Politix

Kanye West is in the throes of a serious bipolar episode, our Kanye sources say, and those around him are concerned it has impacted his decision-making and some of the things he's said in the last week ... sources close to Kanye tell TMZ.

Our Kanye sources tell us, he suffers a serious bout with his bipolar disorder, usually once a year ... and our sources say Kanye's in the midst of one now.

As you know, Ye announced he's running for president via Twitter over the weekend, and also did a rambling interview with Forbes ... which drew harsh criticism, confusion and concern.

Our sources say his family and those close to him are worried, but they believe things will stabilize as they have in the past. The problem here, we're told -- Kanye's proclamations are causing problems.

Of course, Kanye's apparent bipolar episode hasn't kept him from garnering presidential campaign support from the likes of Elon Musk ... who hung with the rapper just days prior to his announcement.

Others are much more skeptical, and that skepticism likely grew in the wake of Kanye's wide-interview with Forbes ... in which he dumped Trump, slammed Biden, revealed he's running as part of a new party called the "Birthday Party," claimed he had COVID-19, pushed an anti-vaxx narrative and talked a lot about God.

What the interview didn't touch on, weirdly, was Kanye's mental health.

President Trump has "Black Lives Matter" all up in his face, metaphorically, as another giant yellow street mural is being completed outside Trump Tower on NYC's Fifth Avenue.

The street mural painting process began early Thursday morning, and a crowd has been gathering to watch. Mayor Bill de Blasio -- a longtime Trump nemesis -- is expected to take part in it at some point, so hard to say this isn't political.

It's unclear if there will also be a BLM protest, but it wouldn't be surprising ... as the project has been harshly opposed by the Prez.

As you may recall ... Trump blasted the plan for the mural last week in a series of tweets in which he said it would be "denigrating" to the luxury avenue and antagonize the NYPD.

He also accused Mayor de Blasio of hating and disrespecting police for supporting the BLM painting, which Trump referred to as a "symbol of hate."

The Mayor responded by saying ... "Here's what you don't understand: Black people BUILT 5th Ave and so much of this nation. Your 'luxury' came from THEIR labor, for which they have never been justly compensated. We are honoring them. The fact that you see it as denigrating your street is the definition of racism."

A statue of Melania Trump near her hometown in Slovenia was torched over the weekend ... and the charred aftermath has now been removed.

The life-size wooden statue near Sevnica was set on fire on July 4, as the First Family celebrated Independence Day in the U.S. ... according to the American artist who commissioned the statue, Brad Downey.

Downey, who's based in Berlin, told reporters the statue was severely damaged and blackened by the flames ... so he had it taken down.

The artist says he wants to know why people did this, and police say they are investigating.

The Melania sculpture -- which features her in a blue coat similar to what she wore during President Trump's 2017 inauguration -- was carved with a chainsaw by local artist Ales "Maxi" Zupevc and unveiled last year.

It had been widely roasted, verbally that is, for not looking anything like the First Lady ... but Downey maintained it was "absolutely beautiful."

Melania's statue being set ablaze is surprising, though. As you'll recall ... her hometown was excited about her new status in America back in January 2017, and Sevnica's tourism industry boomed because of it.

The organizer of a "Trump Supporter Gathering" at the site of slain singer Selena's statue in Corpus Christi, TX is getting shut down by the city, but he's vowing to do it anyway.

We broke the story ... Joe Michael Perez already got threatened with a lawsuit from Selena's dad, Abraham Quintanilla, Jr., for allegedly infringing on her name, image and likeness for the July 11 event. Now, he's also running the risk of becoming a criminal.

Shelly Rios, Corpus Christi's Interim Program Manager for Cultural Services & Special Events tells us ... Perez would normally be issued a "spontaneous demonstration permit" for his planned public event, but it got rejected ... and not because of his politics.

Instead, the problem is the coronavirus. Texas currently doesn't allow for groups of more than 10 people to congregate in a space, so Rios says if Perez and other Trump supporters show up at the statue ... law enforcement will instruct them to leave.

Perez says his group of at least 150 people is defiant, and still planning to go. He says if police arrive, he'll tell them they are there peacefully and won't leave.

As we told you ... Perez has been using a photo of him taken last month -- when he put a Trump hat on the Selena statue -- to promote his Trump-stumping event on Facebook.

