Reality TV

Clare Crawley's journey on "The Bachelorette" is a short one, it turns out, and now her replacement, Tayshia Adams, will be the 2nd black leading woman on the show.

TMZ has confirmed the 39-year-old 'Bachelorette' (who was getting a second shot at love) apparently found her perfect match early on during taping. Sorry, spoiler alert -- but there's been a buzz about it for a couple days.

In light of Clare finding her perfect dude ... producers have decided to switch up the storyline -- bringing in Tayshia, who competed on Colton Underwood's 'Bachelor' season, and then went on to appear on "Bachelor in Paradise." So, she's a familiar face.

Word is that the season will start with Clare's story ... and then pivot to Tayshia. Unclear if the guys who were still standing for Clare will stick around for Tayshia, or if they'll get a whole new crop for her to choose from. Either way, its gonna make for great TV.

Rumors of the change started percolating on social media this weekend, especially after Tayshia teased a possible surprise for Bachelor Nation. Clare is also said to have liked an IG post talking about Tayshia being the new 'Bachelorette' -- a huge signal in and of itself.

Of course, she follows in the footsteps of Rachel Lindsay -- the first black 'Bachelorette' ever -- and it also comes on the heels of Matt James being cast as the first black 'Bachelor' a couple months ago.

Congrats to Tayshia ... and Clare! Again, spoiler alert.

Tamar Braxton's upcoming reality show will still be released, but the network says it's honoring her request and severing ties with her going forward ... following her recent suicide attempt.

WE tv says ... "Tamar Braxton has been an important part of our network family for more than a decade. As she focuses on her health and recovery at what is clearly a difficult and personal time, we will work with her representatives to honor her request to end all future work for the network."

The network adds that it wishes her nothing but the best, and confirms with TMZ that Tamar's new series, 'Get Ya Life!,' will premiere Sept. 10.

Remember, the show was supposed to debut July 30, but got postponed after Tamar's apparent suicide attempt on July 16 at an L.A. hotel. Tamar called it "my attempt to end my pain and my life."

As we reported ... Tamar opened up about the incident, claiming years of mistreatment in reality TV pushed her to the brink. She claims over 2 months ago, she wrote a letter to WE tv asking to be freed from her contract because of the "demise" she was experiencing ... but says her cry for help was ignored.

Sources close to Tamar told us she was upset over her portrayal on the first episode of "Get Ya Life!" and felt she was lied to by producers.

Tamar Braxton is opening up about her attempt to end her own life, claiming her years in the reality TV business and the "toxic, systemic bondage" that dwells there almost killed her ... but now she's healing and speaking up.

Tamar says the July 16 incident was "my attempt to end my pain and my life," and only by God's grace and mercy did she make it out alive.

As you know ... Tamar was rushed to a hospital July 16 after her boyfriend, David Adefeso, called 911 from their hotel room in downtown L.A. EMTs found her unconscious inside her room when they arrived.

Tamar says her pain has been building for 11 years, and had eaten away her spirit and caused her to suffer mental illness. She says over the past 5 years, in particular, she has been overworked, underpaid, taken advantage of and betrayed by reality TV producers. She flat out accuses them ... claiming they "filmed the damage made, for monetary gain."

She says over 2 months ago, she wrote a letter to WE tv -- the network producing her new series, "Get Ya Life!" -- asking to be freed from her contract and explained the "demise" she was experiencing. She claims her cry for help was ignored.

Instead, she says the network pushed forward with the new series, which she says tainted her spirit and her soul. She adds ... "It was witnessing the death of the woman I knew, that discouraged my will to fight. I felt like I was no longer living, I was existing for the purpose of corporations gain, and that killed me."

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... the final straw for Tamar was when she viewed the first episode of "Get Ya Life!" and felt the network and producers did everything they promised they wouldn't ... including portraying her as the "angry black woman" who was choosing a man over her family.

We're also told she was very upset about how her BF, David, was used by the network and came off in the show.

Now, as we first reported, sources connected to the Braxton family told us the family believes it was David who got angry about his portrayal in that first episode, and that's what fueled Tamar's emotions.

First episode aside, Tamar clearly has a bigger issue with reality TV and its treatment of minorities. As she put it, "They promise us opportunity but produce exploitation."

Erik Cowie, one of the ''Tiger King' stars who you saw caring for the zoo's animals, has a nice new set of chompers -- a gift from the man in charge, Jeff Lowe.

Sources close to the GW Exotic Animal Park in Oklahoma tell TMZ ... though Erik interacts with the public daily -- leading tours and answering questions about all the animals -- he has a hard time connecting with people, because he's always been self-conscious about his smile and felt bad about his teeth.

We're told Jeff and his wife Lauren wanted to do something nice for Erik -- who's still the head zookeeper like he was for Joe Exotic -- for all the hard work he does at the park.

So, our sources say Jeff surprised Erik and flew him down to Florida, where he'd arranged for him to get permanent teeth implants installed at Done In One ... which does the job in 48 hours.

We're told the dental center got his mouth all fixed up, and even decided the procedure was on the house. As you can see, Erik's one happy customer.

As you may recall ... Cowie was a sympathetic character in the 'Tiger King' docuseries, as he seemed greatly impacted by Joe's alleged mistreatment of animals. He later testified at his trial that Joe killed older tigers to make space for new animals, and expressed guilt he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Erik's also on record saying he doesn't believe Joe should get out of prison.

