Rachael Kirckconnell Matt was 'Love of My Life' ... But it's Time to Move On

Rachael Kirkconnell is both disappointed and hopeful in wake of "The Bachelor" finale and her split from Matt James ... which was revealed in the "After the Final Rose" special.

Rachael says she wishes things turned out differently and says of Matt ... "I truly believe he was the love of my life." But, she says she respects his decision to break it off with her because of her history of alleged racism and believes "there is a reason for everything."

MARCH 2021
LEFT HEARTBROKEN
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That's not the only reason for her sorrow, though. Rachael says she also feels bad because what was supposed to be a "monumental season" was overshadowed by her controversy. As we reported ... this led to host Chris Harrison defending her, then deciding to step away from his role after major backlash.

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Rachael says this was all very unfair to the other ladies who were also vying for Matt's love. She calls them "some of the strongest, most brilliant, most extraordinary women" and adds that she was lucky to meet them ... and will continue to support them.

Finally, Rachael says she hopes this season will spark conversations and understanding about racial issues and "initiate change."

As for changes to the 'Bachelorette' franchise ... as we told you, Harrison will be replaced as host by former stars Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe. And, the next 2 Bachelorettes have been announced -- Katie Thurston for the upcoming season, and Michelle Young the season after that. Young was just the runner-up to Kirkconnell.

'Bachelor' Finale Matt & Rachael Split ... Because of Her Racist Past

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LEFT HEARTBROKEN
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UPDATE

5:59 AM PT -- Matt was on 'GMA' this morning and spoke to Michael Strahan on how tough 'The Final Rose' was ... particularly how the last year and everything that happened in the country really weighed on him in dealing with Rachael.

UPDATE

The most controversial season in 'Bachelor' history has come to an end ... and the show's final couple is no longer together thanks to racist posts and photos that surfaced in the middle of the season.

Matt James picked Rachael Kirkconnell during Monday's 'Bachelor' finale, and though he didn't propose, the couple seemed happy about their future together.

However, after the show's production ended -- and before Monday's 'Final Rose' aired -- old social media posts with Kirkconnell and the Confederate flag, pro-Trump material and even photos of her at a college 'antebellum' party, celebrating the South's racist past surfaced.

Matt and Rachael came face-to-face in an awkward meeting where Rachael apologized and Matt shared the two were no longer a couple ... saying the reason for the split was the old posts and photos.

As we reported, Chris Harrison wasn't in the hosting seat either, replaced by Emmanuel Acho. Harrison came under heavy fire after defending Kirkconnell's past in a discussion with Rachel Lindsay, the show's first Black 'Bachelorette.'

It remains to be seen if Harrison will ever be back on the franchise ... he's already been replaced for the upcoming season of the "Bachelorette" by Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe.

Originally Published -- 3/15 9:01 PM PT

Kim K Assets on Display Amid Divorce ... 'I Got You Back'

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Kim K is flexing hard as she re-enters single life ... flexing her glutes, that is.

The middle Kardashian sister -- who's in the middle of a divorce with Kanye West -- just posted footage of her breaking a sweat with fitness guru Melissa Alcantara ... who was showing her some exercises to really get the blood pumping -- and the booty popping.

Kim had another way to describe it with some clips she threw up of Mel doing squats with a kettlebell ... you can watch for yourself -- another sort of "poppin" workout, it seems.

Then came some HIIT reps of her own ... after showing Mel doing deep squat jumps with the help of some suspension straps, Kim gave it a go herself -- and offered up a very up close and personal shot of the action. She even put part of her video in slow-mo!!!

The caption she added that was superimposed on her extraordinary derrière ... I Got You Back. Yes, yes she does. Not that she'd ever really lost the "back" -- but we get it.

Maybe it's just us, but Kim certainly appears to be embracing the fact she's unattached with gusto -- not shying away from going out and looking fabulous, as she did just a few short weeks ago for a girls' night out, or getting in tip-top shape and showing off for the 'Gram.

As perhaps the most eligible (and coveted) bachelorette in town at the moment, we can't really blame her for getting a move on in her next chapter.

In the meantime, enjoy the view.

Jennifer Lopez And Alex Rodriguez Break Up, Wedding Off!!!

