Kid Rock Bails on His Detroit Restaurant ... Blames 'Racist' Backlash, Al Sharpton Responds

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UPDATE

11:39 AM PT -- Sharpton's clapping back at Kid Rock ... by telling him to take a look at the scoreboard.

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Al Sharpton
YOU'RE LOSING, KID
UPDATE

The civil rights activist shed some light on why the musician took a shot at him -- he tells us it stems from his organization protesting Kid Rock's use of the Confederate flag back in 2015 and pushing for General Motors to cut ties with him.

UPDATE

The Rev says now that KR's announced he's leaving Detroit, he's chalking it up as another victory ... and gets in a parting shot of his own. We smell another Kid Rock rant coming soon.

Kid Rock's saying good riddance to his hometown restaurant because he's sick of people labeling him a racist -- due to his Oprah rant -- and he's taking a parting shot at Al Sharpton on his way out.

The rocker announced he's not going to renew his licensing agreement next year for his Made in Detroit restaurant at Little Caesars Arena -- effectively closing one of the signature dining spots at the home of the Pistons and Red Wings.

The news comes on the heels of Kid's drunken rant about Oprah last week at his Honky Tonk bar in Nashville. Some people in the crowd, and many others who saw the video, took it as a racist diatribe -- and he even acknowledged that during the rant, but insisted it's not true.

KR says he still has love for Detroit, but he learned long ago to "go where you're celebrated, not tolerated." He adds, "I guess the millions of dollars I pumped into that town was not enough."

112719_kid_rock_kal NOVEMBER 2019
ROCKIN' AND ROLLIN'

He's certainly not been celebrated since his verbal attack on Oprah, and organizers were planning to protest at his restaurant Wednesday before his decision was announced.

As for being called a racist, Kid Rock says ... "I may be guilty of being a loud mouth jerk at times, but trying to label me a racist is a joke, and actually only does a disservice to the black community, which I have supported my entire life."

He also sent a personal message to Sharpton, with whom he's been beefing for years -- "PS - Hey Al Sharpton, you or your cronies will never beat me you tax evading, race baiting clown!" Kid also threw in a "Trump 2020!!" for good measure.

Guess it really is "so cold in the D."

Originally Published -- 7:48 AM PT

George Zimmerman Suing Trayvon Martin's Family ... For $100 Million

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George Zimmerman is going after Trayvon Martin's family, claiming they defamed him and created a conspiracy in an attempt to convict him of murder.

Zimmerman's suing Trayvon's parents, along with prosecutors and a book publisher, for $100 million in damages. In the suit, he alleges false evidence was used against him during his trial and cites a documentary that accuses the Martin family of engineering a phony testimony.

As you'll recall, Trayvon was visiting his father in Sanford, Florida on Feb. 26, 2012, and was returning from a store with candy when he was killed by Zimmerman, who had reported him to cops as suspicious.

According to the docs, Zimmerman claims the Martin family and prosecutors lied about the true identity of the woman Trayvon was talking to on the phone at the time of the shooting, In his suit, Zimmerman alleges they presented Rachel Jeantel as the witness during the trial, but he claims it was actually Brittany Diamond Eugene on the phone.

Of course, Zimmerman was eventually found not guilty in 2013 of second-degree murder in the 17-year-old's fatal shooting. Still, he's suing for defamation and conspiracy. He's also suing the state of Florida for malicious prosecution.

The shooting of Trayvon remains a lightning rod, as Zimmerman has maintained he was attacked by Martin and was defending himself ... but police, prosecutors and much of the general public viewed it as an unjustified killing of a kid in a hoodie.

Zimmerman's named Harper Collins and author, Ben Crump, as defendants due to their recent release of "Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored People."

President Trump Trudeau is 'Two-Faced' and Cheap!!! PM Explains Apparent Mocking of Trump

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UPDATE

9:19 AM PT -- Trudeau's addressed the video, and admits he and the other world leaders were discussing Trump's unscheduled press conference ... which he says was "certainly notable."

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Justin Trudeau
NO HARD FEELINGS
UPDATE

As for the "jaws dropped to the floor" comment ... the Canadian PM says it was a reference to the surprise announcement that the next G7 Summit will be held at Camp David.

