Reality TV

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro denies ever wielding a knife against his baby mama, Jen Harley, in their latest alleged domestic violence incident ... and insists he was only out to protect their daughter.

Sources familiar with the matter tell TMZ ... Ronnie is adamant he NEVER picked up or threatened Jen with a knife during their latest domestic disturbance in L.A. ... which required the cops to come out, break down a door and tase him in the end.

We're told Ronnie only confronted Jen because he was afraid she was trying to take their daughter away from their Airbnb rental home ... which surveillance footage from a neighbor's house seems to support, on the surface anyway.

TMZ broke the story ... Jen looked pretty terrified as she sidled up to the neighbor's home with 1-year-old Ariana in hand, attempting to open the trunk of the neighbor's car.

'Black Ink Crew' star Sky Days ain't having it with NYC taxi drivers who allegedly cut her off in traffic ... as evidenced by this video of her ready to fistfight one of 'em.

Sky jumped out of her vehicle and got right in the cab driver's face, Friday afternoon on Madison Ave. The video starts just as Sky bum rushes the guy -- but sources familiar with the situation say it started with a reckless move from the driver.

We're told Sky was absolutely losing it because the taxi had nearly sideswiped her vehicle. Watch the video ... seems like Sky was about to throw down -- 'Black Ink' fans know she's not afraid to get in the mix.

Cassandra Waldon, the very first "Big Brother" contestant to enter the house on the U.S. version, has died.

Cassandra passed away on September 25 ... apparently from injuries related to a car accident in Rome. A source at the United Nations -- where Cassandra worked -- tells TMZ ... she was struck by a car about 2 months ago, and suffered a head injury. We're told she never regained consciousness before her death.

Julie Chen, the host of "Big Brother," remembered Cassandra as a standout houseguest from the debut season in July 2000. Julie posted on Instagram, "Thank you for bringing your intelligence, warmth and wisdom to the Big Brother house Season 1."

She is the answer to the trivia question -- who was first to walk into the 'BB' house? That's kind of a double-edged sword ... as some fan blogs also point out she was first to fall victim to the so-called "First to Enter Curse."

No one who's entered first -- on the U.S. or Canadian (non-'Celebrity') versions -- has ever won the competition. Cassandra finished 6th out of 10 houseguests.

Cassandra worked at the UN as its Director of Communications for the International Fund for Agricultural Development. She was living and working in Rome when the accident happened.

We're told her funeral will be held next weekend in her home state of Maryland. Cassandra was 56.

Tyler Cameron's not crying a river over Gigi Hadid following their break-up ... thanks to a soft landing in a new high-rise apartment that looks a lot like bachelor heaven.

We're told the ex-'Bachelorette' star moved into the swanky One Manhattan Square downtown NYC luxury condos ... a brand-new, 847-foot-tall tower with 72 floors that offer sweeping skyline views. And, that's just the beginning.

It's easy to see why Tyler went berserk after moving in ... the building offers world-class amenities: a bowling alley, cigar room, adult tree house, 75-foot swimming pool, 24-hour doorman/concierge, dry cleaning, valet, wine room, theater room and golf simulator. Siiiiiiick.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is back with Jen Harley ... again.

We got the on-again, off-again couple Thursday afternoon after dining out at IL Pastaio in Bev Hills ... and the 'Jersey Shore' star told our photog he's patched things up with Jen after their latest breakup.

As we reported ... Jen moved out of Ronnie's Vegas crib last month after accusing him of cheating, a claim people close to Ron strongly denied.

Zak Bagans is trying his darndest to bring more spirits to his Haunted Museum ... because he just dropped a huge stack of cash on the famous ghost trap from "Ghostbusters."

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... he spent a whopping $310,000 for a haul of "Ghostbusters" memorabilia that includes the Hero Ghost Trap used to capture Slimer and Gozer.

Zak also got a bunch of props and costumes Harold Ramis used in the 1984 classic -- such as Dr. Egon Spengler's jumpsuit, utility belt and boots, plus a proton pack shell!!!

But, the ghost trap is the pièce de résistance among Zak's new additions. He dropped $230k alone to score that piece of movie history from Prop Store ... a huge auction house.

Mama June's home where all sorts of bad and crazy things happened is on the market, and you won't believe how it's been rehabbed.

As we reported, the Hampton, GA home is where June's BF, Geno, got in his car wasted, drove in the gated community and ended up crashing into their driveway. He was so intoxicated he had to be carried into the house.

It's also where June and Geno had a massive garage sale. The pics showed the house in shambles.

Well, check out the digs now. It was almost like 'Extreme Home Makeover,' where contractors came in for 3 days and made the house look brand spanking new.

Things must be getting serious with GF Josie Canseco ... 'cause Brody Jenner tells TMZ Sports he wants to meet her daddy, Jose ... and even hit some dingers with him!!!

Jenner's been dating the ex-MLB slugger's daughter for the since last month following his breakup with Kaitlynn Carter ... and the 2 have been pretty much inseparable ever since.

Now that things are picking up steam, we asked the DJ out at LAX if he's met Josie's parents yet ... and he says he hasn't -- but WANTS to!!!

