Reality TV

Carole Baskin's rescue org says Jeff Lowe is not being a cool cat or kitten when it comes to obeying a court order over Joe Exotic's old zoo ... and she wants a judge to step in.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ, Big Cat Rescue claims Jeff is not complying with the court order from June, when a judge granted the rescue org control of the exotic animal park.

In the docs, Carole's org says Jeff is blowing off payments due under the order... including missing a June deadline to hand over certain insurance paperwork, and isn't forking over payments that were supposed to begin in July. The org wants him found in contempt of court.

According to the docs, the org also claims Jeff's funneling money from the zoo into his own separate company, and the org rips him for filming reality shows on the property instead of complying with the court order.

The two sides had a contempt hearing set for this week, but Jeff said he couldn't show up due to health issues ... and a judge agreed to reschedule the hearing. We're told Jeff missed the hearing because he thought he contracted the coronavirus -- 2 tests eventually came back negative for COVID-19 -- and he remains ill and will continue to quarantine as a precaution.

Sources close to Jeff tell TMZ ... the order was handed over to Jeff's attorneys the day it was issued, and the demands were impossible to meet ... making it more likely Jeff could get charged with contempt. His camp thinks that was Carole's intention.

Sources say the org is demanding Jeff take out a $5 million insurance policy on the zoo for the next two months, but we're told Jeff feels Carole knows that's impossible to obtain.

Kim Kardashian and Larsa Pippen just aren't as close as they used to be ... and that's what triggered a conscious unfollowing between them.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Kim quietly stopped following Larsa on Instagram at the end of last year when she made a decision to unfollow EVERYONE, and bring her following count down to zero.

We're told Kim felt she needed a fresh start, social media-wise, and wanted to start over by following only accounts of her family and childhood friends -- all to reduce her feed, and keep a clear headspace.

Most folks thought Kim and Larsa were still super close -- until they noticed this week they weren't following each other anymore -- but our sources say the ladies' friendship simply grew apart over time because life got in the way.

We're told there was no drama between Kim and Larsa -- and the rumors floating around LP messed around with Kanye West or Tristan Thompson are not true.

Our sources say Kim is focused on getting Kanye healthy, her 4 young kids, law school and juggling her 3 business. Larsa, meanwhile, says she's focused on her kids, her new fitness line and her "relationships in real life."

Our sources say Kim and Larsa are just in a different place in their lives, and while they're not as close as they used to be, they have no ill will and still stay in touch. Case in point ... we're told Larsa recently visited Kim in Los Angeles.

Kim Kardashian and Meek Mill's prison reform chat -- along with philanthropist Clara Wu Tsai -- looks like it was exactly that, plus some grub ... based on a photo of the meeting that really upset Kanye West.

Here's the photographic proof ... Kim and Meek really did have a meeting on prison reform in 2018 at the Waldorf Astoria restaurant in L.A.

Kanye tweeted Tuesday he didn't believe the meeting was legit and insinuated Kim was there to hook up with Meek. The photo makes it clear ... this was a meeting, and nothing more.

What's unclear is Kanye saying he's been trying to divorce Kim ever since. Remember, during his off-the-rails campaign rally in South Carolina Sunday ... he raised the issue of divorce several times.

Of course, the photo just backs what we already knew and what Meek himself stated on Twitter when he wrote about Kanye's allegations ... "Sh** is cappp cmon ....." In other words ... it's all BS.

We broke the story ... friends and family are deeply upset and concerned about Kanye because they believe he's in the grips of a bipolar episode.

Kim broke her silence earlier this week by publicly acknowledging he's in the middle of a serious mental health issue, describing how "incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand" ... but also voiced her continued support of her husband.

"Keeping Up with the Kardashians" is NOT documenting any of Kanye West's current bipolar episode -- and the order came down from Kim herself ... TMZ has learned.

Production sources tell us ... as soon as Kanye went off the rails, Kim made the decision none of it would be used as a storyline on the show. We're told the series had just recently started shooting again after a lengthy hiatus because of COVID.

Our sources say Kim takes her husband's mental health very seriously and doesn't want it exploited for ratings or good TV drama -- some things are off the table, and this is one of them. That policy extends to her kids too ... we're told production was told not to profile any of them during this ordeal because she wants them to avoid seeing it down the road.

With that said, we're told she and other family members are still filming ... but they're simply following other storylines right now. We're told they were out in Malibu Wednesday shooting for the show.

Fans of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" can rest assured they'll get their fix for a new season soon enough -- and even better ... it'll look like the show they know and love, but with tweaks to accommodate these crazy times.

