Controversial S#!T

Daymond John says Adidas has a huge decision to make about Kanye West ... he says the relationship can go boom or bust, and the big issue is Ye's unpredictability.

The "Shark Tank" star joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" to discuss Adidas announcing it's reviewing the partnership with Kanye following his controversial YZY fashion show in Paris -- y'know, the one where he wore the "White Lives Matter" tee.

Daymond says Adidas is going to have a very tough decision to make. He says Ye can make or break the brand, but the X-factor is Kanye's volatility, which makes for a big risk no matter what direction Adidas takes.

As we reported, Ye's volatility was on display almost immediately after the Adidas announcement -- he accused the company of raping and stealing his ideas. Oh, and he boldly declared he IS Adidas.

Daymond added ... he hopes both parties can work this out, because it's in their best interests to do so. Interestingly, he thinks the final decision won't be made with only the bottom line in mind.

Speaking of finances, Daymond's looking to boost 'em for business owners ... with his third annual Black Entrepreneurs Day at the famed Apollo Theater.

He let us in on the huge (literally in Shaq's case) celebs who'll be joining him on stage on October 27 to share their success stories, and to dish out valuable advice.

The internet is up in arms about Home Depot after reports it allegedly donated serious dough to Herschel Walker's U.S. Senate campaign -- and while the company tells us it didn't happen, it's also clarifying where the wires got crossed.

A rep for Home Depot tells TMZ the claims just aren't true ... specifying, "Home Depot's PAC (political action committee) hasn't donated to Walker's or (Raphael) Warnock's campaigns."

We're told the connection to the company likely came out because Home Depot's co-founder, Bernie Marcus, did donate to Walker's campaign. The company rep points out Marcus left the company more than 2 decades ago, adding "his views do not represent the company."

People online have been calling for a boycott of Home Depot following the reports claiming the company donated more than $1 million to Walker's campaign.

The rep says Home Depot is "working on correcting misinformation online now."

As we reported, the ex-NFL star and Senate candidate has been getting dragged over his "pro-life" beliefs ... in light of a woman coming forward and insisting Walker got her pregnant and paid for her to have an abortion in 2009.

Diddy's attempts of reasoning with Kanye West over the "White Lives Matter" T-shirt controversy are falling on deaf ears ... with Ye dropping f-bombs while tripling down on putting the controversial gear on the market.

On Friday, Kanye posted an iMessage exchange between him and Puff -- making it crystal clear that he didn't approve of Diddy's 'Breakfast Club' interview.

According to Ye's perspective, Diddy is trying to put a wedge in between his earnings and is under the impression that Jewish leaders sent the Bad Boy Records rapper to silence his messages.

When Diddy attempted to meet up in person, Ye desecrated his character ... calling Puff a federal agent before telling him he accepts the future apology when he comes to his senses and supports 'WLM.'

Kanye has been steadfast in his cause all week with zero care about who gets bulldozed along the way.

During one of the recent rants, he skewered Offset for liking posts that slammed 'WLM' and also threatened A$AP Rocky and Rihanna's romance by claiming the Harlem rap star cheated with fashion designer Yoon Ahn.

Neither artist has responded to Ye, but Yoon vehemently denied the claims, labeling him a false prophet while A$AP Mob member Nast told Kanye to pipe down.

Ye set things off on Monday at his Paris Fashion Show ... calling Black Lives Matter a "sham" while relishing in support from Candace Owens and Antonio Brown.

President Biden put the nation on red alert Thursday, announcing nuclear "Armageddon" is a real possibility given Russia's recent setbacks in its 8-month war in Ukraine.

At a Democratic fundraiser hosted by James Murdoch, Biden characterized Russian Czar Vladimir Putin as "a guy I know fairly well" -- and added, Putin was "not joking when he talks about the use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons."

Biden went on to say, "We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis." He also implied the threat from Putin is tangible "because his military is -- you might say -- significantly underperforming."