For President Trump, the gloves are off with Justin Trudeau after the Canadian Prime Minister was caught talking smack about Trump during a NATO Summit event.

The incriminating vid plays like a "Mean Girls" scene, but at Buckingham Palace instead of a school cafeteria. Trudeau, British PM Boris Johnson, French Prez Emmanuel Macron and others seemed to be chatting Tuesday night about Trump's impromptu 40-minute news conference earlier in the day.

To be honest, it seemed more catty than chatty, and Trudeau went on to say Trump's team's "jaws dropped to the floor."

Of course, once Trump got wind of that convo, he went in on Trudeau, calling him
PAY UP, TRUDEAU

Of course, once Trump got wind of that convo, he went in on Trudeau, calling him "two-faced." He also floated the theory Canada's PM was just being pissy because of a NATO funding dispute.

Trump says he called out Trudeau for not paying 2 percent of Canada gross domestic product into NATO's defense spending.

He tried to play it cool, adding, "[Trudeau]'s a nice guy. I find him to be a very nice guy" -- but ya know this beef is just heating up.

The NATO Summit just turned into "Melrose Place."

Originally published -- 7:02 AM PT

Cardi B Offset Didn't DM Tekashi69's GF ... Look, He Got Hacked!!!

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Cardi B says whoever was messaging Tekashi 6ix9ine's girlfriend certainly wasn't her hubby, Offset, and she's out to prove the whole thing is just some bulls**t.

Here's the deal ... Jade -- who's dating Tekashi and who Cardi allegedly ordered an attack on in August 2018 for sleeping with Offset -- put Offset on blast for apparently sending her a DM on Instagram saying "Miss you fr."

Jade shared video of her checking her phone to show it definitely came from Offset's account, and poured gasoline on the fiery situation by adding ... "Your wife @iamcardib has a OPEN CRIMINAL CASE , why are you writing me you don’t respect her ???????"

Cardi B Sub
IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

The thing is ... Cardi and Offset say it's not real -- they claim he was hacked. To prove it, Cardi's shared a couple of vids with Offset, saying they were up sick with their kid all night ... and insisting her husband didn't do what Jade claims.

She also revealed a couple of screenshots from Twitter and Instagram, seemingly proving he was hacked and is unable to log in to his accounts.

There's also this -- earlier on Tuesday, around the same time Jade made claims Offset was messaging her ... his Twitter account was tweeting some strange tweets, including one that just said "I lick ass cheeks."

So, it seems like something suspicious is afoot ... it's just unclear who's to blame for starting it.

One thing to note ... Jade suggested she has more dirt on Offset, saying, "Theirs a lot of s**t I haven't exposed yet."

Stay tuned!

Figure Skater Anton Shulepov Ripped for Holocaust Costume ... 'Insensitive, Offensive'

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File Under: "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

A Russian figure skater wore an Auschwitz-themed costume during a November competition -- while skating to music from "Schindler's List" -- and now people are FURIOUS!!!

The skater is 23-year-old Anton Shulepov -- who competed in the costume during his free skating performance at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating event ... a prestigious tournament featuring top skaters from all over the world, including Israel.

Of course, the outfit contains imagery from Nazi concentration camps -- including the yellow star they forced Jews to wear ... and other elements of a Nazi prison guard uniform.

If the outfit isn't offensive enough, things got WORSE this week, when it appeared on a Best Costume list provided by the International Skating Union ... a contest that allows fans to vote on their favorite outfits.

The ISU has since removed the costume from the list -- insisting it meant to feature Shulepov's costume from his "Short Program" routine, a plain blue outfit.

The Anti-Defamation League has obviously condemned the costume AND the ISU for including it on the list in a statement from CEO Jonathan A Greenblatt.

"While we understand the need for skaters to be creative in their choice of costumes, Anton Shulepov’s apparent decision to evoke painful Holocaust imagery as part of his routine was insensitive and offensive."

"We are surprised that the International Skating Union initially posted a picture of this costume as a nominee for ‘costume of the year.’ Yellow Stars of David or other concentration camp imagery have no place in figure skating."

FYI, Shulepov reportedly finished LAST in the skating competition.

