Breakups

Lala Kent says she had a feeling something was going on between Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss before their affair devastated Ariana Madix ... with her suspicions dating back to the summer.

We got the "Vanderpump Rules" star at LAX Tuesday and asked about Tom bringing Raquel to his hometown back in December, when he was still dating Ariana.

Lala says the affair, which we first reported in March, was a shock to folks outside the reality TV show cast ... but she says she and Katie Maloney felt "something was off" months before Raquel visited Tom in St. Louis.

While Lala had her suspicions during the summer, she says Ariana didn't know Tom was cheating on her until March, when she was absolutely gutted.

The signs were there all along ... Tom and Raquel were rocking matching necklaces back in October, and she kept popping up at his shows and his restaurant, hanging out with him without their other cast members around.

Tom Sandoval is opening up about his affair with Raquel Leviss in a slightly unhinged interview with Howie Mandel -- one where he, apparently, decided on the fly to remove his signature mustache.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star talked about the 'Scandoval' on Tuesday's episode of the "Howie Mandel Does Stuff" podcast ... claiming he's been learning a lot from the experience of cheating on his longtime GF Ariana Madix.

He said there was "no thrill" in it for him, just an anxiety-filled ride. Tom also revealed the first time he kissed Raquel was before she kissed his business partner, Tom Schwartz ... and claims he called things off with Ariana on Valentine's Day.

Tom goes on to complain about being so recognizable, which is when Howie offers to get rid of the stache. We're not saying it was planned, but for some reason, Tom had all the tools with him to get it done.

This is where it gets a little odd -- Tom's moment of vulnerability turns into a DIY trim ... switching from razor to scissors, then to a different razor before his upper lip is bare.

There is one funny moment when Howie's trim job gets a little too, umm ... Adolf-ish for Tom's liking.

As we reported, Tom was rocking out Friday with his band The Most Extras -- it was the debut of his 'stache-less face.

Taylor Swift clearly has a major hold on her fan base, 'cause the pants she wore on her first public single-girl outing have already sold out ... with some fans already looking into a deeper meaning behind her fashion choice.

Taylor wore a pair of "Butterfly-patch Cropped Jeans" from a brand called Area out in NYC Monday night. The pants, which come complete with a bedazzled butterfly on the leg and retail for $673, were still available online early Tuesday morning. However, Swifites were quick to track down the item, causing the pants to sell out from multiple retailers in a few hours.

Like just about everything Taylor does, her fans even hunted for clues in the singer's fashion choice -- believing the butterfly may symbolize rebirth and starting over.

As we reported, Swift wasn't alone for her night out in NYC's West Village, joined by pal Jack Antonoff and his fiancée, actress Margaret Qualley.

It's been less than a week since news broke about Taylor's relationship with Joe Alwyn coming to an end after 6 years together -- and the public outing in NYC was certainly a rare one -- only time will tell if Taylor's deciding to come out of her cocoon a little bit more.

Before the world even knew Raquel Leviss and Tom Sandoval were a thing, he was comfortable enough to bring her home -- making the bold decision to bring her around his friends and family -- an offer his loved ones shut down ... TMZ has learned.

Check out the photo, obtained by TMZ, showing Tom and Raquel posing in front of the Apotheosis of Saint Louis in his hometown on December 29. We're told the two spent time together there ... Tom even brought her to hang out with some of his closest friends.

Our sources say Tom's family knew Raquel was with him in town, but had no interest in meeting her. We're told they thought it was inappropriate for him to bring another girl home while he was still with Ariana -- and they didn't support his seemingly new, secret relationship with Raquel.

As for his friends, our sources say Tom told them he was trying to break things off with Ariana right before the trip, and they were going to therapy together.

After the hometown visit, the two drove to Chicago for one of Tom's shows, but Raquel didn't attend out of fear she'd get recognized.

TMZ broke the story ... Tom and Raquel have continued to be an item even after the two were both roasted on the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion show. In fact, they grabbed dinner together at Musso and Frank Grill just hours after taping wrapped.

Turns out, the two were a serious thing wayyy earlier than anyone could've thought ... and the timeline just continues to get a whole lot messier.

We covered all the drama in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!

There's nothing like a familiar face for Taylor Swift in the wake of her split from Joe Alwyn ... as she's getting by with a little help from her pal and longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff.

T. Swift hit NYC's West Village Monday night for a bite at Via Carota, and, apparently, has no issues being the third wheel ... now that she's single. She dined with Jack and his fiancée, actress Margaret Qualley.