J-Rod is J-Done!!!

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are over -- they've called it quits after 4 years together, sources connected to the couple confirm to TMZ.

The superstars first got together in 2017 and Alex put a massive ring on it in 2019.

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Unclear what caused the split. We're working on it. We're told they broke up Friday.

The two had started wedding planning before COVID hit in early 2020 -- but obviously, the pandemic threw a huge wrench in their plans.

A-Rod posted photos of himself on a yacht in Miami early Friday, saying, "Don't mind me, just taking a sailfie ... What are your plans for the weekend?" The last time he posted a photo with Jennifer was February 28.

She's in the Dominican Republic filming a movie, while he's staying put in Miami.

The split comes shortly after claims he got cozy with "Southern Charm" star Madison LeCroy. A-Rod's people said they never even met, but the story circulated.

Before that, they were exploring buying the NY Mets together -- and had rallied some of their very rich and famous friends to put together a competitive offer ... but it didn't pan out.

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The last time we saw J-Rod in action was at President Biden's Inauguration when Jennifer performed ... and the two of them looked very much in love.

We broke the story ... the couple bought a $40M home together on Star Island in Miami last summer.

Page Six was the first to report the split.

Story developing ...

Dr. Dre's Estranged Wife Denied Restraining Order ... After He Calls Her 'Greedy Bitch' In Song

Dr. Dre's wife just got shut down by the judge in her divorce case ... after claiming she fears for her safety because he refers to her in his new track as a "greedy bitch."

According to docs obtained by TMZ ... Nicole Young requested an emergency domestic violence restraining order ... citing the song released last month, in which Dre calls her a "bitch and a perjurer."

Nicole says this is nothing new, but claims with the new track "he has upped the ante and is now outright threatening me to keep my mouth shut or else."

TAKING SHOTS

According to the docs filed by attorney Samantha Spector ... Nicole feels this latest alleged threat -- along with her past allegations of spousal abuse -- justify an emergency restraining order, but the judge begged to differ and denied her request because of "insufficient evidence."

As for Dre's response to her allegations, filed by Laura Wasser, he says he's only seen or spoken to Nicole one time since she filed for divorce in June 2020 .... and that was when she visited him at the hospital in January, following his brain aneurysm.

Dre says he's had no contact with her otherwise, and categorically denies all of her abuse claims.

He adds since she made her allegations in August, he "realized he had no idea who the woman he was married to was and he wanted nothing to do with her."

This isn't the first time the judge has shut down Nicole ... the judge previously denied her emergency requests to advance her hearing on spousal support, consolidate her civil case with her divorce divorce, seal portions of the divorce file and obtain an advance for her attorney's fees.

JWoww's Ex, Roger Mathews Reacts to Her Engagement Not Mad, But Just The Opposite!!!

no hard feelings
Champ and The Tramp

JWoww is ready to walk down the aisle again -- and the reaction from her ex-husband is somewhat surprising ... dude seems genuinely okay with it, and happy for her.

TMZ has obtained a clip of Roger Mathews on his podcast, 'Champ and the Tramp,' in which he responds to the news of JWoww saying YES to boyfriend Zack Carpinello getting on bended knee ... and wouldn't you know it, he actually sends his well-wishes!

Check it out ... Roger's pretty gracious here, saying he has no reason to be mad at her or her new guy -- even explaining that Zack's apparently pretty good to his and JWoww's shared children.

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RM does admit he doesn't know Zack all that well, but based on what he does know -- he says Zack's okay in his book, and wishes them the best as they move forward. Roger goes on to explain that his and JWoww's chapter is closed, and there's no ill will.

It's great to hear Roger with this mindset, because admittedly ... their split and eventual divorce were pretty nasty -- with allegations (and apparent video evidence) of physical abuse as well as harassment. Roger addresses that too in the clip ... sounds like he's grown.

As for JWoww ... seems she and 26-year-old Zack are well past their breakup drama from a couple years ago -- when they briefly broke up over Angelina. She'd said he had a lot of work to do to earn her trust back -- looks like he did that and then some. So, congrats!

Roger's full remarks can be heard on the new 'CATT' episode, which airs Thursday.

