Reality TV

Kris Jenner single-handedly SEALED THE DEAL to make Khloe Kardashian the new co-host on "X Factor" ... right when negotiations were on the verge of imploding ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the deal tell us ... negotiations had come to a grinding halt because E! and FOX couldn't seem to work out a deal that would allow Khloe to appear on both networks.

We're told "X Factor" was getting ready to pull the plug on talks with Khloe ... when Kris Jenner got word of the hold up and decided to take the bull by the horns.

Sources say Kris "stepped in over the agents ... over everyone" and forced both networks to sit down with her and hash out a deal ... which they eventually did.

As one source puts it, "She just knows how to make sh*t happen."

Mama June wasn't laughing at the way she and her family were portrayed on "South Park" earlier this month ... telling TMZ the way the show focused on her weight was just plain "trashy."

June and her daughter Alana -- aka Honey Boo Boo -- just appeared on "TMZ Live" ... when we asked how they handled being spoofed on shows like "South Park" and "Saturday Night Live."

June's response -- "Me being a big person, I didn't take offense ... that show is just not a show that I would want to be on in the first place."

She added, "Just the way they portrayed the show ... it was kinda trashy."

June, Alana and the rest of the gang were mocked hard in the "South Park" ep -- in which Honey Boo Boo got a heart transplant ... with a pig heart ... after eating too much 'sketti and butter."

Courtney Robertson is about $80k lighter today -- because "The Bachelor" winner finally returned her diamond engagement ring to its rightful owner ... and photogs caught every glorious moment of it.

Robertson -- who called it quits with "Bachelor" Ben Flajnik last week -- hit up a Neil Lane jewelry store in L.A. Sunday to say sayonara to the 3-carat rock.

We're told the ring ended up back at Neil Lane since "Bachelors" and "Bachelorettes" don't foot the bill for their own marital swag -- i.e. when the relationship goes away, so does the bling.

But Court's not shedding too many tears over the loss (of the ring or Ben) -- considering she was recently seen sucking face with "Bachelorette" cast-off Arie Luyendyk Jr.

Ah, love.

Honey Boo Boo = GOLD MINE ... at least according to one Georgia store that's had a record-setting SALES BOOM after it was featured on the show.

TMZ spoke with the owner of Lucy Lu's Boutique -- who began selling HBB-themed shirts after the Boo Boo clan stopped by to purchase a dress on the 4th episode of the show.

If you recall, Honey Boo Boo brought Glitzy the pig to get fitted for an adorable little piggy dress, but Glitzy went crazy ... and the store decided to implement a no-pig policy.

But right after the show aired, Lucy Lu says the store started selling bright-pink HBB t-shirts (below) at $15 a pop ... and in less than a week, they SOLD OUT of all 350 shirts.

Lucy says it's BY FAR the store's fastest selling shirt of all time.

And get this -- Lucy tells us a percentage of the proceeds will benefit two charities: an anti-bullying group AND the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Nobody wants to be a Honey Boo Boo kind of a redneck ... this according to resident redneck expert Larry the Cable Guy.

Larry was out last night in West Hollywood (prime redneck territory) when he told us about the redneck class system ... and explained how the Boo Boo clan sits right at the bottom.

"I'm a redneck ... I'm not a Honey Boo Boo redneck, I'm a Larry the Cable Guy redneck ... there's a big difference between the two rednecks."

Larry explained how there are various "stages" of redneckery -- with Jeff Foxworthy at the top ... and the Boo Boo bunch at the bottom.

Brittany Kerr has been called a lot of things since she was spotted getting hot and heavy with country star Jason Aldean -- most of which we can't repeat -- but now she has a chance to cash in on that infamy ... as a reality TV star.

TMZ has learned the former "American Idol" contestant has received an offer from Wag TV -- the company behind shows like "How Do They Do It?" and "Ancient X Files" -- to star in her very own show.

We're told Wag sent an offer letter to Brittany, touting their relationships with TLC and A&E, in an effort to lure her into doing a show with them.

