Dave Chappelle More Netflix Comedy Coming ... 4 New Dave-Produced Specials

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Netflix is turning the page from Dave Chappelle's 'Closer' controversy by staying in business ... with Dave Chappelle, and rolling out new comedy specials with his fingerprint all over 'em.

Dave and the streaming platform announced a new standup comedy series Friday called, "Chappelle's Home Team" ... which will focus on comics handpicked by DC himself. The first of 4 episodes are set to drop February 28, featuring Earthquake.

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DAVE'S ANNOUNCEMENT

Remember, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos refused to remove "The Closer" last year when LGBTQ groups, and others, accused Chappelle of transphobia and staged several protests at Netflix HQ.

Sarandos said the company fully supported all comedians' right to express themselves ... and stood by Dave. The new specials are proof positive of that continued partnership, which has been extremely profitable for both parties.

He's released 10 standup specials on Netflix since 2016 and, by some reports, has made north of $200 mil.

While Dave won't be doing standup in the new specials, he is executive producing them and will do the introductions. After Earthquake, who's opened for Dave on the road, the 2nd episode features Donnell Rawlings, another one of DC's close friends.

Kanye West Your Honor, I Object to Kim's Divorce Plans

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Kanye West is not down with Kim Kardashian getting an order divorcing him and restoring her single status ... and he's now made his objections known to the judge.

Kanye's new legal docs are in response to Kim's petition to get the judge to declare her single before all the custody and property issues are resolved. That's scheduled to happen early next month, but now Kanye's lawyer is objecting.

As for why ... Kanye's lawyer seems to be worried Kim might remarry and move some of their assets to her separate accounts. Kanye seems agreeable to Kim becoming single stat, but only if safeguards are in place so the assets remain as marital property.

Kanye's lawyer says he wants 3 conditions, all of which his lawyer claims Kim has rejected.

1. If either of them dies, he wants to make sure any money that might be owing to either gets reimbursed.

2. Kanye wants to block Kim from transferring assets out of any trust they created.

3. He wants Kim to waive their marital privilege pending a final custody decision. This is interesting ... he wants to ensure any communications between the 2 of them can be part of the court record. He also wants to make sure, if Kim remarries, she would waive any spousal privilege between her and her new husband ... in other words, he wants to make sure any conversations between her and a new husband, as it relates to custody, would be fair game in court.

As we reported, there's a prenup that keeps all of their property separate, so it's unclear why there would be alarm on Kanye's part.

The reality here ... it's almost certain the judge will restore Kim's single status next month.

Floyd Mayweather Debuts NASCAR Team ... At Daytona!!

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Floyd Mayweather conquered boxing ... and now the legendary pugilist is taking his talents to a totally different sport -- auto racing -- by launching his own NASCAR team, TMT Racing.

The 50-0 boxer is debuting The Money Team Racing ... with 23-year-old up-and-coming driver, Kaz Grala behind the wheel of the #50 car.

And, yes, the #50 was no accident ... it represents Floyd's flawless record.

TMZ Sports recently had a chance to talk to Grala, just days before their debut race, about working with TBE.

"It's really cool. Really, really cool," Kaz says.

"[Floyd's] been talking about getting into NASCAR for a couple years here, and everyone wondered 'who's their driver gonna be?' It's pretty surreal to be the guy that they picked to pilot the 50 car for their maiden voyage."

But, TMT wasn't just given a spot in Sunday's Daytona 500 -- the Super Bowl of stock racing -- because of Floyd's fame ... they had to earn it on the track. And, that's exactly what Grala did Friday night at Daytona International Speedway.

"Making this race is an accomplishment in itself. It's one of the premier sporting events in the country each year. So, it's a huge victory just to be in the race and make it there," Grala told us.

But, as cool as it is, Kaz says Mayweather and the team aren't content with simply being in the race -- which goes down Sunday afternoon on FOX.

Now they've made the field, and they wanna win!

"Heck, we got a shot at winning a Daytona 500 on Sunday. What more could you ask for?"

