Celebrity Divorce

Melinda French Gates has left no doubt ... she was appalled at Bill Gates' friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, whom she described as "evil personified."

Melinda told Gayle King Thursday on "CBS Mornings" ... Bill's relationship with Epstein was definitely a factor in their divorce. You gotta hear the way she describes that relationship -- the disgust in her voice is loud and clear.

Melinda said, "I did not like that he had meetings with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him."

She also tells King she met him a grand total of one time, and it creeped her out ... "I wanted to see who this man was and I regretted it from the second I stepped in the door ... he was evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterward."

She says her heart breaks for the young women who suffered at the hands of Epstein ...  and she says she made her feelings very clear to Bill.

Melinda makes it clear there are still hard feelings between her and Bill ... she says they have a working relationship but are not "friends."

TMZ broke the story ... when they initially planned on announcing the divorce in March 2021, Melinda and their kids went to a private island, anticipating a media onslaught -- and Bill was not invited. The family was furious at him ... we're told largely because of his alleged relationships with other women.

Kanye West appears dead set on burying Pete Davidson -- or at least the cartoon version -- he just imagined the burial of his ex-wife's boyfriend in a music video for a song where he rips the 'SNL' star.

Ye just dropped the music vid Wednesday for his song "Eazy" with The Game. The track features the verse, "God saved me from the crash, just so I can beat Pete Davidson's ass" ... and the video shows animated Pete being buried alive by Kanye.

The video -- interestingly debuting on the very day the judge declared Kim and Kanye single -- is mostly clay animation and at one point, Kanye's character is dragging a body tied up by ropes with a bag over the head. Kanye then pulls off the bag to reveal Pete's face and sprinkles some rose seeds over his head.

Later in the video, Pete's got roses coming from his head, and the roses are loaded into the back of a pickup truck. The whole thing is a creepy connection to the truckload Kanye sent Kim Kardashian for Valentine's Day.

Kanye's not done sending not-so-subtle messages to Kim's BF ... the last 3 frames in the video feature another jab at Pete.

Ye ends with this ... "EVERYONE LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER / EXCEPT SKETE YOU KNOW WHO / JK HE'S FINE."

Kim Kardashian's quest to become a single woman has become a reality because the judge has granted her request to end her marriage to Kanye West. Kim will hereinafter be known just as Kim Kardashian ... the West is gone.

Kim was on a video call for Wednesday's court hearing -- her lawyer, Laura Wasser was in court -- and Kanye was absent. Kanye's lawyer did not object to restoring Kim's single status, although his lawyer said he had 3 conditions -- 1. any right to get reimbursement of money that's supposed to be divided up will be preserved in case either of them dies ... the judge granted that condition.

There were 2 other conditions the judge rejected -- that Kim would not transfer any assets she had in trust, and if Kim remarries she would waive the "marital privilege." That privilege means a new spouse would not have to testify about communications he had with her. The judge said nope to that.

To close out the hearing, Kim answered a series of questions, known as the "prove up" which included, "Are there problems in your relationship?" and "Do you think your marriage can be saved with counseling?" Kim answered "yes" to the first and "no" to the other.

A source close to Kanye tells TMZ, he also wanted the divorce to be granted. He's now a single person as well.

TMZ broke the story, Kanye recently dropped his 4th divorce attorney, Chris Melcher ... we're told there was little communication between Kanye and Melcher, making the relationship extremely difficult. It's been just over a year since Kim filed for divorce. We're also told Melcher was whipsawed ... one day Kanye wanted the divorce, and the next day he wanted to fight for the marriage.

Kim's been asking the judge to restore her single status since December, when she stated in docs, "I very much desire to be divorced." She also said she'd asked Kanye to keep their divorce private, which he hadn't, and his social media posts had caused "emotional distress."

Kanye and his legal team had continued to resist, making arguments the couple's prenup should be presumed invalid and even calling into question whether Kanye actually wrote the nasty social media posts -- FYI, he claimed he hadn't been hacked.

Of course, Kim and her team felt like this was all a stalling tactic ... this as Kanye had continued his overtures in a bid to win her back, even if it meant attacking her and her new BF, Pete Davidson.

Kanye West is playing the game of musical chairs with his legal team once again ... dropping his divorce attorneys in the eleventh hour and just before a pivotal hearing with Kim.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us he recently fired his lawyer, Chris Melcher. We're told the relationship between Ye and Melcher had become extremely difficult, with little communication.

Our sources say at times, Kanye had expressed he just wanted to settle things with Kim ... and at others, he expressed a desire to put up a fight.

We're told Kanye's now hired attorney Samantha Spector, who recently represented Nicole Young in her divorce with Dr. Dre. Interestingly enough, Dre was repped by "Disso Queen" Laura Wasser in his divorce -- so once again, it'll be Spector and Wasser on either side.