Selena's father warned Perez to delete the Facebook event page and stop producing Selena-related merchandise ... or he'd sue him.

Kanye West likened Planned Parenthood to a Satanic baby-killing cult put in place by racist forces, but the org is calling BS ... saying the real threat is talk like his.

ICYMI ... Kanye tackled the issue of abortion during his Forbes interview, saying ... "Planned Parenthoods have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work."

Welp, PP's response comes from Nia Martin-Robinson ... the Director of Black Leadership and Engagement at PP's national HQ. She tells TMZ, "Black women are free to make our own decisions about our bodies and pregnancies, and want and deserve to have access to the best medical care available."

Martin-Robinson adds, "Any insinuation that abortion is Black genocide is offensive and infantilizing. The real threat to Black communities' safety, health, and lives stems from lack of access to quality, affordable health care, police violence and the criminalization of reproductive health care by anti-abortion opposition."

Of course, Ye's expressed similar sentiments before ... in regards to the so-called Plan B pill.

What's interesting here is how at odds he appears to be with his wife, Kim Kardashian, who's publicly supported Planned Parenthood in the past -- notably, in 2017.

Kanye West says he's done supporting President Trump -- but there's even more he's spilling that's just as surprising in terms of his run for the White House. Oh boy, where to begin ...

Ye sat down with Forbes in a verrrry wide-ranging interview, but primarily about his Presidential campaign ... and the would-be candidate declared he's "taking off the red hat." The only specific he offered as to why was that he doesn't like what he heard about 45 hiding in a bunker recently.

He also says, "One of the main reasons I wore the red hat as a protest to the segregation of votes in the Black community." As Kanye's stated before, he hates the fact that Democrats assume all black people have to vote for them.

He added he was down with POTUS because "I like Trump hotels and the saxophones in the lobby."

As for HIS presidential run ... he says he IS serious, and that he's got some unconventional ideas to help get him there. Buckle in, 'cause this gets weird.

He told Forbes he's running as part of a new party called the Birthday Party, because ... "[W]hen we win, it’s everybody’s birthday."

He also says he's having Elon Musk help with his campaign and is considering using him for his own space program. He's already got a VP in mind ... a Wyoming preacher -- and showing a little campaign bravado, he kinda bashed Joe Biden as "not special."

Politics aside, Kanye says he contracted the coronavirus in February -- but didn't say if he learned that from getting tested -- and sounded like quite the anti-vaxxer. He called any coronavirus vaccine "the mark of the beast."

He goes on to explain, "They want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we can’t cross the gates of heaven."

One thing he didn't cover, but clearly relevant for a Presidential candidate, is his mental health. Kanye has publicly said he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he's also said -- notably on "TMZ Live" in May 2018 -- he doesn't take his medication sometimes because it dulls his creativity.

The father of the late singer Selena is going after a man planning a rally for Donald Trump at her memorial statue ... threatening to sue if he goes through with it.

According to a cease and desist letter sent by Abraham Quintanilla, Jr.'s legal team to Joe Michael Perez ... Abraham owns the rights to his daughter's name, image, likeness and trademarks.

He claims Perez is infringing upon all of the above by organizing his "Trump Supporter Gathering" at Selena's statue in Corpus Christi, TX. It's scheduled for July 11, and Perez is using Selena's name and image to promote it on Facebook.

In the letter -- obtained by TMZ -- Selena's dad says her name and "treasured legacy" have never been associated with partisan politics and claims Perez has associated her with Trump without permission by promoting his event ... which features an image from last month of Perez putting a Trump hat on her statue.

Abraham also says linking Selena to a single politician -- "particularly with the divisiveness and discord commonly attributed to Donald J. Trump" -- is damaging to her brand and her name.

The letter also points to Perez using "Bidi Bidi Trump Trump" as a promotional slogan, claiming it infringes upon her famous "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" song ... and accuses him of using her image to sell merchandise, as well.

Selena's father's warning Perez to delete his Selena-themed July 11 Facebook event page -- and stop selling Selena-related gear -- or else ... a lawsuit's on the way.

Perez tells TMZ, he's ignoring the cease and desist letter and ... "We are going to continue with our gathering on July 11 at the Selena Statue in Corpus Christi, Texas to show support for Trump for all races and ethnicities."

Donald Trump's a phony, a liar and above all else -- a cruel and dangerous egomaniac now in charge of America's well-being ... according to Mary L. Trump, the President's niece.