Ex-NBA Star Josh Smith I've Dropped $65K On My Tattoos ... 'Maybe More'

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Ex-Atlanta Hawks superstar Josh Smith says covering his body in ink was not cheap -- admitting this week that it all cost him around $65,000 ... and maybe even more than that.

The former NBA player was chatting about his tattoos with Inked NBA when he made the stunning revelation ... explaining he "probably spent that much for real."

Smith says the tattoos were that expensive -- though he did add that he was including airfare and other fees for his artists that were associated with getting the ink.

Smith, though, clearly thinks it's all worth it -- because in the long talk with the outlet, he gushed about his tats and what they all mean to him.

Smith said he has nods to Atlanta on him, his parents, his kids -- and even said he has Chuck Taylors on his shoulder as well.

The 36-year-old said he doesn't really have plans on stopping anytime soon either, but he did say he would likely never put the needle on his face.

As for whose ink he respects around the NBA now -- Smith shouted out Jayson Tatum, LaMelo Ball and Kevin Durant for the tats they have on their skin.

DaBaby's Lawyer Bowling Brawl Lawsuit is BS!!! DaniLeigh's Bro Making Shameless $$$ Grab

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DaBaby's lawyer wants to make a couple things VERY clear -- DaniLeigh's brother has no basis to sue the rapper over that bowling alley brawl -- and the whole thing smells like a shameless cash grab.

Drew Findling, who reps DaBaby, says it was Brandon Bills who first initiated threats against DaBaby when he told our photog last year he wanted to fight, saying, "It is offensive that this alleged victim threatened and instigated violence and has now used this incident to make a quick money grab."

Findling believes cops should stop wasting their time with the criminal investigation, because BB's decision to immediately file a civil lawsuit is a clear sign ... he's all about the Benjamins. Beyond that, Findling says a criminal case would be laughable.

TMZ broke the story, DaBaby and his team outnumbered Brandon Bills in a beatdown at a CA bowling alley last week ... a beatdown that had everyone slipping and sliding down the lane.

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BOWLING ALLEY BRAWL

Cops are indeed investigating it as a possible assault with a deadly weapon. In the meantime, DaBaby and his crew have been banned from the alley.

Findling added ... "Garbage like this has no place adding to the backlog and wasting law enforcement time and energy."

IKYMI, things between the rapper and Brandon heated up, seemingly after DaBaby and his child's mom, DaniLeigh, got into a fight ... she was arrested on 2 counts of assault.

They have since tried to co-parent their daughter, but it seems like it'll be a long long time before they're one big happy family ... if ever.

Prince Harry My Kids Aren't Safe in the U.K.!!!

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Prince Harry is putting his children's security first, saying he doesn't feel safe bringing them to the U.K. because they won't get the kind of protection he had before leaving his royal duties.

The Duke of Sussex's attorney, Shaheed Fatima, repped him Friday morning in the High Court in London during a hearing to reinstate Harry's family's protection. She expressed Harry's concern that the security arrangement put in place when he and Meghan Markle left the royal family in 2020 is inadequate for Archie and Lilibet.

When they removed themselves, the family lost their public-funded protection in the U.K ... and have paid out of pocket for their security while in America.

However, they were also told they couldn't buy British police protection with their own money.

Harry now fears his children won't be safe in the place he calls home. His lawyer added, "It should go without saying that he wants to come back: to see family and friends and to continue to support the charities that are so close to his heart."

Harry and Meghan have recently been raking in the cash ... an estimated $100 million deal with Netflix, and a deal with Spotify for somewhere north of $25 million. So, with all that revenue, why not use it to buy a private security force?

One downside of that option would be the lack of government intelligence ... which the U.K. police could offer.

After a sketchy incident went down with Harry last July -- getting chased by photographers while driving through the streets of London -- he began the process of trying to get a legal review of his security arrangements.

For now, though, Queen Elizabeth's great-grandkids won't be coming to Buckingham Palace to see her.

Supply Chain Disaster 1,100 Porsches Torched on Cargo Ship

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Looks like the ship hit the fan, turning supply shortages from bad to worse.