As for Wednesday's hearing, it's expected the judge will rule to make Kim legally single. We're told it's "highly unlikely" Kanye will attend in person, but according to the court record, Kim will either call or video chat into the hearing.

If you're keeping track -- this is apparently Kanye's 4th attorney he's parted ways with since Kim filed for divorce in February 2021. In a rare, and public statement she made last month, asking Kanye to stop with the nasty posts about his family, Kim also mentioned, "Hopefully he can finally respond to the third attorney he has had in the last year to resolve any issues amicably."

Kim Kardashian's divorce case will be front and center Wednesday as she asks a judge to formally restore her single status, and the wild card is Kanye West, whose lawyers have raised a weird issue about their prenup.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye's lawyers filed legal docs claiming prenups in California after 2002 are presumed invalid. It's weird because Kanye himself has NEVER suggested their prenup -- which kept almost all their property separate during their marriage -- is anything other than valid.

As for prenups being presumed invalid ... that's not exactly true. The law says a prenup is presumed invalid IF one of the parties who signed it challenges its validity ... Kanye has not done that, so it's unclear why the lawyers are suggesting it.

What's more ... even if Kanye challenged the prenup, he'd have to show either it was not entered voluntarily or it was "unconscionable." Kanye had a lawyer represent him when the prenup was signed, so it's hard to imagine it wasn't voluntary. As for it being unconscionable, Kanye made a fortune during the marriage and all that money is his ... so this doesn't make sense either.

As for the argument Kanye's lawyers are making -- that his social media posts blasting Pete Davidson and Kim are hearsay -- Kanye himself has never denied posting. In fact, he's said the opposite -- that his account was not hacked. Besides, it's kinda irrelevant whether he posted or not ... Kim simply wants the divorce to become official and then work out custody and any property issues that remain.

Our sources say Kanye has not been working with his lawyers, other than to make his position clear he doesn't want a divorce, but the lawyers haven't really produced any evidence that would carry weight in tomorrow's hearing. And, we're told it's highly unlikely he'll show up for the hearing.

Hulk Hogan is turning the page after his second divorce, and his ex-wife is doing the same ... with a new set of wheels that were part of the deal, as they say, when they agreed to part ways.

The pro wrestling icon came to an agreement with Jennifer McDaniel when they finalized their divorce last year -- which flew under the radar until he announced it this week -- and one key point of negotiation was making sure JMD had a brand new ride.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Hulk and Jen's divorce settlement calls for HH to buy her a new car within 45 days, and guarantee she has to make zero payments on the vehicle.

The make and model aren't addressed in the paperwork, but a condition of the purchase is Hulk gets to keep the ride they'd shared during the marriage.

Other takeaways from the divorce docs ... Jen's keeping a property they bought together in Palm Isle, FL, and Hulk holds on to his Clearwater mansion.

As for alimony ... the docs say Hulk paid Jennifer a one-time lump sum of cash, but the amount isn't disclosed. There's a non-disparagement clause that prevents each of them from talking about the relationship without the other signing off.

One last thing ... it looks like Jen responded to his divorce petition the same day he filed it in October -- a sign this was all pretty amicable, and well-planned ahead of time.

Hulk Hogan is no longer married ... the WWE legend just announced he has divorced his 2nd wife, Jennifer McDaniel, and already has a new GF.

"Yo Maniacs just for the record, the Facebook and Instagram posts are of me and my girlfriend Sky, I am officially divorced, sorry I thought everyone already knew, love my Maniacs4Life," the 2x WWE Hall of Famer announced on social media on Monday.

According to court records obtained by TMZ Sports, Hulk filed for divorce in October 2021. As Hulk states, the divorce was finalized in 2021.

It's surprising news, but not totally out of the blue. We've been receiving tips for weeks that Hogan and another woman were seen around Clearwater, Florida -- hanging out at bars, doing karaoke together.

Hulk and Jennifer married in 2010 ... after Hogan split from his first wife, Linda Hogan.

Linda and Hulk's relationship ended in an ugly way ... with allegations of abuse being lobbed by Linda. Hulk adamantly denied ever hurting his ex-wife.

Kanye West has just made it clear ... he's not gonna end his marriage without a fight, but the fight he's waging is, well, bizarre.

Kanye just filed legal docs ... trying to make his social media posts attacking Kim, Pete and others inadmissible in next week's hearing. As we reported, a judge will decide next week whether to restore Kim's single status.

Kanye's argument -- How does Kim really know he wrote those posts? His lawyer is arguing these social media posts are not only hearsay ... they're double hearsay!

Ye's lawyer says, "Kim claims she read something online allegedly by Kanye and characterizes the posts in her declaration as misinformation ... Kim needed to offer the social media posts into evidence, and show that the posts were written by Kanye."