Excerpts from Mary's new book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man" have been released, and in it, she alleges her uncle was the original Felicity Huffman ... and not for acting.

Mary claims Trump cheated on a college entrance test -- the SAT -- by paying someone else to take it for him in Queens, NY ... and that high score helped him get into Wharton Business School at Penn.

Trump's niece, who is a clinical psychologist, also says her uncle developed "twisted behaviors" from an upbringing in the rich and notorious real estate family led by his father, Fred Trump Sr. ... which led to him implementing "cheating as a way of life."

She says his own sister -- Maryanne Trump Barry -- referred to him as a "clown" when he began running for prez, and was baffled by Christians supporting him. According to the book, Maryanne said of her brother ... "It’s mind boggling. But that’s all about his base. He has no principles. None!"

As for 45's cruelty and narcissism ... Mary alleges, before her father -- Donald's older brother -- Freddy, died from an alcohol-induced heart attack in 1981, the family sent him to the hospital alone. Donald, she claims, went to the movies instead.

The tell-all book's publication is being challenged by the Trump family -- who cite a confidentiality agreement from nearly 20 years ago -- but so far ... a judge is NOT blocking its planned release next week. Advance copies have already gone out to several media outlets.

Mary has been estranged from the family for years and is the first Trump member to break ranks and divulge alleged family secrets.

The judge is expected to rule soon on whether or not she violated her confidentiality agreement.

The WNBA is clapping back at a team co-owner who is blasting the league for supporting Black Lives Matter ... in a war that's exploding fast.

The woman at the center of the controversy is Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Georgia) -- a co-owner of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream franchise.

Sen. Loeffler penned a letter to WNBA commish Cathy Engelbert strongly opposing the league's plans to display the words "Black Lives Matter" when the season resumes later this month.

She's also against the WNBA's plan to honor victims of police violence ... including Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland and Vanessa Guillen.

"I adamantly oppose the Black Lives Matter political movement, which has advocated for the defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure, harbored anti-Semitic views, and promoted violence and destruction across the country," Sen. Loeffler said in her letter.

"I believe it is totally misaligned with the values and goals of the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream, where we support tolerance and inclusion."

"The truth is, we need less -- not more politics in sports. In a time when polarizing politics is as divisive as ever, sports has the power to be a unifying antidote," she added.

WNBA commish Cathy Engelbert responded in a statement Tuesday -- clearly trying to distance the league from Loeffler.

"The WNBA is based on the principle of equal and fair treatment of all people and we, along with the teams and players, will continue to use our platforms to vigorously advocate for social justice," Englebert said.

"Sen. Kelly Loeffler has not served as a Governor of the Atlanta Dream since October 2019 and is no longer involved in the day-to-day business of the team."

Translation -- pound sand.

NASCAR's Bubba Wallace just inked a huge endorsement deal with Beats By Dre ... and the company is already stepping up to defend the driver against President Trump.

The audio company -- which already has superstars like LeBron James, Serena Williams and Odell Beckham on its roster -- made the announcement official on Monday ... and wasted no time going to bat for its new athlete.

"We weren’t going to announce this until later this week, but hate cannot win the day," Beats said on Twitter.

Of course, POTUS publicly went after Wallace on Monday ... saying he wants the driver to apologize for the noose "hoax" that sparked an FBI investigation.

Beats added ... "No one should ever be asked to apologize for standing up for what’s right ...We are proud to welcome (Bubba Wallace) to the Beats by Dr. Dre family."

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who's become a prominent leader during quarantine and a potential Biden VP, says she's contracted the coronavirus ... without a single warning sign.

Mayor Bottoms shared her diagnosis Monday afternoon, saying ... "COVID-19 has literally hit home. I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive."

As you know ... Mayor Bottoms was super outspoken about flattening the curve at the start of the outbreak, and then butted heads with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp over when to reopen the economy.

She actually urged ATL citizens to stay home in quarantine when Kemp gave the go-ahead to reopen Georgia.

Rumored to be on the shortlist of potential Joe Biden running mates, Mayor Bottoms also decried the issue of masks becoming a political symbol and urged folks in her fair city to use common sense and good judgment to safely navigate the pandemic.

D.L. Hughley wants to know why so many Americans are incensed by the tearing down of statues of pretty awful people, whose history of oppression is very clear.