A burning ship holding about 4,000 cars -- with 1,100 Porsches -- has been floating in the mid-Atlantic after crew members were evacuated ... according to the Portuguese Navy.

The ship departed from Germany on Feb. 10 and was scheduled to arrive in Rhode Island Wednesday before the fire broke out. The 22 crew was safely evacuated from the burning ship via a helicopter.

An automotive enthusiast website, The Drive, reported the ship was also carrying 189 Bentleys. There were a total of 3,965 vehicles from the Volkswagen Auto Group (which owns Porsche, VW, Audi, Bentley and brands) on board ... so all in all, it's a disaster.

Demand for vehicles like these has been insanely high, but supply has been limited because of the pandemic ... with ships stuck out near harbors all over the globe, waiting to dock.

The fire is active but under control, says the captain of the port of Horta on the Azores island of Faial. Talk about burning rubber.

Brad Pitt Sues Angelina Jolie ... You Secretly Sold Winery to Russian Oligarch!!!

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Brad Pitt says Angelina Jolie double-crossed him by secretly selling her interest in a winery they jointly owned ... sold it to a Russian oligarch, and he's now suing her to undo the deal.

Brad's legal docs, obtained by TMZ, are part of their never-ending divorce war. The 2 bought Chateau Miraval in Correns, France back in 2008.  Brad says he invested a ton of money and time in the winery over the years, although he acknowledges Angelina plunked down 40% of the $28.4 million purchase price.

Brad says he alone made the winery successful because by 2013 she wasn't doing much in that department. He claims they always had an understanding ... neither of them could sell off their interest without the other's consent.

Fast forward to 2016 ... Angelina filed for divorce and it became super contentious.

Last July Angelina went to court and told the judge she had reached an agreement to sell her interest to an unnamed person. Pitt says in September he agreed to allow Angelina to pursue the sale but made it clear ... he was not consenting to the sale, but rather would give thumbs up or down to the proposed buyer.

Brad says in October he was shocked to learn a company called Tenute del Mondo -- a subsidiary of Stoli Group (the vodka co.) -- controlled by Russian oligarch, Yuri Shefler, bought her interest in the winey.

He says Angelina never sought his consent and intentionally kept the terms of the deal from him.

Brad says Shefler has wreaked havoc on his ability to run the winery.

A source close to BP tells us, "Unfortunately, this is another example of the same person disregarding her legal and ethical obligations. In doing so, she has violated the rights of the only person who poured money and sweat equity into the success of the business by purporting to sell both the business and family home to a third-party competitor."

They continue, "She is seeking a return on an investment she did not make and profits she did not earn.”

Brad now wants the judge to undo the deal. He also wants damages.

We reached out to a rep for Angelina ... so far, no word back.

Justin Bieber Offering Up Tour Giveaway To Fans That Support Good Causes!

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Justin Bieber is shelling out some sweet VIP upgrades for fans attending his highly-anticipated world tour ... and all they gotta do to win is help make the world a better place!

JB's Justice World Tour is just around the corner, and the singer is offering up some serious incentives for fans who get involved with causes to help criminal justice reform, voting and climate action.

As for what the prizes include ... fans can score VIP seat upgrades, and even a meet-and-greet with the man himself in Paris.

The tour -- which is hitting more than 20 countries -- is teaming up with activist group Propeller to give away these sweet prizes to Beliebers. Every night on tour, Justin and co. will be raising awareness of multiple causes -- some local, some global -- and by signing petitions or donating, fans will be entered to win a ticket upgrade... moving to some of the best spots in the house!

Justin isn't shy when it comes to helping out ... you'll recall, Bieber partnered with Canadian donut chain Tim Hortons, boosting their drop in sales back through the roof!

Propeller and Justin's tour site have the full list of charities and organizations they're promoting, and they're urging fans to get involved ... who knows, maybe you'll meet the Biebs in return!

Drake Check Out My New Custom Owl Bling ... With Nod To Adonis!!!

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Drake's got some new custom bling on his finger ... and it even comes with a shoutout to his kid.