Production sources tell TMZ ... 'RHOA' got back to filming in-person this week, but they did it with a safety plan in hand -- one they'll continue using as the season progresses.

For starters, we're told everybody on set -- including the cast and crew members -- all get their temperatures checked every day before shooting starts. If anyone shows any COVID-19 symptoms or has a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher ... they can't film. Plain and simple.

There's more the showrunners are implementing to keep folks safe -- we're told the plan is to film the housewives themselves in more outdoor locations, rather than congregating inside if they can help it. They'll also keep the ladies away from large crowds and stick to their immediate families as much as possible. Only essential crew members -- camera people, hair/makeup, etc. -- will be around the housewives, and only when necessary.

Another thing during filming ... mask-wearing, for the production crew anyway. We're told everyone behind the camera will have one on while working, but it's unclear if any of the on-camera talent will wear them. The state of Georgia is kinda in limbo on the issue -- ATL's Mayor is trying to mandate them, but the Gov.'s suing to stop her.

At any rate, the good news is that the show's gonna look a lot more like viewers are used to in seasons past -- unlike this past season's reunion, which was shot digitally from everyone's home. That was all fine and good, but people tune in to see in-person reactions/fights.

As for who's coming back ... it'll be the familiar faces people have gotten to know of late -- Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burruss, Porsha Williams, Kenya Moore. There'll be some new cast members too ... actress Drew Sidora and Youtube personality LaToya Ali.

The jury's still out on if longtime fan fave NeNe Leakes is coming back -- word is she's still in negotiations.

Kim Zolciak says she's smoothed things over with Marlon Wayans over his infamous "White Chicks 2" diss ... it's all water under the bridge now, but masks almost got in the way!!!

We got Kim and hubby, Kroy Biermann, at LAX Wednesday and our camera guy wanted to talk about her Instagram post with Marlon, which shows them hugging and masked up outside Nobu in Malibu.

Kim tells us why she captioned the pics, "WhiteChicks All Love ❤️ @marlonwayans" ... she says they bumped into each other outside the fancy seaside restaurant, and Marlon asked if she was still mad about his old "White Chicks" dig.

It's kinda funny ... Kim says she almost didn't recognize Marlon because everyone's wearing masks due to the pandemic, but she doubled back and they had a productive chat.

Quick refresher on the Kim and Marlon beef ... Wayans came under heavy fire back in 2018 after posting a photo of Zolciak and making a wisecrack about her appearance with a reference to his 2004 flick with his brother, Shawn, where the pair played undercover FBI agents dressed as white women.

Fast-forward to this week, and Kim tells us things between her and Marlon are good, now that time's passed and he's made what her husband termed a "prideful apology."

Remember, Marlon didn't apologize for the joke at the time ... but now he's made nice with Kim and Kroy.

Tamar Braxton's family is puzzled by her boyfriend's actions the night of her apparent suicide attempt ... and they're alarmed by his influence over her emotions.

Sources connected to the Braxton family tell TMZ ... Tamar's boyfriend, David Adefeso, had seen the pilot episode and promo late last week for her new reality show, 'Get Ya Life!' ... and he was very unhappy.

We're told David got angry about the show's content, and how he was portrayed in it -- and his reaction, in turn, made Tamar upset.

TMZ broke the story ... when David called 911, he took time to explain Tamar had issues with WeTV that came to a head in the hours leading up to him finding her unresponsive in their Ritz Carlton hotel room.

Our sources say Tamar's relatives find it strange David was discussing details of her alleged network beef while she was desperately in need of medical attention. We're told the family believes it's further proof David was the one who really had issues with the show's editorial choices.

Tamar's family has noticed a change since she started seeing David ... according to our sources, who say Tamar's mood swings tend to align with how David's feeling. They also say he's very involved in her business decisions.

As for David's portrayal in the pilot, someone who's seen the episode tells us David, at times, comes off as demanding and controlling.

In the episode, we're told Tamar decides to go on a spiritual healing journey, which includes no sex for 45 days, something that really upsets David.

It's hard to deny that tension is played up in the promo. During one scene, Tamar and David are arguing behind a locked door and Tamar yells, "David, stop!" before producers barge into the room.

There's rampant animal mistreatment at the 'Tiger King' zoo -- this according to federal authorities -- but Jeff Lowe says the findings are misleading and unfair.

The USDA recently completed an investigation into the GW Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma, and faulted the zoo for not providing proper veterinary care for the lions, tigers and bears. Lowe calls BS on the USDA's report, though ... and claims it's out to get him.