Dustin Diamond Never Legally Married ... Despite Saying He Was

Dustin Diamond was never married to Jennifer Misner -- despite publicly claiming they were husband and wife -- and their secret's only being revealed because of Dustin's death.

TMZ obtained the late 'Saved By The Bell' star's death certificate, and under marital status it says "never-married." Of course, fans thought Dustin and Jennifer tied the knot back in the early 2000s ... and he'd even worn a wedding band.

The real deal, according to Dustin's close friend, Dan Block is ... DD never legally married Jennifer. Dan tells TMZ, Jennifer was his girlfriend and he wore the ring as a way of showing his dedication to her when he traveled for work.

Dustin went on Howard Stern's show way back in 2006 trying to raise money to get his house out of his foreclosure after losing a child with Jennifer. At the time, he talked about marrying her -- but we're told he did that to get more sympathy while dealing with his dire financial crisis.

Dan says, in recent years, Dustin had wanted to clear up his marital status, and was particularly frustrated with his Wikipedia page -- which says he and Jennifer married in 2009 and separated in 2013.

TMZ broke the story ... Dustin died last month after a battle with Stage 4 lung cancer. His most recent girlfriend, Tash, was by his side when he passed away, and she now has some of his ashes.

Sofia Vergara Ex-Fiance Can't Use Her Embryos Without Her Consent, Court Rules

Sofia Vergara just won a huge victory in her years-long battle with an ex over their frozen embryos -- a judge permanently blocked Nick Loeb from using them with a surrogate.

The 'Modern Family' star won big in L.A. County Superior Court, where Nick Loeb had been fighting tooth and nail for permission to bring the embryos to term, even going so far as trying to take custody of them through a trust ... and giving the fertilized eggs names in a lawsuit.

Welp, the judge said that ain't gonna happen ... at least not without Sofia's consent. The judge granted a permanent injunction -- saying the contract they both signed with a fertility clinic back in 2013 remains valid.

Because of that, the court said Nick can't try to use the embryos for his own purposes and give them rights -- which he tried to do in a Louisiana court, essentially arguing the embryos should be recognized as people with rights.

He recently got shot down there as well -- and now, he's lost again in L.A., where this whole mess started not too long after he and Sofia split in 2014. With the order in place and the original contract upheld, Nick will have to get Sofia's consent for anything having to do with the embryos.

Of course, Sofia's married to Joe Manganiello now ... and only has one child to date from a previous relationship.

Tamar Braxton Ex's Restraining Order Dismissed ... After Court No-Shows

Tamar Braxton no longer has to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend ... because we’ve learned his restraining order's been dissolved after neither one of them showed up in court.

Neither Tamar nor the singer's ex, David Adefeso, appeared for their court hearing on the matter Tuesday, so the judge dismissed the case and dissolved the restraining order.

We broke the story ... Adefeso filed for a domestic violence restraining order against Tamar in September and was temporarily granted one. David claimed Tamar attacked him while he was driving his car and threatened to have him killed.

Tamar denied the allegations the following month on "The Tamron Hall Show."

911 AUDIO

As you'll recall ... David was the one who called 911 last summer when he was dating Tamar and reported her alleged suicide attempt. He claimed at the time, her WeTV beef was the reason she wanted to kill herself.

As for why neither Tamar nor David showed up in court ... it's unclear, however, we're told they have not reconciled.

Dr. Dre Trashes Estranged Wife in New Song ... Calls Her 'Greedy Bitch'

Dr. Dre seems to be letting out his frustrations over his pending divorce with Nicole Young in his music -- and he's not being very subtle about it either.

A new track was previewed Monday night by DJ Silk, which features Dre and Aftermath pal KXNG Crooked. Dre drops some explicit lyrics about his estranged wife and their nasty divorce proceedings.

TAKING SHOTS

Dre raps ... "Trying to kill me with them lies and that perjury // I see you trying to f*** me while I'm in surgery // In ICU death bed on some money s*** // Greedy bitch take a pic // Girl you know how money get."

As we've reported ... Dre went right back to the studio after being released from his recent health scare -- suffering what could've been a fatal brain aneurysm.

Silk only played a few bars, so it's unclear if Dre makes any other references to the divorce or Nicole on the track.

