Reality TV

Kanye West appeared for the first time on "The Kardashians" and he came off as the hero, as Kim Kardashian sobbed after he retrieved the hard drive containing her full sex tape video.

It's a fascinating encounter ... Kim and Kanye were going through their divorce at the time, but he seemed like family as he first interacted with a very grateful Kris Jenner before watching Kim unzip the suitcase that contained the hard drive.

Ye flew from New York to L.A. to meet Ray J at the airport, and that's when Ray presented Ye with presumably all the raw video.

As you know, there were stories floating around that another sex tape was in the offing ... something that alarmed Kim enough to sick her lawyer on whoever was about to release it.

Turns out the hard drive was proof positive, no other footage exists ... therefore, no new sex tape.

The interaction between Kanye and Kim is interesting ... they seem to have a real connection ... something that later evaporated as Kanye went in hard on Kim's new BF, Pete Davidson.

Tokyo Toni is putting a hard stop to folks who say Blac Chyna is violent ... insisting she's not and never has been.

We caught up with Tokyo Toni, Wednesday at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse and she told us, her daughter isn't a threat to anyone. Toni says Blac Chyna is not that kinda girl. She was quick to add, the Kardashians are the violent ones, saying their show, 'KUWTK,' proves it.

TT tells us ... they're all trying to paint her and her daughter as crazy people, but in reality, they are just standing up for their rights.

Toni might have a hard time convincing some folks because she's had issues of her own.

Remember ... Tokyo was actually banned from the courtroom after firing shots at the Kardashians on Instagram live. She dug herself into a deeper hole after threatening the judge for kicking her out, saying ... "I'm gonna get that judge".

We should note, TT later backtracked and said she was referring to Kris Jenner when she used the word "judge" -- not the actual one in court ... though in context, that makes no sense.

As we reported, Black Chyna is suing the Kardashians for $100 mil ... for allegedly getting her 2017 reality show, with Rob Kardashian, canceled.

Melissa Gorga says she's on good terms with Teresa Giudice despite all the bad blood between her husband and her sister-in-law on the upcoming 'RHONJ' reunion show.

We got the 'Real Housewives' star leaving 1 Hotel West Hollywood and asked her about the state of her relationship with Teresa, who was seen arguing with Joe Gorga backstage in a preview for the reunion.

Melissa says all the fighting on camera doesn't change the fact she, Joe and Teresa are all family ... which to her means they're always on good terms. Seems blood is thicker than water for Melissa.

It's a pretty interesting response from Melissa ... considering she was on 'Watch What Happens Live' just last week, telling Andy Cohen she and Teresa haven't spoken since the reunion.

Still, it's clear there are lingering issues between Melissa and Teresa, which appear to come to a head during the reunion ... she tells us they don't speak to each other unless cameras are rolling.

The preview even shows Joe storming off the set after telling his fellow cast members, "I'm done, f*** you people" ... Melissa says it's a sign of how crazy the reunion show has become 'cause the men are now the ones walking off in a huff.

Rob Kardashian says his relationship with Blac Chyna started when he was going through the worst part of his life, and says he didn't even love her when they got engaged ... all during bombshell testimony.

Rob took the stand Wednesday in the case between Chyna and his family. He said things in his relationship with Chyna happened fast ... and thought she was right for him because she accepted him when he was going through his "lowest point."

He testified things went south quickly, and when he asked her to marry him, he didn't even love her ... "It wasn't real love. I had a baby with this girl."

Rob testified Chyna beat him at least 5 times over the course of their relationship. He continued, "I had a gun held to my head several times by this woman. That's not love."

Rob also detailed the night when Chyna allegedly strangled him with a phone cord, saying she'd been doing cocaine and drinking all night. He says the incident caused him to hire full time security out of fear for his life and for his daughter, Dream.