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day showdown in 1962 born out of the Soviet Union's deployment of nuclear weapons in Cuba ... prompting the Kennedy administration to launch a naval blockade of the island.

As far as the public knows, it remains the closest the U.S ever came to a nuclear war.

Biden says he's still "trying to figure" out Putin's "off-ramp" in Ukraine. Where does he find a way out?" Biden asked. "Where does he find himself in a position that he does not not only lose face but lose significant power within Russia?"

Despite Biden's chilling warning, U.S. officials have NOT seen Russia change its nuclear posture to launch an imminent attack.

Kanye West says he was told his life and career would be in jeopardy for supporting Donald Trump ... and says it's happening all over again with his "White Lives Matter" shirt.

Ye sat down with FNC's Tucker Carlson, claiming he faced death threats over wearing a red MAGA hat to a 2018 meeting with Trump at the White House.

Kanye says his "so-called friends slash handlers" told him his career would be over if he supported Trump ... and warned, "I would be killed for wearing the hat."

Ye says the "White Lives Matter" shirt he debuted this week at his YZY fashion show has triggered similar threats.

Kanye claims someone called him recently and said anyone wearing a 'WLM' shirt will be "greenlit" to get beat up ... but Ye says he has no problem wearing a literal target on his back.

Ye's full interview with Tucker is airing now on Fox News ... and we'll keep you posted on what else he says.

Sharon Osbourne doesn't totally understand the controversy with Kanye West and his "White Lives Matter" shirt ... but she agrees with his view on BLM being a "scam."

We got Sharon shopping at YSL on Rodeo Drive in Bev Hills and asked her about Kanye's controversial shirt ... and she told our photog all lives matter.

While Sharon admits she's not completely up to speed on all the intricacies of the debate around Kanye's fashion statement, she does have a strong opinion on BLM.

Sharon perked right up when we told her Kanye ripped BLM for being "a scam."

Ozzy's wife says the couple gave $900,000 to BLM -- presumably in 2020 -- and told us she would like her money back and wishes Kanye spoke out before they cut the check.

Sharon says Kanye shouldn't be canceled over the "White Lives Matter" shirt ... telling folks to simply ignore Ye if they don't like what he's doing.

Kanye West thinks there's an evil plan behind the attacks on Lizzo's weight ... he says it's a way to kill Black people.

Ye says he notices whenever Lizzo, who works with his trainer, posts on social media about losing weight she is immediately attacked by bot accounts.

The reasoning ... Kanye says it's because the media wants to put out a perception that being overweight is the new goal for Black people, when it's actually unhealthy.

Kanye made the claims in his interview with FNC's Tucker Carlson, saying it's clinically unhealthy to promote an overweight lifestyle and going a step further by calling anyone who does so "demonic."

Tucker asked Kanye why he thinks the media wants to promote unhealthiness among Black people ... and Ye didn't hold back.

Kanye West has done plenty to air his grievances on social media, and now he'll be doing it in interview form with Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Ye landed in L.A. from Paris Thursday and almost immediately went to meet up with Carlson and team at his office in L.A. We're told the two had a lengthy chat, which mostly focused on the recent attention Kanye's generated through wearing a "White Lives Matter" shirt at his Yeezy fashion show.

Among some of Kanye's talking points -- he says he feels he's been perceived as a bully, and doesn't think that's true. He also says people believe he's bullying black women, another point he refutes ... and talks about how Hollywood "bullies" him.

We're told Kanye also took some time to show Tucker some of his clothing designs around the office.

Of course, Kanye took a lot of heat for attacking Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson after she posted her thoughts on the Yeezy show and Kanye's choice of wardrobe.

Kanye took to Instagram to slam Gabriella and her own clothing -- but celebs like Gigi Hadid came to the Vogue editor's side ... defending her against Ye.

For what it's worth ... Kanye and Gabby sat down for 2 hours after the nasty back-and-forth to talk about their disagreements.