Here's some of what inspectors found according to the report -- a 16-week-old lion cub named Nala was lethargic, depressed, and so thin she wouldn't get up from a sitting position even after prompting. The cub was immediately removed from the park and taken to a vet.

Lowe claims Nala was actually rescued from Tim Stark -- who was also featured on the 'Tiger King' series -- and the zoo spent a fortune trying to nurse her and others back to health.

Other examples of neglect -- according to the report -- include 2 geriatric wolves suffering from arthritis. The USDA says the zoo was "not following the instructions of the veterinarian to provide medication and bedding for the wolves."

The inspectors also say there was also a grizzly bear found to be extremely thin and a black bear that appeared to be underweight ... and both bears reportedly exhibited heightened aggression.

But, Jeff claims the report doesn't acknowledge that "many of the animals that we house here are at the end of their lives and suffer from arthritis and do lose some weight toward the end of their days."

He insists the wolves are receiving treatment and the bears are in their proper weight class, and claims they were recently deemed in good shape by local authorities and the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife.

Finally, the USDA claims the charred remains of a 17-year-old tigon, along with a dead tiger, were discovered in a large pile of primarily wood debris in the back of the park. The report says, "There is a foul odor of decomposing flesh and many flies are present on the boards and surrounding areas."

Lowe did not address the dead animals, but maintains the GW Zoo has weekly vet visits and prior to this report ... received 5 clean inspections from the USDA.

He tells us he thinks the 'Tiger King' documentary painted a poor picture of the zoo. Lowe claims all of the incidents listed by the USDA in its June 22 report have since been corrected.

Joe Exotic's old 'Tiger King' zoo might have human remains buried there after all -- at least that's what Jeff Lowe thinks -- and some cadaver dogs are allegedly pointing there.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Jeff contacted the same company that visited the GW Exotic Animal Park a couple weeks back for a second opinion, and this time FOUR cadaver dogs came and gave a positive alert.

We're told the hounds -- 4 different dogs at 4 different times -- picked up the scent of human remains ... once again, by the alligator pit.

Our sources say the company swears by the accuracy of its dogs and believes the local sheriff's deputies didn't take this seriously earlier in the month, and handled the excavation incorrectly to boot.

We broke the story ... 2 cadaver dogs were previously brought to the zoo as part of an episode of Zak Bagans' "Ghost Adventures" and picked up a scent near the same gator pit.

However, law enforcement found no human remains -- just some animal bones that appeared to be the skeleton of small animal with a tail -- and considered the matter closed.

Our sources say Jeff and co. want officials to come by again for a more thorough investigation ... because the cadaver dog owners are doggone serious something's up.

As we reported, sources connected to Joe say he scattered ashes from several bodies on the property -- because the people who died wanted it that way -- but that's it.

Tamar Braxton was seething mad with her TV network bosses leading up to her apparent suicide attempt -- that's what her boyfriend claimed during his 911 call.

According to the recorded call Tamar's boyfriend, David Adefeso, explained to the dispatcher ... the singer had been having trouble with WeTV -- and he explained how the issues came to a head before last Thursday before he found her unresponsive in their hotel room.

According to David's 911 call -- made Thursday night from the Ritz Carlton in downtown L.A. -- Tamar also left a note before her apparent attempt to take her own life, and he claims she was mixing alcohol with medication she uses to treat anxiety and depression.

Tamar's reality show, "Braxton Family Values," airs on WeTV and she's reportedly been upset with producers for using her childhood trauma -- alleged assaults and rape -- to boost ratings.

As we reported ... EMTs found Tamar unconscious inside her room when they arrived, and she was rushed to the hospital. She's since improved to stable condition.

Heather McDonald and former 'RHOC' star Jim Bellino are on the same page, legally speaking -- they've settled his lawsuit against her ... TMZ has learned.

According to a joint statement released by Jim and Heather ... they've "reached a settlement of the dispute on mutually satisfactory terms." The joint statement also says Heather "never intended to cause any of the damage" to Jim's reputation or that of his business.

Jim, the ex-husband of 'RHOC' star Alexis Bellino, sued the comedian in June 2019, claiming she "shamelessly dished and peddled unsubstantiated gossip" about his divorce with Alexis on an episode of Heather's podcast, "The Juicy Scoop."

Heather, who used to appear on "Chelsea Lately" before starting her podcast, previously secured a victory in the defamation suit back in March, when a judge granted her motion to dismiss the lawsuit ... but Jim appealed.

Teresa Giudice is heartbroken for the New Jersey judge who sent her and her hubby to prison ... after what appears to be a targeted murder at the judge's home.