As we've reported, all of Rob's sisters, except Kendall and Kourtney, have taken the stand over the last couple of weeks. During Khloe's testimony, emails she had allegedly sent E! execs were read in which she expressed concerns Rob and Chyna's turbulent relationship could hurt the family brand ... she also suggested she might leave 'KUWTK' if the volatile behavior continued.

In other testimony, Kris Jenner and Corey Gamble say they believed Chyna had posed a very real threat to Rob's life ... Gamble says he intervened one night during a nasty fight between the couple -- where Chyna allegedly threatened to kill Rob.

Chyna's suing the family for $100 million ... alleging they torpedoed her "Rob & Chyna" show and in turn, caused her to lose out on a ton of money.

This season of "The Masked Singer" has been plagued with security issues ... and with the season finale approaching, the team is doing everything it can to keep a lid on the show's best-kept secrets.

Our sources say fans and paparazzi have been outside the studio, trying to snap pics through cracks in the fence -- some have even climbed on top of cars to get shots over the barricade.

We're told the studio has seen an increased swarm of people at the entry gate, and it's creating headaches for producers as they try to deal with everyone trying to sneak a peek.

To avoid leaks, the set designers stepped up in a big way ... they worked closely with the 'MS' security team and used set pieces from past performances to build a makeshift barricade outside the studio!

Sounds like lugging giant sets outside and repurposing them as a blockade was an exhausting ordeal, but ended up being worth the effort. Producers were worried that one open sliver would give photogs the shots they were after ... but luckily no pics made it to the light of day.

Blac Chyna is getting some serious law enforcement protection as she battles the Kardashian family in court ... getting a personal escort from Sheriff's Deputies as she navigates the courthouse.

Check out the video, you see Chyna and her team surrounded by at least 3 deputies during a courtroom break Wednesday. Our law enforcement sources tell us it's standard for all parties involved in high-profile cases to be provided security during their trials.

This means the Kardashians have the same protections as Chyna -- including a private room they are taken to during breaks -- and armed security that stand outside the door. There were reports only the family had protections, which clearly isn't the case.

Wednesday's testimony hasn't been as explosive as other days, Corey Gamble and Chyna's former attorney, Walter Mosley, have taken the stand so far.

"Selling Sunset" has been hit with another COVID setback, star Maya Vander tells us she's tested positive and has given her castmates a heads-up that it's possible they could've been exposed during the show's reunion.

Maya says she tested negative on Friday for the show's reunion taping on Sunday. She tells us she began to feel ill on Tuesday, and has now tested positive. Out of a precaution, Maya says she let her castmates who were filming with her Sunday that she has COVID, just in case there was a chance of exposure.

However, Vander traveled from L.A. back to Florida Sunday after the filming, so she believes there's a chance she got it on the plane ... as she never had any symptoms prior to Tuesday.

Luckily, Maya says she's feeling ok and just has some body aches. She says everyone else on the cast is feeling fine.

Of course, Maya's positive test comes on the heels of COVID controversy with "Selling Sunset" villain Christine Quinn. Quinn skipped out on the show reunion after her rep told us she tested positive for COVID on Saturday.

That positive test became much more interesting when TMZ obtained photos of Quinn at a photoshoot from Tuesday -- just 3 days after her alleged positive COVID result -- and leading many to believe she faked having COVID to avoid confrontation at the reunion.

The CDC recommends someone who tests positive should remain in isolation for at least 5 days following a positive test.

"Selling Sunset" star Christine Quinn missed the reunion show Sunday because she says she had COVID, which makes this photo of her on a film set Tuesday very interesting.

We've obtained a photo of Quinn on her phone, while crew members stand around her to prepare for a shot. What's interesting ... it's 'RHONJ' star Melissa Gorga seated next to her.

Unclear what this gig entails, but her rep told us Monday Christine had to miss the "Selling Sunset" reunion over the weekend after testing positive for COVID on Saturday.

