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Taylor Frankie Paul's ex-husband beelined it to a Utah courthouse seeking a restraining order and sole custody of their kids ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Tate Paul filed the request Tuesday against "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star with the former couple's 2022 divorce proceedings.

Sources close to Tate tell TMZ ... he has also filed to seek sole custody of their two children ... Indy and Ocean.

The docs show Tate also submitted five exhibits and a declaration in support of his request. All of the filings are under seal, and as a result, it's unclear what prompted Tate to seek the restraining order.

A source close to Taylor tells TMZ the restraining order petition is a direct result of Dakota telling Tate lies about her. She feels Dakota will do anything to hurt her ... including using the children, but she is a survivor.

Taylor Swift is one step closer to saying "I do" ... literally.

TMZ obtained video of a giant white staircase being craned into Madison Square Garden -- and at first glance, it looks like it could be another piece of the fairytale castle set being built for her wedding to Travis Kelce.

By now, it's clear Taylor didn't just rent out MSG -- she rented a blank canvas. The iconic venue has been transformed into a giant, windowless fantasy world that's being rebuilt from the ground up.

Teresa Giudice's daughter, Milania Giudice, was throwing candles and food during a wild outburst that ended with her being arrested for assault ... according to her sister.

TMZ has learned police in New Jersey say it was Milania's older sister, Gabriella Giudice, who called the cops on her ... saying she was acting erratically.

No weapons or injuries were reported.

Lil Durk says the feds pulled a fast one ... claiming prosecutors completely changed their case against him just weeks before trial ... and now he wants the judge to either break apart the case into separate chunks or throw the whole thing out.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Durk says his lawyers have spent 19 months getting ready to fight the murder-for-hire case tied to the 2022 killing of rapper Quando Rondo's cousin in Los Angeles ... only for prosecutors to call an audible.

Durk's lawyers Drew Findling, Brian Steel Marissa Goldberg and Christy O'Connor, say prosecutors have suddenly piled on a bunch of new allegations and charges -- including drug trafficking, robbery, and an old Atlanta shooting -- turning the case into something entirely different.

Taylor Frankie Paul's ex has new beef with her, and it centers around a recent trip she made to a rehab facility ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Dakota Mortensen tell TMZ ... TFP allegedly violated the restraining order he has against her multiple times -- once by having a third-party reach out to a third party on Dakota's side to set up a visit with their son, Ever.

We're told she was trying to make up for missing a previous visit while she was voluntarily in a one-week rehab stint for an undisclosed reason.

3:18 PM PT -- TMZ obtained video of a giant white staircase being craned into Madison Square Garden -- and at first glance, it looks like it could be another piece of the fairytale castle set being built for her wedding to Travis Kelce.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding is already looking like America's answer to a royal wedding ... and now, TMZ has learned it'll even come with its own castle!

Sources close to the wedding tell TMZ ... a massive castle is being built inside a garden at MSG, with the legendary venue being transformed into a full-blown fairytale for the big July 3 wedding event.

What's more, crews were spotted unloading giant, covered scenic pieces labeled "Garden Party 1 (Scenic)" and spray-painted "GP" outside the venue ... all arriving, fittingly, at Madison Square GARDEN!!😱

Madison Square Garden is disappearing behind layers of fabric ... all in the name of Taylor Swift's fairy tale wedding.

Sources connected to the wedding setup tell TMZ ... the event crew got to work Monday, and nearly all of the effort so far has gone into draping the entire arena. We're told workers have been tirelessly hanging fabric from the ceiling and even wrapping the perimeter of the arena floor as they build out Taylor and Travis Kelce's vision.

The makeover is so extensive, sources say it's become clear Taylor didn't simply rent MSG -- she rented a giant, windowless space she could completely reinvent. In fact, we're told guests will walk inside and quickly forget they're even in the world-famous arena.

NBA big man Walker Kessler just touched down in Los Angeles for a free agency meeting with the Lakers ... and he tells TMZ Sports it would've been great to play with LeBron James, but Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves ain't too shabby!!

The 7'2" center is expected to be a hot commodity this offseason ... and the Lakers are reportedly super interested in bringing him on board after four seasons with the Utah Jazz.

We caught up with 24-year-old Kessler at LAX minutes after the news broke that James would not return to L.A. for the 2026-27 season ... and it's safe to say he's not canceling any appointments over it.

Dave Portnoy is taking us back to the "Call Her Daddy" civil war ... and says one alleged plan nearly turned into Barstool's worst nightmare.

The Barstool boss swung by "TMZ Live" Tuesday to revisit the podcast breakup that broke the internet ... and let's just say he's not buying every version of the story that's been told.

If you think you've heard the whole story that pitted Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn against Barstool, Dave says you haven't ... he's sharing new details he says never made it into the headlines.

Madelyn Cline and influencer Henry Smith have called it quits after just four months of dating ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ ... Madelyn and Henry remain friendly and the split is amicable.

It's a quick end to a relationship Madelyn and Henry made a big deal of showing off on social media.

Jussie Smollett's found a new leading man ... because TMZ has learned he's dating "Queer Eye" star Karamo Brown.

The new couple stepped out together in Los Angeles for an all-day date Monday ... grabbing lunch with Karamo's mom, running errands, and wrapping things up with a hike through Runyon Canyon, where they weren't shy about showing a little affection.

The chemistry was hard to miss. The two were smiling their way around town, chatting nonstop and sticking close together.

Denise Richards is asking a judge to make sure her estranged husband, Aaron Phypers, promises not to leak her financial records before she's forced to turn them over in their nasty court battle ... TMZ has learned.

The "Wild Things" star filed new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, claiming Aaron has spread all sorts of private information about her to the media in the wake of their split.

Denise says Aaron wants her to turn over bank statements and information about her pay for "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" ... but she insists much of that information is subject to confidentiality agreements with production companies, and she wants to make sure a protective order is in place before she sends them over.

Tom Sandoval didn't just open his home to ex-girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson ... he also allegedly supported her and her dad financially for more than a year while they lived with him ... but sources close to Victoria adamantly dispute that account.

Sources close to Tom tell TMZ ... in October 2024, Tom invited Victoria and her dad, Will Robinson, along with their four cats, to move into his home.

We're told Will first moved into the Valley Village home Tom previously shared with ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix before the group later relocated as Tom worked to sell the property.