Dre and Nicole's legal war hasn't seen a pause whatsoever since she filed for divorce last summer -- most recently she filed a motion asking for access to their home amid suspicions of a mistress, and was granted temporary spousal support ... a one-time payment of $2 mil.

Meanwhile, Dre's accused her of siphoning funds from one of their business accounts -- which is being investigated by law enforcement. Safe to say, it's been nasty, and you can hear it in Dre's verse.

Justin Hartley & Chrishell Stause Divorce Finalized

Justin Hartley and Chrishell Stause are officially single ... 'cause we've learned their divorce has been finalized.

According to court filings, a judge officially signed off on the dissolution of their marriage earlier this month. We don't have details of the judgment yet -- meaning it's unclear if spousal support was ordered, or how any assets were divvied up.

You'll recall ... when Justin abruptly filed for divorce back in 2019 -- after only 2 years of marriage -- he'd indicated he didn't wanna pony up any spousal support to Chrishell, and also wanted her to cover her own legal fees. It's possible they had a prenup in place.

There was another weird thing about their original divorce docs -- the date of separation was listed as July 8, 2019 ... when they'd been seen publicly together many times after that.

Chrishell made it seem like Justin's filing came out of left field, but later admitted he'd threatened to leave several times prior.

In any case, both of these beautiful people have moved on to new loves -- JH is with Sofia Pernas and Chrishell's with 'DWTS' star Keo Motsepe. They had no kids together ... so, no custody battle to slow down the divorce.

This was us ... and then it wasn't.

Shanna Moakler Travis & Kourtney Make Cute Couple But No Double Dating, Yet

WISHING THEM THE BEST
TMZ.com

Shanna Moakler thinks her ex-husband and his new GF are a nice match ... but she's not quite ready to hook up with Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian for a double date.

We got Shanna and her boo, Matt Rondeau, at Il Fornaio in Woodland Hills Friday and asked if they'd be down to break bread with Kourtney and Trav. It's a hard pass for Shanna, but in the kindest way possible, we think ... watch the clip.

As you know ... the Blink-182 drummer and Kourtney recently started dating, and while Shanna's in no rush to make a resy with 'em ... she did want to clear the air about some rumored beef.

It all surrounds an Instagram comment she liked which had fans thinking Shanna was shading Kourtney. Ahh, the pitfalls of social media!

Anyway, she says people got the whole thing twisted.

Shanna's been divorced from Travis since 2008, and she's had a couple of run-ins with his former flames ... but she insists there's no ill will towards Kourtney.

Shanna also shoots down speculation she's been rocking an engagement ring. She and Matt addressed it, but we'll just say this .... that is one expensive-looking friendship ring!!!

Marilyn Manson Cops Digging Into Abuse Allegations ... Meeting W/ Alleged Victim

Marilyn Manson's in the crosshairs of federal and local law enforcement after a bunch of women accused the rocker of abuse ... and cops are set to talk with one of his alleged victims.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... detectives from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department plan to meet with one of Manson's alleged victims in the coming days, and we're told the meeting was the result of a wave of online allegations made by Manson's exes.

Our sources say Sheriff's deputies want to determine if a crime was committed, if it falls under their jurisdiction and if it warrants further investigation.

As you know ... one of Manson's accusers is "Westworld" star Evan Rachel Wood, who claims MM abused her over the course of their relationship. She claims he brainwashed and manipulated her into submission and started grooming her when she was a teenager.

The FBI actually was the first agency to get complaints against Manson after Wood's allegations, and the agency passed some of the information on to L.A. law enforcement. No word on whether or not the feds will get involved in investigating any of the various new allegations.

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As we reported ... cops swarmed Marilyn's Hollywood Hills home earlier this month for a welfare check after someone called police. Manson was home and was fine, but he never came out to talk to the officers.

Marilyn says his "intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners" ... but it sounds like cops are still taking a closer look.

'1000-Lb Sisters' Star Tammy Still On the Outs w/ Jerry ... But Not Over Pansexuality

"1000-Lb. Sisters" star Tammy Slaton got left in the dust by her on-screen boyfriend, Jerry, after revealing she was pansexual -- but the guy didn't dip over that ... TMZ has learned.

