Controversial S#!T

Kanye West's threatening letter to Kim Kardashian accusing her of exploiting their kids is just a stunt designed to piss off Kim -- one with zero legal bite ... TMZ has learned.

Here's the deal ... on Friday, Ye's purported lawyer, Kathy Johnson, supposedly sent Kim's attorney, Laura Wasser, a cease and desist letter, "concerning the welfare and custody of Mr. West’s minor children: North West, Saint West, Chicago West, and Psalm West."

But we spotted a bunch of red flags pointing to this being a phony correspondence, including the claim Johnson works for a JB Law Firm in Palma, Spain. We've found no record of any such firm in that town ... there is one in the Canary Islands, but a website link for that firm doesn't work, nor does the phone number.

2 PM PT -- Turns out Kanye West's threatening letter to Kim Kardashian accusing her of exploiting their kids is a hoax.

After we spotted a bunch of red flags pointing to this being a phony correspondence -- Kanye's camp confirms to us the letter is bogus ... and they say Ye had nothing to do with it.

Kanye West says Kim Kardashian is not only exploiting their children, but he claims she left North all alone in a car while prancing around the Met Gala this week ... and now he's threatening to drag her to court over all of it.

The rapper's lawyer, Kathy Johnson, sent Kim's attorney, Laura Wasser, a cease and desist letter, "concerning the welfare and custody of Mr. West’s minor children: North West, Saint West, Chicago West, and Psalm West."

As you know, Kim and Kanye got divorced in 2021 after 7 years of marriage and 4 kids. As part of their divorce settlement, they have joint custody of the kids and Kanye pays $200K every month in child support.

A couple check-in desk agents got terminated from their gigs with Frontier Airlines after mocking a customer who was trying to check in for his flight ... getting the boot after video of their tense exchange went viral.

Footage circulating online shows a Frontier customer trying to check in at the ticket counter for a flight from North Carolina to Boston ... and things go south when the agents mention a $25 fee to check in with them in person.

The guy balks at the fee and the Frontier employees start arguing, refusing to check him in, mocking him and repeatedly telling him, "And you thought you was gonna get on your flight."

Jon Voight says he and President Donald Trump are working together to save Hollywood ... 'cause the way things are going, he thinks the whole thing could go down the drain -- just like Detroit, Michigan.

The actor gave his first interview to Variety since POTUS announced 100% tariffs on movies made outside the United States ... and he said he wants to keep Hollywood afloat by any means necessary.

Voight says Tinseltown really does need help ... and, it's good news the prez really cares about the film industry -- 'cause that means they can get people to roll up their sleeves and save it.

Animal rights activist Varun Virlan says he's horrified at a video that has gone viral -- showing a woman seasoning and then air-frying two crabs while they were still alive!

ICYMI ... a TikToker posted a cooking video last week showing how she prepared a dish featuring blue crabs -- she seasons some potatoes and corn, then the live crustaceans themselves, before placing them, still alive, in a glass-bottom air-fryer and cooking them for 15 minutes, with the camera showing their demise.

We spoke to the Virlan, the digital media director of Animal Save Movement, who says videos like these are exactly the problem with how crabs are excluded from being considered protected animals -- like dogs, cats, horses -- and are seen more like vegetables than animals.

Popular conservative commentator Michael Knowles says the Supreme Court upholding President Donald Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military is a smart move ... 'cause he thinks it's a serious disease that affects their combat readiness.

We spoke with Knowles -- a longtime podcast host at Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire -- came by "TMZ Live" Wednesday to discuss the court's ruling this week ... explaining he's all for it because mental health issues in the trans community prevent them from being effective soldiers.

Knowles references studies showing higher rates of chronic disease among members of the trans community ... and adds Americans voted for Trump fully knowing this was something he was going to do, thereby cosigning it.

BLACKPINK’s Lisa found herself in hot water for rocking Rosa Parks’ face on her underwear at the Met Gala -- but plot twist: the vision actually came from two Black creatives, including none other than Pharrell Williams.

Check out this clip of Pharrell breaking it all the way down -- walking folks through how Lisa’s Met Gala look nailed the "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" theme -- which was all about paying tribute to dandyism in Black culture.

According to Pharrell -- the Met's co-chair and Louis Vuitton's creative director -- Lisa wasn’t just dressed up, she was wearing a piece of art that was all about honoring Black culture, especially considering how much the world borrows from it.

Bebe Rexha clapped back at Azealia Banks and other Met Gala haters, revealing she recently went through a pregnancy loss ... and urging people to think twice before tearing someone down over a red carpet look.