The 'RHONJ' star's attorney, James Leonard, tells TMZ ... Teresa was "devastated" by the news this weekend -- namely, that a gunman disguised as a FedEx employee made his way into Judge Esther Salas' home and shot and killed her son. Judge Salas' husband was also shot but survived.

Leonard says, "Knowing Teresa the way I do, I think if she were to have an opportunity to see Judge Salas, I think she would hug her and pray with her." He doesn't believe his client will attend the funeral but says Judge Salas and her family are in Teresa's thoughts.

He adds, "This is such a horrific tragedy, I know that the entire legal community is shocked and devastated and praying for Judge Salas and her family."

Judge Salas, who was not injured in the gunman's attack, presided over Teresa and Joe Giudice's criminal cases back in the day -- sentencing her to 15 months in prison, and Joe to 41 months behind bars.

Kanye West's off-the-rails campaign stop Sunday in North Charleston, South Carolina may not only hurt Ye politically, he has concerned, upset and alarmed many of his friends and the Kardashians ... sources connected to Kanye tell TMZ.

Our sources say those around him believe Kanye is in desperate need of professional help and is in the middle of a serious bipolar episode, but he won't listen to them.

We're told they also believe Kanye is tanking some of his businesses, if not all of them, with rants like when he went on about Harriet Tubman, claiming she did not free slaves. His family and friends know comments like these are the things that trigger boycotts.

Suffice it to say ... we're told the family is upset that Kanye talked about Kim's first pregnancy and how they discussed abortion, something he says he wanted. Then he blurted out that Kim might divorce him for saying that, but even if she does, he'd thank her for having North.

It's curious he mentioned divorce ... it's usually a topic married folk don't say out loud unless it's been discussed. Whether it was or not ... between Kanye's Forbes interview and Sunday's rally ... you gotta think it puts a strain on the relationship.

BTW ... we're told there's not much concern that Kanye's comments will adversely affect Kim's businesses. We're told their money is separate and her and Kanye's brands are distinguishable.

Master P has a simple, but controversial, solution to Nick Cannon's problems ... and firmly believes he should not have apologized for his anti-Semitism.

The No Limit mogul was in Bev Hills when we asked him about the fallout from Nick espousing the anti-Semitic remarks made by Professor Griff and Minister Farrakhan. Master P repeatedly took a pass on addressing the "hurtful and divisive" words Nick admits he used -- but did say, "I hate that Nick Cannon apologized. He shouldn't have did that."

His explanation for that is, basically -- Nick wouldn't have to say he's sorry if he didn't have to worry about losing jobs. Watch the clip. That's what he says.

Of course, that dangerous theory suggests anyone who owns their own business or TV show, should be able to say anything they want ... without consequence.

Remember, Nick said Griff was "speaking truth" when he said, back in 1989, Jews were responsible for spreading most of the world's wickedness -- and even Cannon now acknowledges that stance was horribly anti-Semitic

As you know ... the backlash against Cannon began when he made anti-Semitic remarks on his podcast, got called out, and then dropped by ViacomCBS. About 24 hours later, he changed his tune after speaking with Rabbi Abraham Cooper and issued a seemingly sincere apology to the Jewish community.

Interestingly, the 'Masked Singer' host says that move resulted in Black people turning on him ... calling him a sellout for taking back his comments and deleted that episode of his podcast.

Master P says if Nick's a good person who has good intentions, there's no need to apologize.

'Love & Hip Hop' star Mariahlynn claims her ex and his new GF beat the crap out of her and a pal with a bat and blade, leaving them bloodied and battered ... this according to cops.

Law enforcement sources tell us the reality star filed a police report this past week alleging she and a good friend of hers were ambushed by Mariahlynn's former boyfriend, whom she says had invited her over to his place in the Bronx to hash things and make peace.

We're told Mariahlynn described an incredibly horrific sequence of events to police ... she said as soon as she and the woman she was with arrived at the ex-boyfriend's apartment, they were immediately jumped by both him and his new girlfriend, who allegedly pulled out a blade and even used a bat to beat the two women before they escaped.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Mariahlynn was punched in the face, kicked in the back of her leg, dragged by the hair and held down so the other woman could pile on. We're told Mariahlynn's friend was beaten with the bat and brutally attacked too.

We’re told Mariahlynn has multiple contusions, a fractured leg, a cut face and a black eye. TMZ obtained photos of injuries Mariahlynn claims resulted from the alleged beatdown -- as you can see, they're gnarly.

Our law enforcement sources noted visible injuries to Mariahlynn and her friend -- listing the alleged crimes as felonious assaults. We're told neither the ex-boyfriend nor his alleged accomplice has been arrested -- NYPD cops are currently investigating.