MTV Video Music Awards

The ugly war of words between Nicki Minaj and Safaree could come to a head if the exes run into each other at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, but there's a plan in place to avoid that ... TMZ has learned.

Nicki and Safaree will be at the VMAs Monday night in NYC -- she's performing and he's repping VH1 -- so both will be doing press on the carpet outside Radio City Music Hall beforehand.

It will be the first time the 2 will be in the same vicinity since Safaree claimed Nicki stabbed him and tried to kill him. She fired back, calling him a thief and a liar.

We're told people in charge of security at the event are well aware of the bad blood, and extra measures -- including more guards -- are being taken to ensure the 2 don't have any interaction ... and no nasty confrontation.

The Robert E. Lee descendant, who denounced white supremacy during the VMAs, says that speech cost him his job as pastor of a North Carolina church.

Rev. Robert Wright Lee says factions of his United Church of Christ in Winston-Salem "were concerned about my speech and that I lifted up Black Lives Matter movement, the Women’s March, and Heather Heyer as examples of racial justice work."

Rev. Lee says there were also church members who supported his right to speak out, but were "uncomfortable with the attention" his MTV appearance was bringing the church. He says, "The church’s reaction was deeply hurtful to me."

Taylor Swift's new music video wasn't the only thing worth looking at during last night's MTV Video Music Awards ... check out what was going down backstage.

Rappers were hanging out with pop stars ... Katy Perry was doing crazy costume changes and Ellen was posing for pics with EVERYBODY!

Katy Perry dodged a Taylor Swift bullet at the VMAs -- even though she's hosting the show -- 'cause she was nowhere to be seen during the TV debut of T. Swift's new music video.

Katy ducked out from introducing Taylor's new single "Look What You Made Me Do" Sunday during MTV's award show ... managing to steer clear of any mention of Taylor once it ended.

The show came out of commercial and went right into Taylor's video with just a generic PSA on the monitors at the Forum. Afterward, "Blackish" star Yara Shahidi came onstage to introduce a performance for Shawn Mendes.

Through it all ... Katy made herself scarce.

Seems like the honchos over at MTV were fully aware of how awkward it woulda been having Katy pitch the video premiere of her longtime pop foe ... with whom she hasn't officially buried the hatchet.

Taylor wasn't in the house Sunday ... she won Best Collaboration for her song with Zayn Malik, but neither came up to accept their award.

As for her video ... well, it sorta speaks for itself. Check it, Kanye.

Gucci Mane and his fiancee, Keyshia Ka'oir, are well into shooting their first reality show ... and we've got some details on what fans can expect.

Sources close to the BET show tell us ... the couple's been filming everything in their lives leading up to their $1 million dollar wedding in October, including the planning for the big day ... set to go down in Miami.

We're told several celebrity cameos are expected -- Trina and Monica have already taped -- and Gucci's performance with Fifth Harmony at the VMAs later this month will be included too.

We broke the story ... the rapper and his fiancee scored a fat contract for their BET show, which conveniently includes their wedding costs.

Open bar, y'all!!!

Drake and Rihanna fans went crazy Tuesday when a site -- drakeandrihanna.com -- popped up with a countdown clock ... starting rumors they were releasing a collab together.

We know now the site is completely fake, and TMZ has learned the hoax was started because Drake pissed off one vengeful fan ... Joanne the Scammer.

Joanne is a character played by Branden Miller. He tells us ... he made the fake site as payback for Drake not taking a selfie with Joanne at the VMAs. Branden claims he got bum-rushed by security when he tried to take the shot.

He says he went home and created the site, which cost about $3k. It blew up, but when people found out it was a hoax he decided to reveal why he did it.

Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast in the world ... but even she couldn't avoid taking a spill because of those damn high heels.

Kanye West still has a lot on his mind after his famous VMAs speech ... like why the hell is Ray J so pissed?!

We got Yeezy leaving The Mercer Hotel in NYC, and he says he can't understand why people are getting mad about him shouting out to Ray J. After all, they're all in the same bed together in his "Famous" vid.

Our photog also asked Kanye if there was anything at the VMAs he wanted to say but couldn't, and he did not disappoint ... with some ideas on how his school uniforms can save the world.