The timing of the trio's night out for some Italian is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, Taylor's hardly looking super sad -- at least on the outside -- which might support the theory her breakup from Joe didn't go down all that recently.

Secondly, freshly heartbroken folks rarely wanna hang out with freshly in love couples ... like Jack and Margaret, for instance. They got engaged last May after about a year of dating -- so, again, we'd guess Taylor wouldn't be in the mood to catch up on Margaret and Jack's wedding plans ... IF she and Joe had just broken up.

As we reported, news of Taylor and Joe's demise, after 6 years of dating, leaked over the weekend, but they hadn't been seen together in public in a long time -- and some fans noticed he hadn't been at any of her Eras Tour shows either.

So far, neither is saying exactly when they split ... or who called things off.

Of course, TS and singer/songwriter Jack have worked together for years ... he's co-written or co-produced several dozen of Taylor's tracks. Who knows, maybe they hashed out her next great breakup song while breaking bruschetta!

Taylor Swift's music is seeing a huge spike amid news of her breakup with Joe Alwyn -- but the interest is focused on specific tracks, with a specific muse in mind ... take a guess.

The numbers are in -- as aggregated by TS stan SpotifySwiftie -- and it looks like several songs from TayTay's past few albums have seen massive streaming increases in the past 48 hours ... but, perhaps unsurprisingly, they're all tunes rumored to be about her now-ex.

The songs in question span her last 5 projects -- which cover the time frame that she's been with Joe -- and they range in percentages ... from as low a boost as 23% to as high as 106%, and everything in between. There are 11 tracks we're talking about here, BTW.

'King of My Heart' from her album 'Reputation' and 'happiness' from 'evermore,' for example touch the low end of the totem pole (at 23% increases each) ... whereas other songs like 'Sweet Nothing' ('Midnights') and 'the 1' ('folkore') are at 30% and 39%, respectively.

Other songs, however, have even more plays ... cuts like 'New Year's Day' ('Reputation'), 'peace' ('folklore') and 'Daylight' ('Lover') have jumped 40%/48%/58% in streaming stats.

The song of hers that has the largest upswing is 'Cornelia Street' ('Lover') at 106%. Some of the telltale lyrics in there that allude to Joe include this line ... "And I hope I never lose you, hope it never ends // I'd never walk Cornelia Street again // That's the kind of heartbreak time could never mend." It's been reported they shared a home on this NYC street, for real.

Funny enough ... there's actually viral video of New York-based Swifties leaving flowers at the rumored house they used to live in -- mourning the fact that Joe and Taylor are dunzo.

The news of Taylor Swift's split from longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn breaking during a pause in her tour might not be sheer coincidence ... according to marketing guru Brittany Hodak.

Brittany, who's an admitted Swiftee, joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" for a closer look at the timing of Taylor's breakup going public -- and, as an expert on Taylor's marketing brilliance, she suspects the singer is, in a way, manipulating the media.

For starters, Brittany says Taylor has always been meticulous about managing news cycles ... so it's quite interesting for the split to "leak" to the public smack in the middle of a 13-day break in her Eras Tour.

Brittany says the timing of it all suggests Taylor wanted the story to break so she would be back in the news during that break in the action ... shifting attention and momentum back to her tour when she would, otherwise, be off the radar.

As we reported ... Taylor's last-minute song change in her setlist is also getting picked apart. She removed "Invisible String," a song about soulmates, and inserted "The 1," a track reminiscing on a former relationship.

The timing of Taylor and Joe's breakup is unclear, and Brittany speculates the split might have happened weeks or even months ago ... and the song swap could have been intended as a hint to fans.

Don't get it twisted, Brittany isn't suggesting Taylor would time a breakup for a marketing opportunity ... but she thinks there's at least a decent chance she was waiting to see if news of the split came out during the tour.

Taylor Swift fans are dissecting her recent public appearances to see if there were clues about her breakup with Joe Alwyn -- and now ... everything's under the microscope.

Swifties are analyzing a TikTok clip from one of her 'Eras' concerts in Arizona -- where some folks think she got emotional during a performance of her track "Champagne Problems." In light of this weekend's news ... a handful believe this must have meant something.

While the song is about an unrequited marriage proposal, it's hard to say if there's anything to this. TS doesn't look any more animated than she does for any other song. There are also those who claim she tears up, but you can't see any active waterworks on her face.

Eye of the beholder, we suppose ... people see what they wanna see.

That's not the only thing being studied in the aftermath of her split. A last-minute song change in her setlist is also getting picked apart as suggesting something bigger -- the swap being between "Invisible String," a track about 2 soulmates, to another song called "The 1" ... which focuses on love lost and reminiscing on a former relationship.