The docs never say Kanye didn't write the posts ... just that Kim hasn't jumped through all the hoops.

But, that's not all ... Kanye's lawyer now says the prenup can't be viewed as valid, at least not now. Ye's attorney says there's a presumption in California that prenups signed after 2001 are invalid, and the only way they can be validated is either during a trial or if both parties agree. So, it seems Kanye is saying he hasn't agreed it's valid, so it can't be enforced until there's a full-blown trial, and that means a big delay.

What Kanye is doing is throwing up roadblocks to stop Kim from becoming single. He previously filed docs saying he would agree to it, but one of the conditions is that all assets be frozen for now. The thing is ... they have a prenup that makes all their property separate and Kim needs that money to run her businesses.

It's highly unlikely the judge will buy what Ye's lawyer is selling ... restoring single status is a routine procedure, and the very point is to separate division of assets from marital status.

Kim Kardashian isn't just moving on from Kanye in marriage, she's apparently moving on from him in fashion, too ... changing in the signature Balenciaga looks he styled her in for Prada.

Kim's been in Milan for fashion week, and has looked noticeably different ... rocking 3 menswear getups from Prada's autumn/winter collection, all designed by Raf Simons. In fact, she's not just wearing Prada, she's hanging out with brand honchos too.

Kim was spotted leaving a private dinner at Restaurant Torre at Fondazione Prada Thursday night -- where she chowed down with Miuccia Prada, Anna Wintour and Raf Simons -- all after taking in the Prada fashion show.

A source close to Kim tells us, "Kim has relied on Kanye's style direction for the last 10 years and is finally feeling confident enough to step out without his help. She is working directly with designers of her choosing and is finally finding her own voice."

Of course, Kanye's dressed Kim for years but has almost exclusively dressed her in Balenciaga for the past year, including the full-mask look at the Met Gala.

Kim's switch-up certainly seems to be just another declaration she's moving on ... and is set to legally do just that next week in court when a judge will almost without a doubt restore her to single status. If she shows up in court, we're guessing it will be Prada head to toe.

It appears Kanye West has a new sidekick, he's been spotted again with Chaney Jones ... the woman whose style has seemingly mimicked Kim Kardashian time and time again.

We got pics of the new duo out in Miami Thursday, grabbing a bite to eat for lunch. Chaney dressed head-to-toe in a black body suit, sunglasses, black purse and what appears to be a black pair of Yeezys ... a look Kim has worn on multiple instances.

It's the second time we've seen the two together in 2 days ... Chaney accompanied Kanye backstage at his "Donda 2" listening event in Miami on Tuesday. During the show, Chaney wore the same pair of sunglasses that Kim sported during a "Donda" event in Atlanta in 2021.

We should also note, it appears Chaney ditched her hair extensions for a tight bun look -- just like the one Kim's been wearing in Milan this week.

Unlike Kanye's last fling, Julia Fox, Chaney hasn't said much about their new apparent relationship ... but we've now seen the pair together both in L.A. and Miami -- so safe to say they're bicoastal.

Kim Kardashian wants a judge to make her single ASAP ... because Kanye West's Instagram posts are hurting her emotionally, and all she wants now is to move on and co-parent in a healthy manner.

In new court docs, obtained by TMZ, Kim says it very directly, "I very much desire to be divorced." She tells the judge she's asked Kanye to keep their divorce private, "but he has not done so," and talks about Kanye's barrage of social media posts about their relationship.

Kim says, "Kanye has been putting a lot of misinformation regarding our private matters and co-parenting on social media which has created emotional distress."

As we've reported, Kanye's accused Kim of kidnapping their daughter, Chicago, says she's accused him of ordering a hit on her, and gone after her for allowing North to be on TikTok.

Kanye had also asked to prevent Kim from transferring assets out of any trust. Kim says that ridiculous -- they have a prenup which keeps all their trusts and other assets separate, and Kim needs access to her trust to run her businesses. And, in the docs, Kanye's lawyers recognize the prenup is valid.

She also notes Kanye's lawyers acknowledge they're having trouble getting through to him. In October 2021 they wrote to Kim's attorney about trying to break down the prenup for Ye, saying ..."But as you also know, we face challenges in communicating with our client -- and the validity of the prenup (with all of its related legal implications) is a heavy issue to broach."  The upshot -- it seems Kanye isn't throwing up the roadblocks -- his lawyers are, because Ye isn't involved.

Kim bottom lines her request for single status by stating ... "While I wish our marriage would have succeeded, I have come to the realization that there is no way to repair our marriage. Kanye does not agree but at least it appears that he has come to the realization that I want to end our marriage, even if he does not."