We talked to the comedian and author Monday on "TMZ Live" and while discussing his new book -- "Surrender, White People! Our Unconditional Terms for Peace" -- he made compelling points about so-called heroes enshrined all across this country. Some of which, are being taken down right by protesters demanding racial justice.

D.L.'s on the side of protesters who've topped some of those statues, and demanded cities remove others ... because, as he put it, most of the ones in question salute brutal slave owners or someone who oppressed people of color.

Case in point ... James Marion Sims, who's been hailed as the Father of Modern Gynecology.

As D.L. notes, the guy did shocking experiments on black women -- and without anesthesia -- and yet, he has statues erected in New York, South Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Hell, he even spits facts about Honest Abe ... who voiced some racist thinking years before he was the Great Emancipator.

If you're unfamiliar with the quote, Abraham Lincoln said in 1858 ... "And inasmuch as they (blacks and whites) cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be a position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." That's an actual quote!

D.L. puts it quite plainly -- why the desperate desire to celebrate American history that is steeped in Black pain? And, why do so many people cling to upholding that tradition? It's a fair question.

President Trump has now resorted to attacking Bubba Wallace, claiming the driver owes his bosses at NASCAR an apology for sounding the alarm over a noose that was found in his garage -- going so far as to call it a "hoax."

45 tweeted out the outrageous message Monday morning ... "Has @BubbaWallace apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid, stood by his side, & were willing to sacrifice everything for him, only to find out that the whole thing was just another HOAX?" He added, "That & Flag decision has caused lowest ratings EVER!"

What Trump didn't say ... the garage in question was the ONLY one that had a rope fashioned like a noose. Trump, of course, has no regard for how an African-American driver might react to a symbol of hate, death and racism.

As for why Trump is suddenly pissed off 2 weeks after the incident came to light ... well the Team Trump car with "Trump 2020" emblazoned on it crashed during the 16th lap.

So, Trump is focused on racist, confederate flags and other symbols. Coronavirus ... for him, it doesn't exist. Racism ... well, he seems to embrace it.

And BTW ... NASCAR's ratings are up.

Kanye West's been having some very good days lately ... and it looks like he wants to make "West Day Ever" the next extension of his booming brand.

The apparent presidential candidate is much better at filing paperwork with the trademark office than he is with the Federal Election Commission ... because he filed docs last month to slap the 'West Day' slogan on clothing and shoes.

Ye, however, has yet to officially register to run for Prez despite his announcement over the weekend.

As for "West Day Ever" ... Kanye filed trademark docs on June 26 covering more than 100 different types of apparel -- t-shirts, hoodies, tracksuits, bomber jackets, turtlenecks, jumpsuits, g-strings, beanies, blazers, infantwear, footwear and everything in between.

The date is significant because it was the same day news broke that the rapper landed a 10-year deal with Gap to launch a new clothing line called Yeezy Gap.

That was when Kanye first tweeted the slogan, saying ... "YEEZY AND GAP FORM PARTNERSHIP #WESTDAYEVER."

He's since used the hashtag to promote the release of a shoe and new music, as well -- and it will likely be a big part of his 2020 campaign ... whenever that starts.

Of course, Kanye needs to do a lot more than just distribute some hats and shirts. He still needs to register with the FEC, present a campaign platform and collect enough signatures -- not just Elon Musk's -- to get on the November ballot.

A statue of Frederick Douglass was ripped from its base and damaged beyond repair in New York ... and the timing makes it look like revenge for the recent toppling of Confederate monuments.

The famed abolitionist's statue was torn down Sunday in Rochester's Maplewood Park, a site along the Underground Railroad where slaves were ushered to freedom with the help of Douglass and Harriet Tubman.

Police say the statue was found 50 feet from its pedestal and suffered damage to the base and a finger.

The damage is bad enough that another statue will have to take its place ... according to Carvin Eison, a leader of the project that brought the statue to the Rochester park.

The act of vandalism took place on the anniversary of one of Douglass' most famous speeches -- "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July" -- delivered in the city on July 5, 1852.

In the speech, Douglass called the celebration of Independence Day a sham in a nation that enslaves and oppresses Black citizens. Douglass said to a slave, the day "reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim."

Eison believes the statue being toppled might be a retaliatory act due to the "national fever over Confederate monuments right now," and called it disappointing.