Jerry Sykes tells us ... yes he did leave Tammy and end their relationship -- as depicted in Monday night's episode on TLC -- but it's not for the reason everyone may think ... namely that she revealed she's attracted to all types of people, which seemed to throw him off.

"LOVE IS LOVE"
TLC

You'll recall ... Tammy made the reveal, which was teased in a clip over the weekend. Jerry seemed especially dumbfounded Tammy said she'd date a transgender person. Once the episode aired, viewers found out he ended up breaking things off and moving out.

Not only did it upset Tammy, but viewers were left wondering about the timing -- y'know, since Tammy had just come out and been honest about her sexuality earlier in the episode. He wants to set the record straight though ... this ain't over pansexuality.

Jerry says he needed a break because he felt guilty about a previous relationship -- his marriage, no less -- and had to make amends there before he could proceed with Tammy.

As of February -- some three to four months AFTER the pansexual episode was shot -- we're told Jerry and Tammy were still not romantically involved. It's unclear if they're still communicating at this point ... but whatever he had to deal with then is still being handled.

Jerry's at-home drama lies in his estranged wife, Kia Russell-Rucker Sykes ... who tells TMZ she found out about Jerry's relationship with Tammy through TV and friends -- which came as news to her when she first learned about it, sometime during season 1 last year.

Kia says they separated, and she believes Tammy's a homewrecker. That said, she says she and Jerry still talk ... and that he helps her out financially. Seems like they're on decent enough terms -- especially since Jerry came back to deal.

Now, as for whether there's any future reconciliation with Tammy on the horizon ... it doesn't sound like there is, at least not for now. Jerry tells us his issues with Kia still make it difficult for him to be there for Tammy the way she needs.

Ex-'Bachelorette' Clare Crawley Reunites with Dale ... So Much for that Split!!!

'Bachelorette' star Clare Crawley and Dale Moss are hanging out again after their break-up ... hitting a bar in Florida less than a month after going their separate ways.

TMZ's obtained these pics of Clare and Dale inside Nokomo's Sunset Hut in Nokomis, FL ... we're told they walked in together Tuesday and even hugged a few times.

Folks who were there tell us Clare and Dale downed a couple of Moscow mules as they hung out by the bar for about 45 minutes, then they left together and walked down the waterfront.

No reports of hand-holding, but you can see in the pics ... there was no social distancing going on between them.

It's pretty interesting to see Clare and Dale enjoying each other's company once again. Remember, he ended their long-distance relationship last month ... after she quit in the middle of her season of "The Bachelorette" because she knew she wanted to be with him.

Unclear who initiated this reunion, or if this is a full rekindling of their relationship -- but for all you hopeless romantics ... we're saying there's a chance.

Phil Collins' Ex More of His Things Must Go!!! ... 2nd Auction Coming Up

Auctioning off a bunch of Phil Collins' stuff was so nice, his ex is doing it twice ... including more of his awards and memorabilia.

Orianne Cevey's gearing up for round 2 with Kodner Galleries in Florida after raking in more than $2 million earlier this month for her collection of mostly jewelry, accessories and clothing ... but also awards and records belonging to her famous ex-hubby.

Orianne's second auction will be more of the same, including Phil's 1989 International Rock Award for MVP Drummer ... which is a bronze sculpture of Elvis on a marble base. It's expected to fetch between $1,000 and $10,000.

Also up for grabs -- Collins' Gold Award for selling 100,000 copies of his 2002 album, "Testify" ... a hand-signed Nick Faldo framed photo from the 2018 Masters ... and 2 autographed Yahama portable player docks -- one signed by Phil, and one by Shania Twain.

It's an interesting mix of Phil stuff for sure, but we're told Orianne's likely to rake in the most money from her expensive jewelry, watches, clothes, purses, cell phone cases and coins.

As we first told you ... she hauled in $22k for multiple gold LPs and "Assorted Phil Collins Awards" at the last auction, which she unloaded after moving out of Phil's mansion and downsizing to a smaller house.

BTW ... 10% of the proceeds for Orianne's auctions will be donated to the Never Give Up Foundation.

This, folks, has become an uber-bitter split.

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