"I haven't met him yet ... Am I nervous? It's always nerve-racking when you're meeting the pops. But, Jose, he seems like a good guy, right?" Jenner tells us.

Mama June's family hasn't given up on her ... despite the fact she seems done with them. The fam wants to grab just a couple minutes with the reality star in what can best be described as a Hail Mary.

Sources close to June tell us her sister, Joanne, has spearheaded an effort to get June away from her BF, Geno. The next step, they say, is getting June professional help she desperately needs for her addiction issues. They know ... unless Geno's out of the picture, it's all futile.

June and Geno were in court in Alabama Wednesday when Geno lashed out, shouting slurs at photogs. We spotted a film crew documenting Joanne's efforts to help her sister.

In our video from the parking lot, Geno hugs a woman -- that's Joanne -- and you see her follow June and Geno go to their car ... as she begs June to grab lunch and talk. It's all to no avail because June slams the door in Joanne's face.

Joey Fatone's pulling back the curtain on how to survive "The Masked Singer" -- take a chill pill. Sounds simple, but just watch ... it's far from it!

We got Joey out at LAX and had to get his take on how to endure the elaborate costumes the 'Masked' contestants wear on the hit FOX series. As you know by now, Joey was the popular Rabbit singer during season one, and eventually finished in fourth place.

For future contestants, Joey says one thing that's inevitable is the constant sweating because they're in the costume for up to an hour at a time. So, don't sweat the sweat.

Even something as simple, normally, as taking a bathroom break becomes a great adventure. Joey says the whole experience created some very morbid thoughts in his head -- but overcoming his claustrophobia is the only thing that saved him.

Dog The Bounty Hunter has been diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition ... only 3 months after his wife Beth Chapman lost her battle with cancer.

Dog makes the stunning revelation on an upcoming episode of "The Dr. Oz Show" ... revealing he's been diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism.

In the clip, Dr. Oz tells Dog he's a "ticking time bomb" before offering this sobering message ... "You're not going to be here with the heart the way it is right now."

Dog says he learned of the scary diagnosis after he was rushed to the hospital a week and a half ago with chest pains.

Vinny Guadagnino thinks another "Jersey Shore" star should follow in his footsteps and headline the Chippendales show ... and it's Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino.

We got Vinny in New York City and asked how Mike's doing since his release from prison. Vinny says it's great to have the whole "Jersey Shore" family back together again, and Sitch is looking shredded.

Vinny's still committed to the keto diet and tells us Mike is following suit. But, that's not all they got in common ... Vinny says Situation's background as a stripper, plus his rock-hard abs, makes him the perfect candidate for Chippendales!!!

"Kings of Pain" star Adam Thorn served up his arm as a snack for a massive python ... all in the name of measuring pain.

Adam -- a wildlife biologist and cohost of the new series on the History channel -- was extremely apprehensive about the ordeal ... as he and his cohost, professional animal handler Rob "Caveman" Alleva, traveled to a jungle and volunteered to get bitten by a 16-foot reticulated python.

How apprehensive were they? The duo brought out protective cups and face shields. Gotta protect the family jewels and faces that feed the fams. Anyway, watch the python lock on to Adam's arm. Warning: this is NOT for the squeamish. The snake's teeth got stuck in Adam's arm and the bite created an absolute bloody mess.

Obvious question ... WHY?!? The guys say they're following in the footsteps of Dr. Justin Schmidt -- an entomologist (insect scientist) who, in the '80s, put himself in harm's way to create a sting pain index. Adam and Rob wanna do the same but aim to take it beyond insects.

"Gypsy Sisters" star Kayla Williams' 1-year-old grandson is on a ventilator in the hospital after a scalding hot bath left his skin covered in second-degree burns.

Kayla tells TMZ ... the terrifying incident went down Sunday morning at her daughter Sissy's home in West Virginia when Sissy's son, Henry, was given a bath by his 7-year-old stepsister. Kayla says Henry's stepsister put him in the tub after letting hot water run without turning on any cold water, and the results were horrendous.

According to Kayla, Henry's stepsister quickly realized what she did and turned on the cold water, but it sent Henry into shock ... plus he was badly burned.

Kylie Jenner is suffering, and has been for several days, with an intense illness that required her to check into a hospital this week ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us Kylie was admitted to an L.A.-area hospital. One source described it as severe flu-like symptoms -- which included nausea and dizziness.

We're told Kylie was supposed to present at the Emmys on Sunday night ... along with her sisters, Kim Kardashian West and Kendall Jenner, but she was way too sick to make the appearance.

Former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Peter Thomas is pulling the plug on his North Carolina sports bar ... and it's all because the place is dealing with some tax issues.

According to federal records, Peter's Sports One Bar and Lounge in Charlotte was hit with a tax lien for nearly $237,000 ... and now the establishment is closing its doors after racking up a huge debt.

Sources close to Peter tell TMZ ... the bar didn't have enough money to stay afloat after committing funds to other projects, and the place fell behind on its taxes. We're told Sports One Bar and Lounge will be shuttered for 3 to 6 months while Peter and the bar's legal team clear everything up and pay down the debt.

It's been a rough year for Peter ... as we first reported, he was arrested in Miami back in March on an out of state warrant for allegedly writing a $4,000 check that bounced.