BTW, Erik's not the first 'Tiger King' star to get new teeth ... Exotic's ex-husband John Finlay blazed that trail months ago, and almost looked like a whole new person afterward.

The 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' are falling in line with the other 'Housewives' -- they're getting back to work, safely, and Teresa Giudice is reassuming her role as top dog ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the production tell us the Jersey gals are going to begin shooting for their 11th season very soon, much like 'Real Housewives' in Atlanta and Orange County have recently started to do as well. Bravo halted filming on all the shows in March due to the pandemic.

The Jersey cast and crew will go through the same safety precautions as the other shows -- everyone on set gets daily temp checks, folks are encouraged to socially distance and a lot of scenes will be outdoors.

We've heard the crews will be required to wear masks, but it doesn't sound like the cast members will be forced to do so.

As for season 11 storylines? We're told Teresa will be heavily featured again ... especially her co-parenting with her estranged husband, Joe, who's in Italy after losing an appeal in his deportation case last year. Season 10 covered some of the fallout from that, including the family trip to visit him.

We're told Joe and Teresa's frequent FaceTime calls and phone chats will likely be documented -- they're on good terms right now, and there's no hint of a looming divorce, even though they're technically split up. No word on whether Joe's getting his own camera crew in his motherland, but it seems unlikely when you consider the cost.

Tamar Braxton's upcoming reality show premiere is being pushed back by the network after the apparent suicide attempt that sent her to a hospital.

WE tv tells TMZ it's postponing the debut of her new series, "Get Ya Life!," from July 30 to Sept. 10 because of "the current situation" with Tamar.

The network says its first concern is for Tamar's recovery and well-being and the timing just isn't right to debut the new show.

WE tv added, "At this moment we are joining with her fans and sending strength and healing in the hope that she is getting the support and help she needs at this difficult time."

As we reported ... Tamar was rushed to a hospital July 16 after her boyfriend, David Adefeso, called 911 from their Ritz-Carlton hotel room in downtown Los Angeles. EMTs found Tamar unconscious inside her room when they arrived. She was hospitalized and has since improved to stable condition.

David claimed during the 911 call that Tamar was distraught -- and mixed pills with alcohol -- because she'd been feuding with WE tv over her portrayal in the first episode. However, our sources say it was more David who was upset with the way he came off on the show.

Kanye West's bid to appear in the NJ ballot for president is full steam ahead ... TMZ's learned he's filed the necessary paperwork to do just that.

We've learned Ye submitted petitions Monday with 1,327 signatures in his quest for a presidential run. In the Garden State, the requirement for Independent candidates to file for president is 800 signatures. Ye clearly surpassed that ... but from now until July 31 at 5 PM, there's an objection period where someone can challenge the validity of individual signatures submitted. If there are no objections, Kanye gets a place on the ballot.

This, of course, all sounds too familiar. TMZ broke the story ... he's facing a huge hurdle in his home state of Illinois after several objections over the validity of signatures gathered to get on that state's ballot. As we reported ... one of the objectors says he reviewed roughly 3,200 signatures but claims to have found less than 1,000 valid signatures in Kanye's docs. A hearing is set for next week on that issue.

As we've reported ... Kanye's already submitted paperwork to get on the ballot in Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Gary Busey can't make up his mind about quarantine life -- one minute he says it's the best thing to happen to him ... and the next, he's calling it prison.

We got GB Monday at the Malibu News Stand, where he chopped it up with us about how he's holding up during the pandemic ... and more specifically, how he's dealing with being locked down indoors (for the most part, anyway).

First, Gary here starts out by telling us quarantine shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing -- he says it's giving people QT with their loved ones, and he even has a new way to describe F.R.E.E.D.O.M. ... as only Gary could.

No more than a minute or so after his glowing review of quarantine, he seems to change his tune severely when we ask him about his kids and if they're going back to school in the fall.

The 'Real Housewives of Orange County' will not halt production just because one of their own is positive with COVID-19 ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the production tell us ... Bravo isn't hitting the brakes as it continues to shoot the other housewives for season 15 -- despite the fact, Shannon Beador announced last week she and her 3 teenage daughters all recently tested positive for coronavirus.

ICYMI ... the reality star said, "This photo was taken pre-pandemic. Today, we are Covid positive times 4. The girls and I are blessed to be quarantining in the same home (but isolating in separate rooms)."

She added, "A huge thank you to all of the medical personnel that have been patiently guiding us through this illness. Sending prayers to all of those affected. 🙏🏻❤️"

Now, as for why Bravo and the other ladies -- including Braunwyn Windham-Burke, Kelly Dodd, Gina Kirschenheiter, Emily Simpson and newbie Elizabeth Vargas -- are forging on? We're told the team doesn't feel like they're in danger of getting sick.

When production resumed a couple weeks ago, our sources say the above-mentioned women, sans Shannon, took a cast trip to Lake Arrowhead. Because Shannon wasn't there, the others didn't come in contact with her ... and as a result, they're confident in moving forward with current safety guidelines, without having to close up shop again.

Speaking of those ... we're told the precautions being taken right now are similar to those being administered to the 'RHOA' cast -- Bravo's doing temp checks, avoiding filming in crowds and having the crew members wear masks on set. Same stuff across the board.

The only difference here -- an actual cast member is sick -- but not even that can stop the 'Housewives' train.

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.