The homeless guy Miley Cyrus took to the VMAs is finally cashing in on his big night with the singer ... by hawking her Moonman.

Jesse Helt is auctioning the trophy on eBay-- the bidding starts at $10k, but there's a "Buy It Now" option for $15k. Helt got his 15 minutes back in 2014 when he accepted Cyrus' Video of the Year award with a tearjerker speech about homelessness.

People connected to Jesse tell us he's been on a hot streak -- he recently got a studio apartment in L.A. and he's expecting a baby in a few months. We're told he's selling the VMA to prep for il bambino.

If $10k sounds steep -- keep in mind Coolio's trophy for "Gangsta's Paradise" once sold for $6k, and someone paid $72k for the "We Are the World" statuette!

Fun fact: Miley's Moonman is engraved with her name and Jesse's.

Drake and Rihanna -- are they bangin' or is it just a figment of our imagination?

Drizzy and RiRi played followed the leader at Up & Down in NYC where they probably had lots to talk about after Drake straight-up said at the VMAs he's been in love with Rihanna since he was 22.

Just do it already.

Britney Spears just slayed the stage at the MTV VMAs.

Britney performed live at the awards show for the first time since her 2007 debacle ... and nailed it.

So much for that whole 'done with men stuff' too ... because the chemistry between her and G-Eazy during their song, "Make Me," looks pretty genuine.

Kanye West will have free reign over the stage at this weekend's MTV VMAs and show producers are expecting something big ... they just have no idea WHAT it will be.

A source close to production tells us MTV honchos are giving 'Ye 4 minutes to do with as he pleases. He can rap, sing, dance or even just stay silent ... and we're told show producers are totally clueless which door he'll pick.

You'll remember ... Kanye won last year's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the show and took the stage for an 11 minute sermon that included talk of a presidential run in 2020.

There have been rumors he and Taylor Swift might make nice during Sunday's show ... but sources close to Swift say she has no plans to attend.

Justin Bieber wasn't crying crocodile tears ... he really did get choked up and overcome with emotion when his VMA gig ended, and he's blaming his nerves for the sobfest.

Sources at the award show tell TMZ ... the Biebs was super nervous before his big "What Do You Mean?" performance ... because it's been five years since he last sang at the VMAs.

Although Justin included a message about his "journey" -- with clear religious undertones -- we're told his break down was more about a sense of relief that he got through the comeback performance.

Justin recovered just fine from his butterflies though -- one video posted on Shots showed him onstage at Henry's singing his new hit again. No tears this time.

Next year's VMAs could become a 10-hour ordeal, because we found out MTV is considering Kanye as its host.

VMA sources tell TMZ ... MTV was thrilled with Kanye's 12-minute diatribe, despite the fact he brutally trashed the network and awards shows in general. As it was put to us, Kanye hosting next year is "on the table." After all, who woulda thunk Miley?

Here's how much MTV loved it ... we're told they only allotted him 2 minutes, but people in the control room were told to stand down, because it was crazy entertaining.

Kanye West may have just made a young man a fortune by announcing his possible run for President.

Tramall Ferguson registered "KanyeForPresident.com" back in April on a whim ... thinking maybe one day Yeezy would make it in the oval office.

The 24-year-old recent graduate said he registered a few other domains, including "PeterGriffinForPresident.com."

After Kanye's announcement at the MTV VMAs ... Tramal's phone is blowing up with huge offers to own the domain ... upwards of $80k.

Tramal says he's holding out ... waiting for Kanye to call. He wouldn't say how much he'd charge, but he was clear ... Kanye's not getting it for free.

It'll take a lot more than a pair of those Yeezys.

Miley Cyrus shared her DNA with photographers backstage at the VMAs -- via the joint she passed around the room.

'Mary Jane' Cyrus kicked off her post-VMA meeting with the media by lighting up and passing it to reporters and photogs -- several of whom gladly indulged.

No doubt, the ganja gift was a great way to soften them up BEFORE they fired off questions about her hosting performance -- or Nicki Minaj.

Of course, that gift came doused in her saliva ... if you're into that.