Of course, the CDC recommends ... someone who has tested positive for COVID should isolate for at least 5 days. Quinn's obviously not doing that, and while one of the crew members is masked up, Christine isn't.

If you've followed the most recent season of "Selling Sunset," you know Christine is the show's villain -- so when TMZ broke the story she'd have to miss the reunion because her rep said she had COVID, a ton of the show's fans thought she might've been faking it to avoid confrontation with the other cast members.

At this point, we're hoping she was faking COVID, cuz showing up to work just a few days after a positive test doesn't seem to be a very safe way of doing business.

Caroline Schwitzky, famous for appearing on ''90 Day Fiancé," survived an alleged murder attempt by her boyfriend after witnesses say he tried to strangle and drown her ... this according to law enforcement.

Officers for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission say the alleged murder attempt went down Sunday in West Palm Beach, FL ... where witnesses told police Caroline and Cole Goldberg, whom she says is her boyfriend of 1 year, got into a heated argument on a boat.

According to the report, obtained by TMZ, witnesses told cops Caroline tried to get away from Cole, but he was holding and aggressively grabbing her to keep her onboard. The struggle went on for around 20 minutes, and then Caroline began punching Cole's arms to free herself.

Officers say they were told Caroline eventually managed to break free and jump off the boat, swimming toward a nearby boat. Cole apparently jumped in after her, caught up to her in the water and allegedly tried to push her under.

Witnesses also claimed Cole grabbed Caroline by the throat with both hands, attempting to strangle her while holding her under the water in a rage.

The people who claim they saw it all go down told officers ... they screamed at Cole to stop, to no avail ... he kept holding Caroline underwater.

According to the report, several people from a nearby boat jumped in the water to rescue her. They managed to pull Caroline up and away from Cole, and even used a stick to keep him at bay.

Officers arrested Cole for attempted first-degree murder. He was also hit with a battery charge.

The report says Caroline, a CEO of a Miami talent agency who appeared on "90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever After?" back in 2016, also had bruises on her arm.

According to jail records, 23-year-old Cole was booked just after midnight Monday and was released a few hours later after posting a $60,000 bond.

Khloe Kardashian just had her time on the stand, revealing she thought Blac Chyna's potentially dangerous behavior could damage the family's brand ... and even made her reconsider continuing to film "Keeping Up with The Kardashians."

Both Khloe and Kim Kardashian testified Tuesday in L.A. During Khloe's testimony, she said wanted to protect her brother from the “outrageous/chaotic/violent behavior" stemming from his relationship with Chyna, adding ... "we were all considering not being a part of such toxicity."

Alleged emails Khloe had sent were also presented, one read, “We are even considering not moving forward with our show if theirs continues, that’s how strongly we feel this is damaging to our family" another email to E!, Khloe mentioned the Rob and Chyna's relationship was potentially hurting the family brand.

BTW, Khloe didn't deny sending the emails, but insisted she was referring to Rob and Chyna's relationship and NOT their show.

Kim's testimony wasn't as exciting, as she said she couldn't remember a lot of the details that were brought up ... but one alleged message she had sent read, "Chyna can never be on her show." Kim clarified that message on the stand, saying her texts are often voice-dictated, and she meant to say "OUR show" ... meaning 'KUWTK.'

Blac Chyna isn't getting a fair shake in her $100 million legal war with the Kardashians over her now-canceled reality show ... so says her good friend, Laura Govan, anyway.

We caught up with the former "Basketball Wives" star Monday at LAX and she thinks the odds were stacked against Chyna winning this case from jump street.

Laura also defended Chyna's lack of contribution to society -- referring to her admission she hasn't paid taxes in years -- saying she's far from the first American to ignore Uncle Sam.

Laura, who shares 3 kids with ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas, is set to produce and write her upcoming "Co-Parenting" series and thinks Chyna and Rob Kardashian should focus on their daughter's well-being, That said, she does admit this latest saga is fit for primetime TV.