We're told the basic premise would be to follow Brittany's efforts to break into the music biz.

Don't hold your breath though -- our sources say Brittany will likely turn down the proposition.

First time for everything.

"Real Housewives of Miami" star Peter Rosello was arrested for battery today after socking a homeless man in the balls last week, this according to law enforcement.

20-year-old Rosello -- the son of housewife Alexia Echevarria -- was arrested for simple battery, which was categorized as a felony on the police report because Rosello attacked a homeless person.

As we reported, Florida has a law that classifies attacks on homeless people as hate crimes, meaning they carry stricter penalties.

He's currently being held on $5,000 bond.

TMZ broke the story ... Rosello stupidly posted video of the incident online last week, showing him sneaking up on a sleeping homeless man and punching him in the groin. The homeless man was contacted by police shortly after and the man decided to press charges.

A mother will do anything to protect her kid -- just ask former "Shark Tank" winner Shelly Ehler ... who's picking a fight with a 6'5", 239-pound WWE star after he made her 8-year-old cry.

Ehler -- who scored a $75k investment on "Tank" for her ShowNo towels -- has a serious beef with Alberto Del Rio ... who snatched her son's handmade sign during a WWE event in Anaheim, CA this weekend ... and RIPPED IT UP (or at least tried to).

In the video (above) Del Rio isn't quite strong enough to rip the sign in half (it is cardboard) ... so he takes off small, pathetic, chunks instead.

FYI -- it's standard practice for the wrestlers to interact with audience members "in character." In this case, the sign was pro-Sheamus ... the wrestling arch-nemesis of Del Rio.

But TMZ spoke to Shelly, who says her 8-year-old was terrified by the wrestler's actions and instantly burst into tears. She adds, "Del Rio is a bully. I looked at him and said 'he's crying' ... and he mocked him."

Shelly -- who says her 8-year-old cried all the way home -- vented her frustrations to the wrestler on Twitter and then fired off an angry letter to the WWE.

In the letter she says, "Take signs from adults NOT KIDS! My son was bullied by your superstars and it is not okay."

Despite her demands, Shelly claims she's heard crickets from Del Rio -- but his manager tweeted her back and said, "lol blah blah blah."

FYI -- as soon as Shelly contacted Sheamus about the incident ... he immediately offered to send her son a signed photo and meet with him next time he's in town.

Vinny from "Jersey Shore" was the latest victim of a college prank -- when a student hilariously interrupted a speech he was giving, to ask him a very important question ... specifically how many STD's he got from being on "Jersey Shore?"

Vinny -- who is on a college speaking tour right now to teach others how to overcome anxiety -- was at Niagara County Community College Wednesday ... when he was caught off guard by a prankster planted in the audience.

In the video ... a student uses the very serious Q & A session to ask Vinny a not so serious Q ... mainly, whether or not he contracted any gross diseases from "Shore" -- ya know because of all their sexual shenanigans.

Vinny, in an ironic twist, gets pretty anxious about the whole thing -- and then shoots off some choice words to his new friend.

Linda Hogan isn't gonna let a little thing like NOT having a fiancé stop her from searching for the perfect wedding dress -- and then documenting that search on reality TV show.

Five years after the demise of "Hogan Knows Best," Linda will return to the world of reality to appear on the season premiere of TLC's show "Brides of Beverly Hills" -- even though she's not a bride (or even close to being one).

Sources close to the production tell us, 53-year-old Linda was originally booked on the reality show while still engaged to her 23-year-old ex Charley Hill ... but that relationship bit the dust back in May.

We're told, despite no longer having a wedding to plan for, Linda still wanted to tape her special episode -- which features her "search for the perfect gown."

Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins -- best known for being one-third of 90's girl group TLC -- is getting her own reality show ... and the network making it happen -- is none other than TLC.

Sources close to the production tell TMZ ... the network has ordered four episodes of Watkins' reality show called "Totally T-Boz" which will air on TLC in 2013.

The timing couldn't be better -- considering T-Boz filed for bankruptcy in late 2011 and could probably use the paycheck.