Bikram Choudhury No Active Rape Investigation ... But That Could Change

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Bikram Choudhury -- the guy behind Bikram Yoga -- is not currently being investigated for rape despite a damning new Netflix documentary, but he ain't exactly out of the woods yet.

The 75-year-old was painted as a conniving serial rapist in "Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator" -- with several women explaining how Bikram abused his power to sexually assault them.

The burning question at the end of the documentary ... how the hell was Bikram NOT hit with criminal charges???

The L.A. District Attorney's Office acknowledges a case was submitted in 2013 involving 4 accusers -- but at the time "it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to file criminal charges."

Here's the breakdown as to why prosecutors shot down each allegation  ...

Alleged Victim 1 (Claimed she was sexually assaulted at Bikram's home in 2005) -- "No other witnesses were present and no physical evidence was recovered."

Alleged Victim 2 (Claimed she was sexually assaulted at Bikram's home in 2006) -- "No one witnessed the assault."

Alleged Victim 3 (Claimed she was raped twice in 2011) -- "No percipient witnesses or corroborative evidence are available."

Alleged Victim 4 (Claimed she was raped three times in 2010) -- "No percipient witnesses or corroborative evidence are available."

The D.A. also notes the statute of limitations had expired on Alleged Victim 1 prior to reporting.

But, even though those cases didn't go anywhere, the D.A. tells TMZ it will conduct a "complete and thorough review" if law enforcement presents any new allegations to the office.

Our LAPD sources tell us there are no current investigations but as one person put it, "If a victim does come forward, the LAPD will investigate."

Law enforcement sources tell us ... people involved in the previous investigations strongly believe the accusers ARE credible, but it's difficult to get a conviction without witnesses or physical evidence.

Of course, Bikram is currently on the lam ... he fled the country after he was hit with a $6.8 million judgment in 2016 after his former lawyer, Minakshi Jafa-Bodden, sued him for wrongful termination and sexual harassment.

Jafa-Bodden -- who was featured heavily in the Netflix doc -- claimed she was fired after investigating claims Bikram raped a female student.

For his part, Bikram has denied raping anyone -- claiming he doesn't need to rape because there are plenty of women around the world who would willingly have sex with him.

Yeah ... he really said that.

Jeezy's Producer Shawty Redd Records His Arrest in ATL Hotel ... Claims NO Wrongdoing

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Shawty Redd -- the hip-hop producer behind hits for Snoop Dogg and Young Jeezy -- wants to know why cops hauled him out of his ATL hotel room -- an arrest he calls totally bogus.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Shawty Redd was busted for disorderly conduct at the Hyatt Centric Midtown Atlanta on Nov. 7 after a manager called cops and said Redd was refusing to leave the property.

TMZ obtained video Shawty recorded as police entered his room, with a manager in tow, and things got heated pretty quickly. Shawty demanded to know why he was being asked to leave the premises, and didn't like the answer. The officer told him the hotel has the right to remove patrons at any time, but Shawty wasn't buying that.

Cops released body cam footage -- so we have the dispute from both angles -- and you can see when they finally move in to slap the cuffs on the man who produced Snoop's "Sensual Seduction."

As for what prompted the call to cops ... sources connected to Shawty tell us he was walking through the lobby with a bottle of beer, and the manager tried to give him the boot. We're told Shawty explained he was a guest and went to his room.

Clearly, the manager didn't take kindly to the way their interaction went down, and called cops. Our Shawty sources say the judge later dropped all charges ... however, the producer's pissed at the hotel, and considering legal action.

Now, let's remember better times ...

Tony Rock Pete Davidson's NDA is Ballsy!!! Eddie Murphy Should Do It Too

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Tony Rock's giving Pete Davidson mad respect for making his fans sign very pricey non-disclosure agreements to attend his shows ... something he thinks is long overdue.

We got the comedian at LAX Monday and asked about the 'SNL' star's new million-dollar NDA policy ... he's fully behind Pete, telling us it's a bold but necessary move to balance power between stand-up comics and their fans.

Tony tells us the current culture -- where people bust out their phones to record everything and post it online instantaneously -- makes it hard for comics to try out new material ... and he's praising Davidson for "having the balls" to take a stand against it.