Seeing how "The 1" made the cut, some Swifties think she was telegraphing trouble with Joe. Again, it's possible, but on the flip side ... it could just as easily mean nothing at all.

The big breakup news came over the weekend ... Taylor and JA are reported to have gone their separate ways in recent weeks. The exact timeline isn't clear, nor do we know who broke up with whom. He's said to have been absent from her tour, which makes sense now.

Tom Sandoval is moving on from the Scandoval -- and he's doing it by getting back onstage and singing his heart out.

The 'Vanderpump' reality star got under the spotlight this weekend with his band, The Most Extras, for 2 live gigs where the guys apparently played to packed houses. On Friday, Tom performed at a venue called the Canyon in Montclair, CA ... way out near Pomona.

On Saturday, he did it again ... only this time, him and the band went in the other direction -- again playing at a Canyon establishment, but in Agoura Hills ... which is near Calabasas.

In both instances, TS lost his shirt ... and handled microphone duties bare-chested. He wasn't shy either ... Tom was up there belting out songs like there was no tomorrow, and it sounds like the crowds were rockin' with him for the most part. All in all, pretty good vibes.

Of course, the question some might ask is ... too soon? Clearly not -- the guy was booked, so he has every right to perform ... and it doesn't sound like the cheating hurt sales either.

He's already gone to the reunion and gotten chewed out by everyone under the sun -- both on and off set -- and he's apologized for betraying Ariana Madix. At this point, though ... this saga's been going on a month-plus and there's nothing more to really say. It's over.

AM's reportedly already lined up her next act -- apparently, she's set to appear on 'DWTS' -- and Tom seems set to do the same ... playing his music and running his businesses.

Taylor Swift and her longtime boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, have reportedly broken up ... but it sounds like there's no drama she'll have to sing about in the aftermath.

ET broke the news Saturday, reporting that the couple split a few weeks ago ... but that the uncoupling was "amicable" and "not dramatic," which isn't always how Taylor Swift breakups go. The outlet goes on to say, citing sources, the relationship had simply run its course.

A sign there was trouble on the horizon, per ET, was the fact Joe hadn't been seen at any of TS's concerts of late. The reason, apparently, is because they'd gone their separate ways. As you know, TayTay is on tour right now -- and Joe has had a habit of coming out to support.

This news is quite the shocker ... Taylor and Joe seemed to be good as recently as this past fall, when they were spotted out in NYC -- not to mention their vacay to the Bahamas last summer where they were packing on the PDA. By most accounts, they were doing great.

JA is usually out of the spotlight, as was their relationship in general. The dynamic between them was, by and large, kept private ... but Taylor seemed head over heels for the guy.

Taylor and Joe first got together back in 2017, so they've been going strong for 6 years now. Up to this point, Joe's been Taylor's most steady and consistent boyfriend since she splashed onto the Hollywood scene ... with a lot of her exes being way more famous.

Remember, she's dated the likes of Jake Gyllenhaal, Harry Styles, Joe Jonas, Tom Hiddleston, Taylor Lautner, Calvin Harris and John Mayer -- to name a few. None went the distance with her the way Joe did ... and many thought they could even get married.

Of course, the other weird thing about this is that Taylor recently put out a new track that was meant to be a love letter to Joe -- although it's unclear when they may have been recorded. In any case, it appears to be sayonara for now for these two ... for now.

Drake had a lot of people wondering if he'd accomplished the nearly impossible -- to get Kim Kardashian to pose in a promo photo with him -- and while the woman with him definitely raised some Kim comparisons, we've figured out her true identity.

Drake dropped "Search & Rescue" Friday, his latest in a whole army of singles with art that showed him and a mystery woman wearing helmets complete with face guards.

Fans were quick to notice a similarity between the woman's features and Kim Kardashian's. While it seemed like a stretch for Kim K to be in the pics, Drake also sampled Kim's voice in the song ... so people thought it was possible.

However, we've learned the mystery woman is Lilah, an artist who has gotten major props from OVO in the past.

Tom Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss has moved into the "love" category ... at least, according to his friend and business partner Tom Schwartz, who's spilling a TON of tea about the Scandoval.

Schwartz finally opened up about the messy relationship drama Wednesday night on "Watch What Happens Live" ... telling Andy Cohen he knew the 2 hooked up way back in August, but thought it was a one-time thing.

That is, until January when Sandoval dropped the L-bomb on Schwartz.