Celebrity jeweler Alex Moss tells TMZ ... he just finished up a lucky No. 11 ring for Drake, made of gold and diamonds.

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NEED SOME REALLY BIG RINGS

The No. 11 is significant ... it's the day Drake's son, Adonis, was born ... and the jeweler says Drake wanted to incorporate the date in the design.

As you see, there's also owl imagery ... with the bird's wings wrapping around to form the ring. It's par for the course for Drake, who uses the owl because his brand "OVO" resembles an owl face.

We're told the bling cost $77,000 ... it weighs in at 83 grams, with 14 karat gold and 15.7 carats of VVS D-F natural diamonds.

The jeweler toiled over the piece for about 2 months ... and we're told it was a gift to Drake from Kai Bent-Lee, the restaurateur and son of famous Canadian celeb chef Susur Lee.

Sweet gift!!!

Justin Bieber Holier Than Thou!!! Singer Saves Donut Chain

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Justin Bieber deserves an attaboy for saving a coffee chain ... with a hole lot of ingenious promotion.

The Biebs partnered with a Canadian coffee chain called Tim Hortons, and boy did they need help. Sales fell 11% in 2020, largely because of the pandemic. It needed some life support ... enter Justin Bieber.

JB and Hortons created a line of doughnut holes with a name mashup -- Timbiebs Timbits. Justin himself was heavily involved in selecting the flavors, and they did not disappoint -- white fudge, sour cream chocolate chip and birthday cake waffle.

Well, talk about a turnaround. A year later the company has seen a rise in sales to the tune of 10.3%, and Company Prez Jose Cil credits his partner for the major uptick, saying "I'm a Belieber!"

BTW ... Tim Hortons' parent company owns Burger King and Popeyes, so if there's a trickle-down effect you can also thank Bieber for your Whopper or Chicken Sandwich.

BTW ... in addition to rising sales, Justin helped bring in younger donut fans. No surprise, with 220 million followers. When Justin says go try my holes, people listen!

There have been a bunch of celeb endorsements of restaurants recently ... Mickey D's recently had deals with BTS, Saweetie, Mariah Carey and J Balvin.

Bieber was genuinely a fan of Tim Hortons ... especially the donut holes, so maybe his endorsement sounded more authentic than most.

Like we said ... holier than thou!

Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant Rare Signed Jersey Card Hits Auction ... Prev. Sold For $516k!!!

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The two greatest shooting guards in NBA history are featured on a super-rare, SIGNED jersey card ... and now's your chance to own it.

TMZ Sports has learned ... a basketball card featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant has hit the auction block with PWCC Marketplace ... and could come with a massive price tag.

This piece of NBA memorabilia features both superstars' John Hancocks ... as well as a piece of both Jordan and Bryant's game-worn jerseys.

PWCC describes the card as "the single most desirable" card from Upper Deck's Series 2 release in 2000 ... and the first to feature both Black Mamba and His Airness.

The card's in great shape -- it's been stamped 9/10 on the grading scale ... and has been preserved in a Beckett 8 holder to ensure it remains in mint condition.

PWCC Exec Jesse Craig tells us it's very rare that an item like this comes up to auction ... and that only 10 copies of this card were made.

"One of the things that is just so impressive about this card is that it exists at all," Craig said. "Jordan was an obvious legend by this time, but Kobe’s greatness was just getting started."

"We look back at the totality of the careers now and the connection is obvious, but at the time it still required some imagination to craft an asset such as this."

MJ and Kobe became tight over the years ... and the Chicago Bulls legend even spoke at Bryant's funeral in February 2020.

The PWCC auction is currently live ... and ends on February 19. No official word on what the card will go for, but we're told this same card recently sold for $516k!!!

Best of luck, bidders!!

Ja Morant Surprises Sister With New Jeep ... For Valentine's Day!!

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Ja Morant held his sister down on Valentine's Day, hooking up his younger sibling with a brand-spankin' new Jeep Wrangler ... a car she's wanted forever!

The Memphis Grizzlies star -- one of the most electric players in the league -- captured the heartwarming moment on video, posting a clip surprising his younger sister, Teniya, on his Instagram Monday.