As he puts it ... the fans have gotten away with too much for too long, and it's time for a little get-back.

Rock admits the threat of a million-dollar penalty for breaching the NDA by simply talking about Pete's content might be too much ... but ya gotta start somewhere.

Tony also suggests other comics -- including himself -- should follow Pete's lead ... especially Eddie Murphy. As you may know, the legendary comedian's set to make a return to stand-up on Netflix ... and Tony thinks the NDA is absolutely necessary for Eddie to avoid his comeback getting spoiled.

It's an interesting perspective for sure, but you have to wonder if people will really put up with strict rules like Davidson's to go see a comic perform. After all ... Pete isn't necessarily the gold standard of being a crowd-pleaser.

Transgender Singer Kim Petras Shows Westboro Baptist Her Ass ... Trolls Hateful Church, In Person This Time

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Kim Petras is sticking it to the Westboro Baptist Church once again, but this time ... she's her own walking billboard.

The transgender singer made her way to Kansas City, Missouri Sunday night for a show planned months ago. We're told WBC members set up shop outside the concert, picketing with hateful messages, and Kim decided to step out and show them what's up.

Kim shared a photo and video of the scene along with an update -- "hoes still mad ..."

The post is being flooded with comments calling her legendary and a genius, and Katy Perry commented with just one word ... "icon."

We broke the story ... billboards for Petras -- whose songs have been blowing up in the LGBTQ+ community lately -- began popping up last month all over Topeka, Kansas last month, near the headquarters of the hate-mongering church.

Kim told us she enjoys razzing the homophobic folks at Westboro Baptist, even if she didn't know for certain who was responsible for the billboards.

There's no doubt who's responsible for the latest expert troll job, though ... well done!

Jay Leno Calls Gabrielle Union a 'Great Girl' ... Mum on 'AGT' Firing Her

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Jay Leno
KEEPIN' IT LIGHT

Jay Leno's trying like hell to put a positive spin on the firestorm around Gabrielle Union's 'AGT' firing and his role in it, but for the most part ... he's at a loss for words.

Leno was asked point-blank Sunday night about Gabrielle calling him out to 'AGT' producers for making a joke about Koreans eating dog. On his way out of the Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, CA ... Jay would only say he enjoyed working with Gabrielle, and she's a "great girl."

As for Gabrielle, and others, labeling his joke racist ... Jay pleaded the Fifth, but in his own unique way.

As we've reported, prior to her firing, Gabrielle complained to 'AGT' honchos about the workplace environment -- due to Leno's joke and what she reportedly called "excessive notes" from producers about her hair, wardrobe and appearance.

The insinuation from Gabrielle's camp is she was fired because she complained.

The photog asks Leno if he thinks Union was treated fairly -- he's refusing to commit one way or another.

Either way, her firing has garnered a lot of attention, and SAG-AFTRA has even announced it's investigating the matter ... but so far, it has nothing to report.

Baker Mayfield Wife Goes After Browns Reporters Now Too

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Baker Mayfield isn't the only one in his family ripping Cleveland Browns reporters in public -- his wife is getting in on the action too!!

After the Browns lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers (sealed by a Mayfield interception) Emily Mayfield went on social media Sunday to blast Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot.

Cabot had asked Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens about his decision to wear a "Pittsburgh Started It" shirt before the game ... a clear reference to the Myles Garrett helmet attack incident a few weeks ago.

Emily Mayfield had an issue with Cabot's decision to ask the COMPLETELY FAIR question ... and took to Twitter to call her out.

"Why is this the focus of your questions? 🤔 MUCH more to focus on than that.... @MaryKayCabot."

Cabot responded, "I asked exactly one t-shirt question after the game. I asked Baker what he thought of it, and he defended Kitchens, which I thought was pretty cool. He gave a great answer, saying 'I’ve done much worse.' Funny, and struck the right note."

When a fan chimed in and sarcastically pressed Emily, she stood her ground.

"Please Mrs. Baker enlighten all of us as to what the focus should be on? Questionable play calling, veterans missing practice, inability to get the ball to playmakers, inability to have guys coming off injury and know the playbook, poor clock management? Where should we focus?"

Mayfield wrote back, "Football, in general, would be a good start."