He says his buddy admitted he was in love with Raquel -- something Schwartz was mostly shocked by, but not completely ... adding their "emotional affair" was sort of an "open secret."

Fans have been wondering why Schwartz didn't fill in his friend Ariana Madix about the sneaking around, and he answers that question, too -- putting the blame squarely on Sandoval.

TMZ broke the story, Sandoval and Ariana split last month after she found explicit messages on his phone, and it's been a whirlwind of drama ever since.

The "Vanderpump Rules" cast filmed a reunion where we're told things got heated ... and fans everywhere are dying to see it all unfold.

As we reported, Schwartz was pretty quiet for a while but spoke out for the first time last month ... remaining firmly on the fence in the fallout between his friends.

Sandoval shared some of his thoughts last week, BTW.

He kept things pretty vague, but noted his businesses with Schwartz have definitely taken a hit in response to the scandal.

Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox might still be an item after all ... or at least working on gettin' back to normal, because the 2 were spotted together getting some grub in Hawaii.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ ... MGK and Megan were having dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel on the Big Island Monday night, enjoying each other's company -- but there was no kissing or touching going on, which is a rare sight for them.

We're told they dined for about an hour, and even waved to some of his fans as the 2 headed out for the night. They followed up their meal with a walk down to the beach.

BTW, don't let that red hair fool ya -- that's for sure M.F. ... she dyed it last month.

As we reported, Megan hinted at a breakup in February when she posted lyrics from Beyonce's Lemonade album about dishonesty -- she deleted her social media soon after that.

Of course, people took that as a sign they split ... some even speculating he had a fling with his band's guitarist, Sophie Lloyd -- whose team fully denied all of it.

Megan then came back to Instagram, shutting down rumors ..."There has been no third party interference in this relationship of any kind. That includes but is not limited to...actual humans, DMs, AI bots or succubus demons."

Aloha.

Mod Sun says he needed serious support during his very public split from his now-ex-fiancee Avril Lavigne ... and he's thanking his fans for literally saving his life.

The singer got emotional Sunday night as he wrapped up his tour in Los Angeles, telling the crowd at the Fonda Theater they "f***ing saved my G**damn life" during the past 6 weeks on the road.

Mod Sun was super emotional as he thanked the crowd ... noting how much his life has changed as a result of the breakup.

TMZ broke the story ... Avril called off her engagement to Mod Sun in February, just a few days after he kicked off his tour ... and it didn't take long for her to start a new romance with Tyga.

Remember, Mod Sun told us he was totally blindsided to see Avril and Tyga hanging out, first in Malibu and then in Paris ... where he had proposed to her about a year ago.

"Vanderpump Rules" stars Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix are living under the same roof ... despite the fact everyone knows they broke up after she found out Tom cheated on her with Raquel Leviss.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Tom and Ariana are continuing to live in their Valley Village home when they're in town, though they're no longer sleeping in the same room obviously.

It's not going to be an easy split ... Tom and Ariana each own 50 percent of the home, according to property records, and we're told they have not sat down to talk about what they'll do with it.

It's kinda cringeworthy ... they are sometimes still in the house at the same time. With the palpable anger, it's gotta be rough.

While it sounds like a pretty awkward setup, Tom and Ariana aren't always in town at the same time ... our sources say she's up in Seattle filming a Lifetime movie for the next few days ... and we first reported, Tom took a Southwest flight home this week to visit family in St. Louis.

The home is 4,453 square feet with 5 bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms ... so there's enough space to create a buffer zone of sorts. Think "The War of the Roses."

Raquel stopped by the pad this week ... but we were told she didn't spend the night and was just saying bye to Tom before he took off for his hometown. Kinda weird, right?

Reese Witherspoon has officially filed for divorce from Jim Toth, citing irreconcilable differences ... and dividing up the assets won't be a problem.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Reese pulled the plug on her 12-year marriage to Toth in Nashville, Tennessee, where the couple was raising their 10-year-old child.

In the docs, Reese says she and Jim signed a prenup in March 2011, adding the agreement is valid, providing "adequate and sufficient provisions" for their assets and debts.

The actress says she will submit the prenup and a permanent parenting plan for the care of their child to the judge for approval.

Side note ... like all Davidson County divorce cases involving a child, Reese and James will now have to enroll in a mandatory parenting class. They have 60 days to submit a certificate of completion to the court.

As we reported ... Reese announced the split with her actor/producer husband on Instagram last week, saying they thought long and hard about the difficult decision to divorce. She also went down memory lane a bit, talking about their mutual love and respect, before mentioning their biggest priority was their son.