Kim Kardashian's new podcast, "The System," is under attack by 2 siblings who survived a brutal crime, claiming podcast producers never reached out to them about the project ... a claim creators behind the pod are denying.

"The System" dives into the story of convicted murderer Kevin Keith -- a man Kim believes is innocent. Quanita and Quentin Reeves, who were shot during the alleged crime when they were just kids, say they were never given a heads-up about the podcast until its release.

Quentin told Daily Mail, "She did not contact us, not one time. Why aren't they contacting the victims?" They also claim Keith is guilty of the crime, saying they saw him do it.

A statement to TMZ on behalf of Tenderfoot TV & Big City TV, states, "The production team of The System made multiple attempts to reach out to the Reeves siblings. At the time, they decided not to share their story and requested we no longer contact them."

Kim Kardashian is still showin' support for her kids while Kanye West appears to be at war on social media ... carrying out soccer mom duties at her son's game in the midst of the drama.

Kim whipped out a folding chair, some sunglasses and a jersey for Saint's soccer game in Los Angeles Wednesday ... parking herself front row as his #1 fan.

The outfit's interesting -- she's got Yeezy slides on, and paired it with an Adidas jersey ... as we reported, Kanye's partnership with that brand was apparently placed "under review" Thursday, in the wake of his controversial "White Lives Matter" fashion statement.

Doesn't look like anything's gonna slow Kim down from giving her kids the support they deserve, even if Kanye's pointing the blame back at her on social media.

For those unaware, Ye echoed his complaints about Kim's "secret" birthday party for their daughter, Chicago, earlier this year as he faces cancel culture for his 'WLM' apparel.

Kanye West is letting the world know exactly he feels after a recent report his partnership with Adidas is "under review" on the heels of his controversial "White Lives Matter" fashion statement.

A statement apparently released from the clothing giant popped up Thursday that makes it clear its honchos are pissed about the T-shirts Ye unveiled in Paris. Adidas says, "All successful partnerships are rooted in mutual respect and shared values."

The alleged statement says Adidas made repeated efforts to resolve issues with Kanye, privately, but eventually came to the conclusion -- "We have taken the decision to place the partnership under review."

They will, however, continue to work together on their current product during the review process. The statement notes, "The Adidas Yeezy partnership is one of the most successful collaborations in our industry's history."

Kanye, obviously, was pissed at the news ... and blasted them on Insta -- claiming the company "RAPED AND STOLE MY DESIGNS."

Adidas is pushing this partnership to the brink in response to Ye, and his pal Candace Owen, wearing the controversial T-shirts in Paris.

Probably didn't help that he doubled down on his fashion choice online soon after -- saying, "EVERYONE KNOWS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM NOW ITS OVER YOU'RE WELCOME."

He may have turned his back on Tom Brady, but Antonio Brown is sticking by Kanye West's side ... channeling his buddy's controversial campaign and saying, "All Lives Matter."

Ye is facing a ton of criticism over the "White Lives Matter" shirt he wore during his YZY Fashion Show on Monday ... but despite the negative reception, he's dug his heels in even more throughout the week.

AB -- who recently trolled TB12 over his marriage issues with Gisele Bündchen -- isn't breaking ties with the artist ... reposting an old clip from August showing the two bouncing music ideas off each other, and including an interesting caption.

"All Lives Matter 🔔 🛎 #CallGod #Boomin," AB said on Instagram ... adding, "#Donda #Always"

AB and Ye have gotten pretty close recently -- they've worked on music together, and the Super Bowl winner even took the reins as president of Donda Sports in February.

Brown has also had his fair share of controversy recently -- video was released this week showing the ex-NFL star appearing to expose himself to a woman in Dubai.

Kanye West's "White Lives Matter" shirt is generating tons of attention -- mostly negative -- but now it's spawning fakes ... meaning the controversial shirts will pop up in public, even if Ye doesn't decide to sell 'em.