Obviously, Cabot is in the right here ... Kitchens intentionally wore a controversial, provocative shirt referencing the BIGGEST controversy in football this year. Plus, as Cabot mentions in her article, a Steelers player said it "motivated" the team to beat Cleveland.

Of course, reporters should ask Kitchens about the shirt.

What's funny is just a few weeks ago, Baker Mayfield blasted a Browns reporter for asking football questions ... and kept pointing out the reporter didn't know what he was talking about because he never played in the NFL.

Anyone know if Emily has any experience as a pro reporter?

T.I. NY Lawmaker Intros 'Virginity' Bill ... Connects It Back to Him

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More fallout from T.I. saying he used to take his daughter in for virginity checks. Now, New York state could make the practice illegal ... if one congresswoman gets her way.

New York assemblywoman Michaelle Solages -- who reps parts of Long Island -- recently introduced a new bill that would outlaw what she describes as "virginity tests" in doctors' offices across the state. Her move appears to be in direct response to Tip's story.

T.I. NOVEMBER 2019
Dad's in charge

After news of the bill being intro'd broke, Solages told the NY Post, "I was horrified to see this was happening. If a celebrity can impose his power to ensure his 18-year-old daughter gets checked, imagine what can be done in households across New York state?"

For clarification, Solages and other members of the New York State Assembly want to amend the current public health law ... specifically focused on hymen check-ups T.I. first described.

The language of the bill reads, "Section 1 of the bill adds two new sections ... to the public health law to forbid the performance of a hymen exam on women as a means to ascertain whether a woman is a virgin." A second section would address education law.

T.I. is ready to discuss what he revealed about keeping tabs on his daughter's virginity -- and he's doing it with the best in the biz for this type of thing ... Jada Pinkett Smith.
CLARIFYING MISCONCEPTIONS

It goes on to say, "[T]he bill stipulates that if someone disregards these rules, it will be considered an act of professional misconduct." Solages wants to make this a class D felony, for which medical professionals could be charged with sexual abuse.

It should be noted that T.I. tried clarifying his comments with Jada Pinkett Smith, saying he was mostly speaking in jest ...  and adding the so-called virginity check-ups happened only twice, when his now 18-year-old daughter, Deyjah, was 15 and 16 years old.

He also said her mother was with them for these visits ... and that he himself was not in the room during the examinations. Still, he didn't deny being privy to the results.

It's unclear when the bill would be voted on, but it's out there now for consideration.

Olivia Jade Hi Again ... 1st YouTube Vid in Months

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Lori Loughlin's daughter, Olivia Jade, has officially broken her silence about the college admissions scandal ...  and basically says she can't talk about it.

The social media influencer posted her first YouTube vlog in a long time -- about 8 months, more or less -- and she titled "hi again." Her last post was on March 10 ... just a couple days before her mom and dad, Felicity Huffman and others were indicted by the feds.

OJ's mostly been off the radar online since then -- although she hasn't shied away from going out in public at all. Now, she's ready to talk about it -- and her first words are basically ... mum's the word on the case, which is still very much pending for Lori and Mossimo.

In her video from Sunday, Olivia says ... "Obviously, I've been gone for a really long time. And, as much as I wish I could talk about all of this ... it's really hard for me to say this, just because I know that it's something that needs to be addressed."

Unfortunately for all those who thought she was ready to spill the tea ... no dice.

She follows up by saying she'd been pondering when to make her YouTube comeback -- or whether to do it at all -- knowing she's not legally allowed to say anything about the college sitch ... even though it's obvious that's what everyone wants to hear talk about.

At the end of the day, though, Olivia says she wanted to come back to YouTube because she's passionate about it and missed her vlogging ... not to mention her fans.

Olivia says she's not trying to make this comeback about her and how she's coping with the legal case -- which could send her folks behind bars for a bit if they're convicted. More than anything, she says she wants to get back to normal and move on with her life.

BTW, Olivia and her sister, Isabella, are no longer enrolled at USC ... the school her parents are accused of getting them into under false pretenses, with alleged bribes of up to $500k.

J Balvin Addresses Protests in Native Colombia ... 'Listen to the Youth'

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Colombian superstar J Balvin properly addressed the political unrest plaguing his native country ... taking the opportunity to do it in his own hometown to a packed house.