We're told the show will focus on the 42-year-old single mom as she tries to re-launch her music career ... after recovering from the life-threatening brain tumor she was diagnosed with in 2006.

The brain tumor was so bad, once it was removed, T-Boz had to relearn how to walk and talk.

The producers behind "Cops"are being sued by a bitter ex-employee ... who claims he was fired for being TOO OLD ... after 22 years of faithful service.

Steven W. Kiger filed a lawsuit against John Langley's production company ... claiming he worked on the hit TV show for two decades, working his way up to Associate Producer and a $95k-a-year salary, but was unfairly canned in 2010.

In the suit, Kiger believes he was axed because he was over 40 and the show was "purposely ridding itself of older workers" so they could bring in much younger guys.

As proof, he claims an email was sent around by an executive on the show stating, "We look for guys who are hungry, who will work for less $$$."

Kiger is suing for unspecified damages resulting from loss of earnings, emotional distress, anxiety, worry and humiliation.

Calls to Langley have not been returned.

Ain't no thing that "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kim Zolciak was missing from the new season 5 promo shots ... because TMZ has learned KZ is getting her very own spin-off show!!!

In case you missed it ... RHOA debuted their new ads recently and noticeably missing from the group was KZ -- which birthed monstrous speculation that the housewife had been axed from the fifth season (below).

But sources close to the production tell TMZ that KZ will DEFINITELY be in season 5, but only sparingly.

We're told Kim was pregnant during production and producers made accommodations to feature her in the show on a limited basis. Our sources say she was ready to pop when the promos were shot ... ergo her absence.

But Kim's not too beat up about the lack of screen time. We're told her short-term series, "Don't Be Tardy For the Wedding" -- which aired on Bravo earlier this year -- was a ratings hit, so producers decided to give KZ a full-time spinoff of her own, which is already filming in GA.

"Dance Moms" head honcho Abby Lee Miller is offering up health advice to 7-year-old reality star Honey Boo Boo ... telling TMZ, Boo Boo needs to be down with the fitness if she wants to win pageants.

Miller was at the Abbey in West Hollywood when she admitted she wasn't happy with her own weight issues -- but moments later started ripping HBB ... saying she "needs to get in shape. She needs to be at a dance studio. She needs to be training. She needs to work on her turnout."

If you've seen Abby's show, you know she doesn't pull punches -- even with kids -- but we gotta ask ...

Joey Kovar dabbled in the world of professional wrestling before his unexpected death ... and this weekend, TMZ has learned his former colleagues honored his memory with an emotional tribute.

We broke the story ... Kovar joined up with Poww Entertainment in 2010, following his stint on "The Real World: Hollywood" ... and dreamed of someday wrestling for TNA.

Poww's head-honcho Jim Blaze tells TMZ ... Kovar was beloved during his stint with the league, and while he never made it to TNA, everyone respected the guy.

In fact, Blaze (pictured below) took a moment during a show in Illinois this weekend to address the crowd ... saying, "Everyone has demons and addictions ... we need to support each other to help people overcome them."

Well folks, there's a new Sheriff in town ... and what that means for the cast of A&E's hit reality show "Cajun Justice" is ... they're NO LONGER ON A REALITY SHOW.

If you didn't know ... "Cajun Justice" follows Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois and his team of deputies while they fight crime in the swamps of Louisiana ... that is until a new Sheriff took over (after filming wrapped) and decided to CLEAN HOUSE.

The Terrebonne Sheriff Dept. tells TMZ, the new head honcho -- a guy named Jerry Larpenter -- FIRED 24 people on his first day ... including 5 of the 7 cast members featured on the show. An additional 6th cast member quit to support his fellow comrades.

We're told ... not only did the new Sheriff can most the cast, but as of July 1, he banned producers from following ANYONE in his department.

Fortunately for producers, they had already shot enough footage to finish out Season 1 ... but there will be no NEW episodes featuring members of Larpenter's team.

The Terrebonne Sheriff's Dept. confirmed, "We are no longer participating in the A&E show."