bitch crackhead during "Verzuz" ... saying he's way outta line, and totally insensitive to all people battling addiction.

Here's the deal ... Fat Joe came under fire after ripping Lil Mo and another female rap legend, Vita, during his Tuesday night musical showdown with Ja Rule. He said Ja must have found them in a "crack house."

JUST DISREPECTFUL
TMZ.com

Lil Mo tells TMZ ... Fat Joe's comments are "vile" and "disrespectful" and he should know better than to use those degrading terms, especially in light of recent celeb deaths, like Michael K. Williams, from drug problems.

In fact, Lil Mo says Joe's disses were actually triggering to her, because -- even though she's clean now -- she's dealt with her own opioid addiction issues in the past.

Fat Joe ended up apologizing publicly -- he also says he told Lil Mo and Vita sorry to their faces -- and Remy Ma rushed to his defense on social media, but Lil Mo says he shouldn't get off the hook so easy.

However, she was quick to say she doesn't want Fat Joe canceled. Watch ... she told us what she does need from Joe after his painful words.

Norm Macdonald's Death It's a Gut Punch for Me, Friends ... Steve Higgins Says We Were All in the Dark

ONE OF A KIND
TMZ.com

Some of the closest people to Norm Macdonald didn't know the comedian was battling cancer for a decade ... so the surprising and sudden loss floored them as much as it did fans.

We got 'Tonight Show' announcer and producer Steve Higgins in New York City and asked how he's dealing with Norm's death. They'd worked very closely ... Steve was an 'SNL' writer when Norm was a star cast member.

Steve says they were really close outside of work too, and he's taking Norm's death hard ... because he had no clue his friend was diagnosed years ago.

He also explained -- with a vivid and perfect metaphor -- exactly why everyone in the comedy community loved Norm.

Steve recalls spending tons of time with Norm back in their 'SNL' days ... saying Norm was "truly brilliant" for his comedic timing.

It's an emotional conversation, and Steve told us ... Norm was so committed to doing comedy his way, it probably cost him superstar-level success. But, he adds his friend had no problem with that trade-off.

SpaceX Civilians Blast Off Into Space ... No Astronauts Required!!!

9/15/21
ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND
Space X
UPDATE

6:15 AM PT -- 9/16 -- We've obtained video from the ground in the Bahamas of the launch, you can see the incredible light as stunned onlookers filmed the crew mid-flight.

UPDATE
LIGHTING UP THE SKY
Karen Murphy

Elon Musk's space company just made history ... the first ever, all-civilian spaceflight is way up above our planet ... and they blasted off without any astronauts.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman, a pilot himself, is leading the mission dubbed Inspiration4 ... and it looks like he's already having a blast up there in space with the rest of his lucky space tourists.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Chris Sembroski, Dr. Sian Proctor and Hayley Arceneaux took off with Jared in a SpaceX Dragon capsule Wednesday night ... blasting into space using a Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

As you can see ... the space tourists were clapping and celebrating as they took off into space, breaking the speed of sound on the way up, while those in mission control back home were hyped too.

Now that they're in orbit, Jared and co. will be in space for the next 3 days, zipping around Earth about once every 90 minutes and enjoying the views.

REPORTING FOR DUTY
TMZ.com

As we first told you ... Jared told us back in February he was most looking forward to overriding the automatic pilot and taking Dragon for a spin up in space.

BTW ... the civilian crew will be sleeping in the same reclining seats you saw them in on the launch ... and they've got to share a toilet and forego showers.

Originally Published -- 9/15 6:17 PM PT

Joe Johnson Ben Simmons' Jump Shot Isn't Broken ... 'We Know It's There'

NO FIX NEEDED
TMZSports.com

Ben Simmons does NOT have a problem with his jumper -- it's a CONFIDENCE issue -- so says NBA and BIG 3 sharp-shooter Joe Johnson, who tells TMZ Sports the Sixers guard will be just fine.

Simmons has struggled to find his rhythm with jump shots since entering the league in 2016 -- most recently, he was criticized for going 35% from the charity stripe and averaging 9.9 points a game in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Atlanta Hawks.

Not ideal for a former #1 overall pick ... but Iso Joe -- who's known for his clutch shooting -- isn't worried at all, saying he knows the 25-year-old will find his way.

"I honestly don't think nothing's wrong with it," Johnson tells us. "You see him playing pickup basketball shooting jumpers, fadeaways, threes ... so we all know it's there."

It's true -- Ben put in work with Rajon Rondo earlier this offseason ... where he was recorded on video drilling threes.

"He just has to take that same confidence that he has in pickup and translate it into an NBA game," Johnson adds. "That's it. You're gonna miss and make shots, you can't care about the misses. He's just got to continue to take them."

Johnson says the talent is clearly not the problem ... but when BS takes the court, he's got to remember that he's that dude.

Joe makes it sound easy ... but all eyes will be on Ben to see if he can find his flow once next season comes.

Guess Who This Little Angel Turned Into!

Before this perfect angel was a household name for her funny friendships on television, she was just another brunette beauty growing up in Birmingham, Alabama.

This little lady's career launched into stardom when she was cast in one of the most popular sitcoms of all time ... along with an ensemble of hilarious celebrities. This long-reining comedy series ran for 10 years, but it wasn't this famous face's only claim to fame. Around the same time, she balanced between television and film when she became the starring scream queen in a popular horror flick franchise.

Can you guess who she is?

Tyson Chandler Wife Files For Divorce ... After 16 Years

Ex-NBA star Tyson Chandler and his wife, Kimberly Chandler, are going their separate ways ... TMZ Sports has learned Kimberly filed for divorce this week.

Kimberly, according to court documents, cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. The two had been married for 16 years and separated in August.