Morant and Teniya were hanging out in a parking lot when a brand new white Jeep -- with a red bow -- pulled up, and her reaction was priceless!

Teniya immediately started crying tears of joy ... and she gave her brother a big hug before walking over to the whip in disbelief.

The 22-year-old guard was all smiles ... saying, his sister had "been asking for a Jeep for the longest."

And, with V-Day here, and her birthday just around the corner, Ja thought it was time to give the extravagant gift ... which starts at about $30K!

"Happy Valentine's Day and early birthday lil sis," Morant said.

BTW ... Ja isn't the only hooper in the fam. Teniya plays ball, too. She's a junior at Houston H.S. in Tennessee.

Morant, who was recently named an All-Star starter, now also receives the Brother of the Year Award.

Prince Andrew Settles Sexual Abuse Lawsuit ... With Epstein Victim Giuffre

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Prince Andrew settled a lawsuit with a woman who claimed the royal had sex with her when she was a minor.

According to new legal docs, the Duke of York and Virginia Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement after she brought suit against Andrew.

As we reported ... Giuffre claims Andrew had sex with her 3 times when she was still a minor -- in London, New York and the Virgin Islands -- but he categorically denied the allegations.

In the docs, Prince Andrew's legal team says he intends to make a "substantial donation" to Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights. There are no specific financial details included in the docs.

There's a photo of Prince Andrew, Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell ... though Andrew says he doesn't recall taking the pic.

In the docs, Andrew says he regrets his association with Epstein and commends Giuffre and other survivors for their bravery in standing up for themselves and others.

The Duke's legal team says Andrew "pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims."

Oscar De La Hoya Gifts GF Holly Sonders Ferrari ... For Valentine's Day

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RED HOT GIFT

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya pulled out all the stops for his girlfriend on Valentine's Day ... by gifting her a freakin' Ferrari!!

TMZ Sports is told Holly Sonders -- who went public with ODLH back in August -- initially thought her man was blowing off the special day with a TV show filming and a round of golf with the bros ... leaving behind a Hermes bag and a diamond bracelet to make up for his absence on the special day.

As it turns out, there was one more gift -- an even bigger gift -- on the way ... and when Oscar got home, he told Holly to go out to the garage.

That's when the big finale was unveiled ... a beautiful red Ferrari SF90 Stradale was waiting for her -- with a bunch of roses sitting on top!!

Check out the vid -- Holly is clearly thrilled with the gesture ... recording herself as she takes a seat in her new whip.

Holly says the car is worth $1 million ... but seeing that smile on her face?!? Priceless.

'TINDER SWINDLER' SIMON LEVIEV I Can Make it in Hollywood ... Trust Me!!!

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Simon Leviev is looking to turn his "Tinder Swinder" fame into a legit career, because he wants to break into Hollywood.

Sources close to Simon tell TMZ ... he's already signed with a talent manager, and wants to write a book, star on a dating show and host a dating podcast. Yeah, no shocker ... the guy's got big plans.

Simon's new Hollywood manager is Gina Rodriguez with Gitoni Inc, and we're told they've already discussed a bunch of plans to parlay his newfound Netflix fame into profit and an entertainment career.

We're told Simon's idea for a potential dating show includes women competing for his love ... and he's interested in sharing dating dos and don'ts on a potential podcast.

As you know ... Simon's the subject of the new Netflix documentary in which women -- and law enforcement -- claim he flaunted a lavish lifestyle to women on Tinder, and once he got them hooked, he would convince them to "loan" him money.

When they did, he'd ghost them and allegedly make off with their dough.

Almost like a Ponzi scheme, the Netflix doc claims Simon would use one woman's funds to wine and dine the next, and so on. All told, Simon allegedly swindled over $10 million from his alleged victims before his 2019 arrest.

So, why in the world would anyone trust him -- in or out of Hollywood???

Our sources say Simon is claiming the Netflix show got him all wrong, and he's looking to clear his name. It'll be an uphill battle, for sure -- but as you know if you've seen 'Swindler' -- that's never stopped him before.