We've discovered several eBay listings where the long-sleeve shirts are found under listings like "Lives Matter-Kanye West-Candace Owens" and "Kanye Style All Lives Matter."

Interestingly, the listing descriptions don't include the word "White" ... but the actual shirts certainly have it in bold letters.

Our Kanye sources say the final decision will be up to him as to whether or not he'll decide to sell the actual design he wore at the Paris Yeezy show ... but at this time, it doesn't appear they'll be sold in any official capacity.

Regardless, some will say the damage is done ... while others clearly see potential profits. The fake eBay listings are going from anywhere between about $20-$25 ... a bargain considering Ye's usual merch sells for well over $100.

One more big difference between what Kanye wore at the Yeezy show Monday and the eBay gear -- Kanye's shirt had a photo of Pope John Paul II on the front -- the eBay gear only includes the "White Lives Matter" slogan.

As we reported, Kanye attacked Kim Kardashian and the Kardashian family Wednesday on Instagram -- accusing them of "kidnapping" his daughter, Chicago on her birthday and not letting him know where her birthday party was being held.

Chess grandmaster Hans Niemann got a very personal security check, mate ... getting his ass scanned outside the U.S. Chess Championships days after he was accused of using said rear-end to cheat dozens of times.

Security took a good long look at Hans' butt with a metal detector outside the Saint Louis Chess Club, where the championship began on Tuesday. The guard was pretty thorough in his search -- considering the female competitor in front of him didn't even have to turn around for her scan.

Sure looks like the Chess Club folks have heard some widespread Internet buzz about exactly how Niemann might be cheating.

An investigation opened Tuesday by Chess.com against Hans ... claiming he "likely cheated" in more than 100 online matches. World champ Magnus Carlsen first accused Hans of cheating in over-the-board matches, and then interested chess fans suggested online he could be using a vibrating butt plug to tip him off on moves.

For his part, Hans denies cheating, in general, and specifically using a sex toy. After a big win in the first round, he said, "I'm not going to back down and I'm going to play my best chess here regardless of the pressure that I'm under.” He's also said he'd play naked if necessary.

Brittney Griner's wife says the WNBA star has hit the lowest moment of her life while locked up in Russia ... saying the basketball player has told her, "I feel like my life just doesn't matter."

Cherelle Griner nearly came to tears while discussing the state of her wife with Gayle King this week ... explaining she's never seen Brittney reach such a dark place before.

"BG's at her absolute weakest moment in life right now," Cherelle said. "She's very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia. Or just completely used to the point of her detriment."

Brittney was arrested in February after she was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport. She later fessed up to the crime, and was sentenced to nine years in prison over it all in August. She is appealing the ruling, though she's expected to lose that at a hearing later this month.

And, Cherelle said the last time they were able to speak on the phone, she sensed something was very wrong with her wife.

"It was the most disturbing phone call I had ever experienced," Cherelle said. "And I've known BG 11 years. So I'm like, that was the most disturbing conversation."

Cherelle said Brittney has told her things like, "My life just don't even matter no more," and, "Am I just nothing?"

Cherelle added that she's very worried Brittney could ultimately be moved to a labor camp following her appeal hearing on Oct. 25.

"My brain can't even fathom it," she said.

Kanye West is doubling down on his "White Lives Matter" stance ... and explaining his thought process behind the controversial clothing.

Ye took to IG Wednesday to respond to the latest round of backlash surrounding the 'WLM' shirt he debuted earlier this week at his fashion show ... and it's clear he's digging in his heels on this issue.

For Kanye, the meaning behind the shirt is pretty cut and dry ... white lives do matter.

Of course, Kanye's catching heat from all angles ... including a scathing response from Black Lives Matter, who feel Ye is pulling a stunt and hurting folks fighting for justice.

Still, Ye's latest statement is way more subdued than his initial defense ... when he labeled BLM a "scam."