She adds that she needs to be single, so "I can begin the healing process and so that our family can begin the healing process and move forward in this new chapter in our lives."

Sam Hunt's wife had an almost instant change of heart after filing for divorce, because the same day she accused Sam of adultery she withdrew her petition to end the marriage.

Hannah Lee Fowler had filed legal docs Friday to end her marriage to Sam, not only citing infidelity but revealing she was pregnant and wanted primary custody of their child due in May. She had also asked for spousal and child support.

But, then she filed a document the very same day saying the divorce petition was "voluntarily nonsuited without prejudices." Translation ... she's withdrawing the divorce case but is reserving the right to file again in the future.

The couple married almost 5 years ago and were together for years before ... they began their relationship when Sam was a QB at Univ. of Alabama, Birmingham.

A judge had yet to sign off on the filing, but that's just a housekeeping thing.

"Dancing with the Stars" pro Cheryl Burke is waving the white flag on her marriage to actor Matthew Lawrence ... because she just filed for divorce.

The dancer and TV host beelined it to a Los Angeles courthouse last week and filed divorce docs after nearly 3 years of marriage.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Cheryl lists the date of separation as Jan. 7 of this year ... and the estranged couple has a prenuptial agreement.

Cheryl and Matthew, who is most famous for his roles in "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Boy Meets World," tied the knot back in May 2019 in San Diego ... but they never had any kids together.

The pair first met in 2006, when Matthew's brother, actor Joey Lawrence, appeared on 'DWTS.'

Cheryl and Matthew began dating in February 2007, breaking up in 2008 and eventually reuniting in 2017. They got engaged in May 2018, when Matthew proposed on Cheryl's 34th birthday.

Kanye West had at least one guest of honor by his side behind the scenes at his "Donda 2" listening event ... and she looks an awful lot like his estranged wife.

We got photos of Kanye backstage at LoanDepot Park in Miami Tuesday night joined by Chaney Jones aka the Kim Kardashian look-alike. Chaney was decked out in a white bodysuit, heels and sunglasses as she accompanied Ye through the arena.

Chaney sported a serious expression, but there was at least one pic where Kanye was seen with a big smile on his face while the two walked together.

And get this ... Chaney's sunglasses are identical to the Rick Owens pair Kim wore to Kanye's very first "Donda" listening event in Atlanta back in August ... safe to say she's taking the lookalike thing to new heights.

At least two of Kanye's kids -- North and Saint -- were at the event ... but unlike his recent shows in L.A. and Chicago, Kim Kardashian was not in attendance -- she was in Milan.

Of course, Kanye was recently dating Julia Fox, but that ended a couple weeks ago. He's now been spotted with Chaney in various cities since the split with Fox ... so it would appear things are heating up between the two.

The listening event marked the first time fans were able to hear "Donda 2" however, the event had some serious audio hiccups. During his performance of "Jail 2" Kanye tossed his mic out of frustration, and did not perform a single verse after the incident.

Sam Hunt's wife has filed to end their 5-year marriage, citing infidelity as the reason.

Hannah Lee Fowler claims in her legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Sam is "guilty of inappropriate marital conduct," and she goes on ... "guilty of adultery."

The boilerplate code section Hannah cites reads, "The husband is guilty of such cruel and inhuman treatment or conduct toward the spouse as renders cohabitation unsafe or improper."

Sam and Hannah had not announced she was pregnant, but in the docs, she says she's due in May.

The docs were filed in Tennessee, which isn't a no-fault divorce state. She's asking for alimony. She also wants primary custody of their soon-to-be-born child. And, she wants child support as well.

It's unclear if they have a prenup, but indications are that they do because she asks "the parties be awarded their respective separate property."

As for alimony, Hannah wants, "transitional alimony, rehabilitative alimony, and alimony in future."

What's interesting ... the docs say they separated at the time she filed with the court, which was last Friday.

Kelly Clarkson is pushing for a fresh start, on the heels of her contentious divorce from Brandon Blackstock ... and it includes dropping her last name.

The singer filed court docs this week to simply go by Kelly Brianne. Brianne had previously been her middle name, but now it's getting an upgrade to last name status. In the docs, Kelly said it's more fitting of who she is now.

The switcheroo comes amid another big change for KB ... she'd been married for 7 years to Brandon before filing for divorce in June of 2020. While they were together her legal last name had been Blackstock, although she professionally remained Clarkson.

Kelly has infamously had a tumultuous relationship with her father, Stephen Michael Clarkson -- although, we can't confirm that's what's behind her legally dropping Clarkson.

Her powerful 2015 ballad, "Piece by Piece," is partially about her father's neglect during her childhood.

Since Kelly kept using Clarkson throughout her marriage, we presume she'll continue to do so even though she's now legally Kelly Brianne.