Kimberly often posted pictures of her and the former basketball player on social media during their relationship ... recently showing off a photo of the two from their trip to Coachella in 2016.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

"#ItWasAVibe," Kimberly said in the caption with the photo. "#MyLoverAndMe."

The couple has three children -- a 15-year-old daughter, a 12-year-old son and another 11-year-old daughter -- from their time together.

In the docs, Kimberly stated she was seeking spousal support ... as well as joint custody of the kids.

38-year-old Tyson was drafted #2 overall by the Clippers in 2001 ... and made one NBA All-Star team. He hasn't played in the Association since wrapping up his 2019-20 season with the Rockets.

Marilyn Manson Rape Accuser's Lawsuit Dismissed

Marilyn Manson's rape accuser just had her lawsuit against the shock rocker tossed out of court ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge dismissed the suit Tuesday, ruling the statute of limitations had passed on the woman's claims.

TMZ broke the story ... Manson was sued back in May by a Jane Doe who claims they started dating in 2011 before things took a turn for the worse and he raped her.

Manson's accuser claimed she repressed her memories of the alleged rape ... but the judge dismissed the suit because the woman couldn't specify how her memory was repressed, or why she didn't learn of it earlier.

While this lawsuit is dismissed, for now, we've told you Manson is also being sued for sexual assault by 3 other women ... including his former assistant and "Game of Thrones" star Esme Bianco.

It should also be noted the court has given the woman 20 days to refile the complaint and address the judge's concerns about her allegedly repressed memories and the statute of limitations.

Usher on Diddy JD Doesn't Have Enough Hits??? Uh, 'Yeah!!!' ... No, Bro

THEY BOTH GOT HITS
TMZ.com

Usher is standing up and speaking out for his pal Jermaine Dupri ... telling us JD definitely has bangers to compete with Diddy on "Verzuz" -- despite what the latter says about it.

We got Mr. Raymond out Wednesday in Hollywood, where we asked about this back and forth his music industry friends and mentors had about a potential song-for-song showdown on the big stage.

Sounds neat, but Puff made it seem like he was too good for all that -- or too good for JD, rather ... suggesting the dude doesn't match him on hits. To that, Usher says ... hold up!

When we explained what Diddy's saying in response to Jermaine's proposed matchup -- namely, that JD isn't on his level, Usher gave us a side-eye look ... and then defended his longtime producing partner -- who literally made "Confessions" go diamond, among many other accolades.

You gotta watch how Usher breaks it down here -- because on the one hand, he clarifies that Jermaine absolutely has a catalog of hits that could stand up to Diddy's ... but he stops short of declaring who'd be the winner. His allegiance is clearly torn down the middle.

If you didn't know, Diddy gave Usher his start in the music industry and they have deep ties -- but Jermaine has worked with him more often, and has helped Usher reach unimaginable success. It's a tight rope of a convo, but Usher handles it pretty well.

Oh, and he also tells us who he'd really like to see in a "Verzuz" -- 2 rappers who've been weirdly out of the mix thus far, but who might have to step up now.

'Love & Hip Hop' Star Mo Fayne Gets 17 Years in Prison in PPP Loan Fraud Case Gotta Pay Back $4.4M!!!

Rapper Mo Fayne's going away for a long, long time for his role in a PPP loan fraud case ... he's just been sentenced to 210 months in prison -- that's 17.5 years.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star was hit with the prison sentence after pleading guilty to 6 counts, including bank and wire fraud.

Remember ... prosecutors alleged he funded a lavish lifestyle during the pandemic with money from the Paycheck Protection Program. The money was intended to help employees and small businesses hit hard by COVID.

Fayne had cut a plea deal with prosecutors ... who agreed to drop 14 other charges and recommend Fayne get a 151-month sentence. Instead ... the judge hit him with nearly 5 more years behind bars. The silver lining ... he was staring down a possible 30-year sentence if he didn't cut that deal, so take that for what it's worth.

According to the Dept. of Justice ... Fayne submitted a $3.7 million PPP loan application, falsely claiming his trucking business had 107 employees and an average monthly payroll of $1,490,200.

The feds say Fayne promised to use the PPP loan to retain workers and maintain payroll but instead used it for improper purposes ... including $40k for past-due child support, $85k for for jewelry, $136k for a Rolls-Royce, and $907k to start a new business in Arkansas.

After he's released from prison ... Fayne will be on 5 years of supervised release. He also has to pay a huge restitution bill ... a whopping $4,465,865.55.

AOC 'Tax the Rich' Eh??? That Design Looks Familiar!!!

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Met Gala dress looks like a carbon copy of one designer's own brand -- at least according to the designer, but she doesn't want a fight ... just a collab.

An IG user who goes by the Velvet Bandit posted photos of AOC in her "Tax the Rich" dress stacked up against some artwork she claims to have designed ... and says something looks a little too familiar. Specifically, she's talking about the font and typeface of the words themselves.

VB writes, "@AOC stepped out at the Met Gala wearing a dress designed by @aurorajames that looks hella similar to my design. 😳"

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Velvet continues by saying her own "Tax the Rich" thing went viral on TikTok after putting her work up all around Sausalito, CA, and she adds ... "This dress bears the same likeness as my handwriting." Sounds ominous, but she simmers down.

The street artist doesn't seem particularly litigious ... saying she admires both AOC and the designer of her dress, Aurora James, and would like nothing more than to work with them.

She says she's a lunch lady and a single mom, and doesn't have the time or influence to try to reach out to famous people for gigs.

Instead, she's asking people to tag and/or share this with the congresswoman and her designer, adding ... "They need a female street artist working on their team, dontcha think? It would be an honor. Obviously they have fabulous taste." Well ... (de)escalated quickly. 😅

We've reached out to AOC and Aurora James ... so far, no word back.

Old news is old news!
Be First!

Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser!