Hollywood Exes

Ben Affleck says his feelings are hurt because his remarks about blaming his ex-wife for his alcoholism were taken out of context from his Howard Stern interview -- although, he's not explaining what he really meant.

Ben was on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" when he addressed the blowback he's getting after his 2-hour long chat with Howard, during which he says he stressed how much he and Jennifer Garner love and respect each other.

But, he's pissed because the only thing that got headlines was this statement ... "Part of why I started drinking was because I was trapped. I was like, 'I can't leave because of my kids, but I'm not happy, what do I do?' And what I did was like drink a bottle of scotch and fall asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution."

That's verbatim -- you can hear the unedited audio above.

However, Ben told Jimmy all the stories about that comment made him look like he "was saying the exact opposite of what I had said” ... and was the "worst, most insensitive, stupid, awful guy."

Ben says during the full interview "we talked a lot about my family, divorce and alcoholism … and how you have to be accountable and loving" for the kids.

All of that is true, and the full context of the interview was that he and his ex are on great terms now -- but, Ben's upset because he doesn't want his kids to think he'd ever say anything bad about their mother.

As we told you ... his current GF, Jennifer Lopez, showed up with him at Kimmel's studio -- and her smile made it seem they were unfazed by the backlash.

The Juice is officially loose now that he's off parole early, and one person who isn't very happy about it is the sister of his slain ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.

O.J. Simpson being released into society without a parole officer's supervision is a huge downer for Tanya Brown, who tells TMZ ... the guy doesn't deserve a second chance -- especially not in Hollywood, where she thinks he'll attempt a professional comeback.

Tanya says she usually believes most folks oughta get a shot at redemption, but for her, O.J.'s not in that category -- not only because he was found liable for killing her sister, but also because she says he hasn't shown any remorse whatsoever.

He also hasn't done much to show he's changed, according to Tanya ... who insists Simpson probably doesn't think he's done anything wrong.

It's because of his enormous ego that Tanya believes he will beeline it for Tinseltown -- but she's praying L.A. power players will continue to shun him ... just like they did in the wake of his 1995 acquittal.

While Tanya says she has no control over who embraces him, she's really hoping Hollywood elites don't even think of welcoming him back ... but the cynic in her is sorta doubtful.

In Tanya's eyes, L.A. has a bad rep when it comes to honoring women ... and she tells us she wouldn't be surprised if they take O.J. in with open arms. That'd be a true shame, according to her, because she says O.J. not only killed Nicole but mistreated her well before that ... citing multiple reported incidents of abuse.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez don't seem the least bit fazed by all the backlash for him laying, at least, some blame for his bouts with the bottle on Jennifer Garner -- in fact, he's getting ready to talk even more.

Bennifer 2.0 looked happy as clams Wednesday on Hollywood Blvd as they strolled into the El Capitan Entertainment Centre ahead of his talk show appearance tonight with Jimmy Kimmel.

Ben and Jen were holding hands, flashing those pearly whites and showing no signs of strife after his controversial radio hit with Howard Stern ... where Ben blamed his ex-wife, Garner, for helping kickstart his alcoholism.

As we reported ... Ben went on Howard's show this week and said he felt "trapped" in his marriage with JG -- because of their kids -- and he started drinking to cope, saying the feeling made him turn to booze.

Ben's comments rubbed a lot of people the wrong way online ... in part because Garner was very supportive during his struggles with alcohol, famously taking him to rehab in 2018.

J Lo's not a scheduled guest on Kimmel, so looks like she's just there for support. It'll be interesting to see if Ben addresses all the flak he's catching for the Garner remarks -- but at least publicly, his new boo is standing by him.

Ben Affleck says his marriage to ex-wife Jennifer Garner helped kickstart his alcoholism -- claiming he turned to booze to cope with feeling "trapped."

The actor -- who's now with Jennifer Lopez -- didn't hold back while talking to Howard Stern about his drinking problem and his time with JG, which he made sound pretty damn miserable.

He says if they would've stayed together, they would've been "at each other's throats," and not just that -- but he even speculated if he was still married to her, he'd still be boozing.

Here's another telling quote from the Tuesday interview ... "Part of why I started drinking was because I was trapped." He adds, "I was like, 'I can't leave because of my kids, but I'm not happy, what do I do?' And what I did was like drink a bottle of scotch and fall asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution."

On the surface, it's a pretty galling statement for Ben to make, considering how supportive Garner was through his bouts with the bottle. She famously took him to rehab in 2018, and remained a pillar for him.

Which is why Ben's comments are NOT being well-received online. A lot of people are slamming him for even trying to connect his personal demons to her individually, noting Jen has time and again been there for him when he's relapsed.

Ben added that despite their best efforts, they simply couldn't salvage their relationship and didn't want that to be the model of marriage for their children.

Ben also mentioned their kids while talking about rekindling things with J Lo, telling Stern he thought twice about getting back with her -- all because he feels his kids are his highest responsibility and was concerned about the inevitable headlines.

One last thing ... while it might sound like Ben totally trashed his ex-wife, he ended on somewhat of a sweet note, saying ... "We did our best. I knew she was a good mom, and I hoped she knew I was a good dad. I had to get sober, and I acknowledge that."

Anyway, as we said ... it sounds like he and his ex are on good terms now, and have been for a while. Even with J Lo around -- which she was for Halloween -- there doesn't seem to be much animosity there these days.

Kim Kardashian wants to move forward with her life as a legally single woman, and just filed docs to do so in her divorce with Ye ... TMZ has learned.

Kim filed legal docs Friday ... which if signed off by a judge, will make her officially single. She's essentially asking the judge to separate issues of child custody and property from marital status. Kim is also asking that her maiden name be restored ... aka, drop the "West."

It's interesting ... Kim's lawyer is disso queen Laura Wasser, who has frequently made similar moves with other celebrity clients, including Dr. Dre and Kelly Clarkson -- separating marital status from other issues. It allows people to get on with their lives ... settling other issues for a different day.

What's especially interesting ... just hours before Kim filed for a change in her marital status, Ye went on stage at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, and as he sang "Runaway" he ad-libbed over vocals at the end of the song to say, "Run back to me ... more specifically, Kimberly."

Kim attended the show, bringing the couple's kids North and Saint to watch dad do his thing and give some family support.

TMZ broke the story, Kim's already taken one big step in figuring out the property side of things -- buying Kanye out of their Hidden Hills Estate for $23 million. But, there are still other property issues that are outstanding. We're told there will not be any dispute over custody ... they will get joint custody and are committed to co-parenting.

One thing is for sure, divorce or not ... Kim and Kanye have, for the most part, remained a united front when it comes to their kids and emotional support. Just days ago they attended close friend Virgil Abloh's funeral together.

It wasn't the first time we'd seen Ye make a public play for his estranged wife, either. On Thanksgiving, he released a 5-minute-long video confessing to his issues with alcohol and times when he embarrassed Kim ... including wearing a MAGA hat.

Dr. Dre and Nicole Young have reached an agreement in principle to finally put their divorce to bed ... TMZ has learned.

The two had been at war over money for well over a year, Nicole wanted $2 million a month in temporary spousal support, and Dre ended up ponying a one-time check for $2 mil and $500k in attorney fees. A photo showing the producer and businessman with balloons that read "Divorced AF" started to make rounds on social media Friday.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us that no deal has yet been signed, and as one source put it, "This whole thing could blow up again."

Kim Kardashian took home the Fashion Award at the 2021 People's Choice Awards last night ... and she thanked her ex, Ye ... YAY!!!

Last year's winner, Tracee Ellis Ross, presented the award to KK, who wore a skin-tight black jumpsuit, gloves and sunglasses -- as she sauntered down a long runway to accept.

The Kardashian was full of gratitude and said she felt honored to receive the award from Tracee. But, the nod to her estranged husband, Kanye, was by far the most interesting moment.

Kim said she felt inspired by so many people. But, she made sure to give her ex all his flowers ... "To Kanye," she said, "for really introducing me to the fashion world"

Kim explained she started off as a closet organizer and a stylist, so getting the honor felt like a "pinch-me moment" ... "I fell in love with fashion and I'm so inspired by so many people but again, this is like a dream that I get to wake up and wear these amazing clothes and try new things and take a risk."

It's pretty amazing ... Kim went from working behind the counter at the Dash store to launching her shapewear brand, Skims, which was valued at over $1 billion. And, of course, there's her beauty brands -- KKW BEAUTY and KKW Fragrance.

Balenciaga is clearly her thing ... you'll recall her all-black jumpsuit, gloves, and long pleated train that covered her from head to toe at the MET Gala -- yes, even her face.

Scott Disick knows how to get over the Kourtney Kardashian/Travis Barker engagement and the Amelia Hamlin breakup ... and he executed his plan brilliantly Saturday night in Miami.

Scott partied with a very attractive woman at Alec Monopoly's Art Basel party. We don't know who she is or whether this was fleeting flirting or something more ... but he sure seems back in the game.

The Lord's had a rough time this year ... first, watching the mother of his children strike up a relationship with Travis which blossomed into an engagement. He was dragged for grousing to Kourtney's ex, Younes Bendjima, that it was unseemly for Kourtney and Travis to show PDA. Younes schooled him for sure.

And then there's Amelia ... Scott claimed he broke up with her, but evidence points to the contrary.

Elon Musk may have just gotten Swifted, because his ex has just released a song trashing him as a BF.

Grimes' song, "Player of Games," doesn't mention Elon by name, but you don't have to be a rocket scientist like him to figure it out.

The song references gaming -- something Elon apparently loves. The lyrics go ... "I'm in love with the greatest gamer, but he'll always love the game, more than he loves me."

Their 3-year relationship ended back in September -- and she goes on ... "Sail away, to the cold expanse of space. Even love couldn't keep you in your place."  Seems like that's the giveaway!

Elon didn't call it a clean breakup ... he said they have "semi-separated." They did attend the Met Gala back in September, but it's unclear if this was before or after the breakup.

They both seem committed to co-parenting their 1-year-old son, X Æ A-Xii Musk.

A rare piece of memorabilia is hitting the auction block -- a concert ad signed by both Marilyn Monroe AND Joe DiMaggio ... and the item could sell for some serious coin!!!

Here's the backstory -- TMZ Sports is told an 11-year-old girl saw the couple having dinner at The Beverly Hills Hotel in 1952 ... and approached the Yankees legend for an autograph.

Shockingly, the girl had no idea who Monroe was ... so Joe asked if she wanted the model's Hancock as well.

Both Joe and Marilyn signed the inside of a folded concert advertisement that was on their dining table ... scribbling the words, "Warmest Regards, Marilyn Monroe" and "Best Wishes, Joe DiMaggio."

As for the ad, it's for Eddie Bergman and his orchestra at the hotel's Palm Terrace (we're assuming the dude had bangers).

Get this -- there are 9 holes in the old flyer, which came after the girl used a tack to pin her prized possession on her corkboard in her room!

Now, she's ready to part ways with the item -- it's hitting the market Dec. 11 ... and there's a chance it sells for a fortune!!!

A massive amount is not unusual for the celebrity couple ... just this summer, an autographed baseball by Monroe and DiMaggio sold for $384k.

DiMaggio was one of the greatest MLB players ever ... some of his accolades during his 13-year career with the Yanks include winning 9 World Series, 3-time AL MVP and 2-time AL batting champion.

Ye is in the giving spirit -- and also hopeful for his future with estranged wife Kim Kardashian -- saying God will bring them back together, and inspire millions of families to do the same.

The man formerly known as Kanye West stopped at the L.A. Mission Wednesday to drop off 1,000 meals for skid row. Before his visit was over, Kanye grabbed the mic and shared words of wisdom and faith with the crowd ... including a message about the collapse of his marriage.

During his speech, Ye says he's done things in public that were "not acceptable as a husband," but believes "The Kingdom" aka God will help to repair things with Kim.

Ye believes if they reconcile, millions of families coping with divorce or separation could be inspired to do the same thing. He got big applause for that message.

He also mentioned his kids, saying he needs to be with them as much as possible and if he can't be "in the house" he'll get a house right next door.

And, let there be no doubt, Ye clearly still has issues with the Kardashian family living on reality TV -- he insisted he'll be the one to write his family's history, not a streaming service like Hulu, Disney or E!

Of course, the words come just days after Kim was spotted grabbing dinner with Pete Davidson in Santa Monica. They had a private table, and it appeared Davidson was sporting a hickey on his neck.

Valerie Bertinelli is calling it quits on her second marriage, filing for legal separation from her husband, Tom Vitale.

Bertinelli filed docs in L.A. Wednesday asking a judge to end things between her and Tom. They got hitched back on New Year's Day in 2011, and though it's unclear what led to their split, she lists "irreconcilable differences."

Vitale works as a financial planner and entrepreneur, he is the CEO of Veebow -- an e-commerce company. He and Valerie don't have any kids together, and she's asking the court for neither to get spousal support.

According to the docs, they have a prenuptial agreement to handle the split of all assets.

Tom was Valerie's second husband ... she was very famously married to Eddie Van Halen from 1981 to 2007. Valerie and Eddie had one kid, their son, Wolfgang, who played bass in Dad's band.

Eddie died of cancer in October of 2020 -- and Valerie posted a touching tribute -- revealing she was there in his final moments.

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello are no longer a couple ... they just announced their breakup.

The singers made a coordinated announcement Wednesday on their Instagram stories ... saying they have "decided to end our romantic relationship."

Camila and Shawn add ... "Our love for another as humans is stronger than ever ❤️ we started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends."

So it sounds like it's just the end of the road romantically because they say ... "we so appreciate your support from the beginning and moving forward ❤️❤️❤️."

We got Camila out earlier in the day at LA Horse Rentals and our photog asked how things were going with Shawn ... but she didn't feel like talking ... and now it's no wonder why.

As you know ... Camila and Shawn started dating back in July 2019, right around the time they dropped the music video for their song together, "Señorita."

Kim Kardashian knows a thing or two about marriage -- but not necessarily a successful one ... which made her wedding advice at a pal's rehearsal dinner all the more hilarious.

During entertainment executive Simon Huck's pre-nuptial feast Friday night, he and his hubby-to-be, Phil Riportella, invited KK to get on the mic and deliver a few words of encouragement. She took 'em up on it ... but noted she might not be the best one to give guidance here.

Check out her jokes ... Kim talks about her 3 failed marriages, and how she hasn't really figured out this "marriage thing" herself.

She even makes some cracks at her own expense -- as well as some at her ex-husbands ... including Kris Humphries, to whom she was married for just 72 days. That said, Kim offers them tips on the actual ceremony itself ... touching on how to get the best "first kiss" shot.

Kim ends by saying she can recognize true love when she sees it, and thinks Simon and Phil will go the distance. Sure enough, she got a big round of applause.

It's interesting ... even though Kim is smackdab in the middle of her own divorce right now, she's very much in wedding mode -- attending Paris Hilton's ceremony, and now Simon's.

Kanye West thinks "Saturday Night Live" forced Kim Kardashian to talk about her divorcing him on TV -- but he's sorely mistaken, 'cause she came to the show armed with the joke ... TMZ has learned.

Show sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Kanye's gripe from last week during his appearance on the "Drinks Champs" podcast is completely unfounded. We're told most of Kim's 'SNL' monologue was written ahead of time, and that included the line about their divorce.

ICYMI ... Ye complained the media was spinning a certain narrative about his relationship with Kim, something he apparently thinks still has a chance at being revived. He also called out 'SNL' specifically, saying they might've forced Kim to talk about their split.

That's simply not true, as we're being told the monologue was mostly unchanged from what Kim came in with ... and she only got a few suggestions from writers for the show.

In other words, the divorce crack was something Kim -- and her comedian pals -- wrote and wanted in the monologue. And, to further that point, our sources say Kim might acknowledge she's technically married to Ye -- but, frankly, they're not together anymore ... which is why Pete Davidson is happening.

There's also this ... Ye claimed there was no "paperwork" he'd seen to prove a divorce was even happening, but our sources say that's BS and he's fully apprised of what's happening here. As we've reported, the divorce is moving forward, full steam ... and he even signed off on Kim buying the former family home from him for $23 million.

Nick Lachey says he's not the least bit curious about what his ex-wife, Jessica Simpson's written about their time together -- but hints her memory of it is far different from his.

Nick seems to be warning readers of Jessica's "Open Book" that the chapters about their marriage -- and subsequent divorce -- might not be accurate ... in his eyes, at least. Nick was on Andy Cohen's SiriusXM show when Andy asked if he's read the book, which was released earlier this year.

The 98 Degrees singer says it's a hard pass for him, dawg. As Nick put it, "I lived the book. I know what the truth is, so I don't need to read someone's version of it in a story."

Jessica and Nick were married from 2002 to 2006, but based on the book ... she took it pretty hard when -- less than a year after their split -- he started dating Vanessa Lachey, who he later married. Jess wrote, "So, Nick, you're with another already? Seems that you forgot the love you spoke to me."

She added, "I'm saddened beyond belief. Alone in the dark, with no one to call my own."

Of course, Nick says he didn't read it, so we don't know specifically which part he isn't buying.

Anyway, Jessica's busy celebrating a personal milestone. On Monday, she posted a pic from Nov 1, 2017 with no makeup, and looking pretty hungover. She says that was the morning she realized she needed to stop drinking.