The reggaeton singer was performing Saturday night in Medellin, where he hosted tens of thousands of Colombians in the city's Atanasio Girardot Stadium -- which looked quite full.

He's on an international tour right now, and it's clear he wasn't about to pass up the chance to speak on the nationwide protests that have broken out down there over the last week or so ... which has left at least one student dead and several others injured.

The anti-government protests are in response to President Ivan Duque's policies, which many feel are stymieing economic opportunity, access to higher education and better healthcare. Violence is also a major issue. It's a dense topic, but people have taken to the streets.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Enter J Balvin, who's caught a bit of criticism for throwing up sympathetic social media posts on the situation ... but not actually using his voice and clarifying his opinion.

Welp, he didn't shy away from it this weekend -- making it crystal clear where he stands. J Balvin sides with the frustrated citizens (especially the youth) and made a plea to the government ... which got a resounding cheer from the crowd. It's pretty powerful.

Speaking in Spanish, he asked President Duque's administration to listen to people, because if they're demonstrating like they have been ... there's obviously something wrong that needs fixing. He went on to request peace, love and understanding from both sides as well.

But, at the end of the day, he made no bones about it ... J Balvin says he speaks for the people now and has an obligation to use his platform to express their demands.

Montell Jordan I Believe Kanye's a True Christian ... Faith, This is How We Do It

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Montell Jordan
NOT AN EASY JOURNEY

Montell Jordan says he sees Kanye West walking the walk when it comes to declaring his Christian faith -- which is enough for him to believe what's in Ye's heart ... aka, Jesus.

The former R&B singer turned minister spoke to us in NYC about Ye's spiritual journey, and while some have questioned Kanye's motives and sincerity in turning to God ... Montell says he's taking the guy at his word (and his actions) that he's embraced Christ as his savior.

Kanye West, Joel Osteen
SERVING GOD AND THE INNOCENT

He's got a pretty good reason for that too -- noting that there's no true way to know what's in Ye's heart. But, based on outward appearances, it sounds like Montell's convinced.

Of course, Kanye's been on a performance tear lately ... going around the country with his choir collective and doing Sunday Services. He even brought it to Joel Osteen's church. He has also been fairly outspoken about declaring his love and devotion for God and JC.

Still, many have remained speculative as to whether Ye's a true blue religious guy -- considering his background ... and all the ups and downs that have come with it.

Kanye West, Sunday Service 11/17/19
YE AT LAKEWOOD

MJ touches on that too, explaining that society often judges people (especially artists) on their immediate past, despite what that person may be putting out now. He definitely knows a thing or two about it -- once upon a time, Montell was a walking one-man party.

Montell also gets into whether Ye's political beliefs have clouded his religious path. He doesn't seem to think so, 'cause Kanye has said the magic words ... for Christians, anyway.

Pete Davidson Wanna See My Show?!? Sign a Million Dollar NDA Then!!!

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Pete Davidson seems to be over chastising misbehaved crowds at his stand-up shows -- so now, he's putting his money where their mouths are with a very expensive NDA.

According to reports, the 'SNL' star has recently been having fans sign non-disclosure agreements in order to see his live shows ... one of which was put on blast by an annoyed ticket holder who posted screenshots of the alleged document that she says was emailed to her prior to the show. It was for his SF stop right before Thanksgiving.

The woman says the agreement has strict rules -- no phones inside, and no commentary about his content in any way, shape or form thereafter, especially online.

Oh, and if ya break those rules and get found out by Pete and co. ... you're subject to a million dollar fine, plus any other expenses incurred for your conduct. The document reads, "In the event of breach of this agreement, individual shall pay company, upon demand, as liquidated damages, the sum of one million dollars, plus any out of pocket expense."

It's not uncommon for comedians to demand phones be surrendered before coming into a venue that's gonna host them ... but the million-dollar NDA seems pretty over the top.

Then again ... Pete has had issues lately with stand-up gigs, whether it's for one reason or another. And on at least one occasion, he's unloaded on his audience for crappy etiquette.

Welp ... this is one sure fire way to make sure people fall in line. Put up or shut up, literally.