It all kicked off with Azealia, who -- while not at the Met -- took it upon herself to roast celebs from the comfort of her couch Monday night.

And she went in hard on Bebe ... "Sis gives me - hormonal birth control implant or something. It’s giving implanon/nuvaring she needs removed or depo shot that needs to stop happening (I’m not even tryna play her)."

The Met Gala went off Monday night without a hitch -- well, almost. One major fail came courtesy of two hosts who seemed to blank on the star power of a major Bollywood icon in their midst.

Check it out ... Teyana Taylor and Ego Nwodim, both Vogue correspondents for the night, were chatting with Shah Rukh Khan -- better known to fans as "King Khan" -- but their questions felt more like awkward small talk than what's fit for Indian movie star royalty.

Shah Rukh -- who made history as the first male Bollywood star at the Met -- kept it humble -- but thankfully, designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee swooped in to gently drop the mic and inform Teyana & Ego about the true scale of his stardom.

Folks are outraged with Lisa from BLACKPINK ... and it's all because of what image appears to be on her underwear at the Met Gala ... Rosa Parks' mug.

The internet is going crazy over Lisa's panties, but not for anything sexual ... it looks like Rosa's face is stitched into the garment.

Rosa is one of the faces of the Civil Rights movement in America, and lots of people think it's offensive for her face to be on a piece of underwear.

Donald Trump’s big idea to slap a 100% tariff on films made outside the U.S. might sound like a patriot’s dream -- but according to one Hollywood heavyweight, it’s actually a 100% career-ender for the movie biz.

TMZ caught up with "Green Book" producer Charles Wessler, and let’s just say he didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts on Trump’s proposal to force filming back onto American soil ... telling us it's the stupidest idea he's ever heard ... but said it tracks, coming from Trump.

Charles breaks down how the movie biz can't survive the move -- budgets are part of it, but it’s also about creative freedom and authenticity ... and also the practicality of certain locations that can't be recreated in the U.S.

Dave Portnoy isn't joking around about an antisemitic sign that appeared in one of his bars last night ... posting a video screaming about how upset he is -- and promising everyone involved is going to be educated.

The Barstool Sports founder took to social media Sunday to address a viral video going around of a waitress at Barstool Sansom Street in Philadelphia holding a sign which reads, in all caps, "F*** THE JEWS."

Dave explains the sign isn't something a staff member came up with ... but one provided when you purchase bottle service -- with a message the buyer crafts.

12:48 PM PT -- The creative team behind "Luigi: The Musical" released a statement assuring the public the musical is, "not a celebration of violence of any kind" and they "do not condone violence, sexual assault, or pedophilia in any form."

The legend of Luigi Mangione is growing ... because he's the subject of an upcoming musical, and it's the hottest ticket in San Francisco.

Luigi is the inspiration behind a musical comedy coming to the Taylor Street Theatre in San Francisco, and the play's entire run is already sold out.

"Luigi: The Musical" will also feature Diddy and Sam Bankman-Fried as characters ... with scenes and musical numbers centered around Luigi's time at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where all 3 men are in custody.

Walton Goggins isn't doing much to dispel ongoing gossip about a feud with his 'White Lotus' costar Aimee Lou Wood ... he just shut down an interview when asked about the reality of the rumored rift.

In a sit-down interview, Goggins was asked directly about the state of his real-life relationship with Wood following rumors of on-set strife during filming of "The White Lotus" ... and WG responded, "I'm not going to have that conversation."

In a Times of London newspaper interview published Thursday, the interviewer tried to broach the subject several times, but was denied by the actor, and the two publicists who were present.

John "LJ" Scott Jr.'s death is sparking outrage ... with new video of his arrest appearing to show police dragging him across the ground in a police station.

If you don't know ... Scott died on April 22, about a week after he was taken into custody by Decatur Police in Alabama on April 15 -- with cops saying he suffered a medical emergency and passed away in the hospital.

Police reportedly arrived at an apartment complex on April 15, where they say they found Scott "sweating heavily and exhibiting erratic behavior."

Kanye West is entangled in a complicated web, simply by squashing his beef with Drake's self-proclaimed "shooter" -- by gifting him a bedazzled diamond swastika chain!!!

Ye and Top5 went live on popular streamer Sneako's livestream -- live from Spain -- on which happened to be the Canadian rapper's birthday.

As the ultimate birthday gift, Ye presented Top5 with a "Nazi chain" which Top5 happily accepted.