No lack of plot twists, that's for sure -- as we reported, Chyna's requesting a do-over in court because she claims the "revenge porn" portion of the case triggered her PTSD and ruined her testimony.

There's also Kylie's all-but-damning recount of BC allegedly slashing ex-boyfriend Tyga with a knife and sending threatening text messages to Kylie herself.

Blac Chyna wants another shot to go under oath in her case against the Kardashians -- claiming the revenge porn pics shown to her during her time on the stand screwed up her testimony.

The model and influencer's legal team just filed court docs asking the judge to grant her another opportunity to take the stand to testify about her damages claim, and they want all the testimony after she was shown the photos to be stricken from the record.

The reason ... her attorneys argue that the Kardashians' lawyer presenting her nudes to her -- while they were questioning her about the TRO she took out against Rob -- was triggering.

They claim it caused BC to panic and cry on the witness stand, completely derailing the rest of her testimony ... with BC apparently not able to answer basic questions that they say she would've otherwise been able to address without issue. The photos, they claim, left her incredibly emotional ... and she was unable to regain her composure even after a break.

Chyna's team also alleges that introducing the photos at all violated a previous order of the court to prevent just this kind of thing from happening during the trial. With all that in mind, her attorneys say her testimony for that part should be stricken, and that she should get a partial redo to testify about damages.

Now, as for what the Kardashians are saying about this ... their team is calling BS.

Attorneys for the family filed a response to Chyna's request, and they say to allow her to get on the stand again is absolutely ridiculous -- and clearly, a desperate ploy to fix what they say was a "disastrous" day for her, as she apparently floundered under pressure during cross-examination.

They say that the 11 hours she spent on the stand is longer than the total amount of time she was on camera for "Rob & Chyna," which the Kardashians find rich ... since that's what she's suing them over.

Kim Kardashian is calling out her haters after they claimed she photoshopped her belly button out of her latest pic ... finding the entire thing absurd.

Kim reposted a couple of articles on her Instagram Tuesday that talk about an apparently doctored pic -- calling it a "photoshop fail" -- Kim made one thing very clear, her belly button is very much still there, just underneath her SKIMS pants.

She wrote, "Come on guys ... seriously! This is so dumb! Claiming I photoshopped out my belly button????"

Kim then made a joke out of the whole thing, turning it into a SKIMS infomercial, "Belly button insecurities?! Well ... why don't you head on over to skims.com to conceal that saggy belly button of yours with a great pair of high waisted underwear like I did! You're welcome!!!"

The fans' claims come on the heels of Khloe's editing mishap ... she recently had to own up to some shots posted in December that showed her daughter, True, at Disneyland with Kim's kid, Chicago.

Joe Exotic is taking cues from Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart -- he's got a new fiancé behind bars ... and their love is as deep as Edward's was for Bella.

The 'Tiger King' star details his latest relationship in an eye-opening letter sent from his federal prison in Butner, NC, in which he announces he's a groom-to-be with a man named John Graham -- somebody he was in the pokey with last year and apparently fell head over heels for.

In the correspondence, obtained by TMZ from Joe's attorney Autumn Blackledge, JE says he met John after he was released from solitary, when they were housed in the same unit. It wasn't long before they started seeing each other, he explains, and eventually ... somebody popped the question in August.

As for what John's all about ... well, Joe says he's the polar opposite of his soon-to-be-ex-hubby Dillon Passage -- whom he calls "selfish, younger ... and wanting to be famous."

John, meanwhile, is an old soul -- about 400 years, it seems -- who actually practices witchcraft ... this according to Joe. He describes John as someone who isn't seeking the limelight and who loves Joe for him ... the type of love Joe's never experienced, he says.

Sounds like John's a free man now ... but even so, Joe says they talk constantly -- up to 3 times a day -- and exchange mail nonstop. He says their bond is like the one depicted in 'Twilight' ... adding he still has one of John's shirts so he can smell him in the interim.

As we reported ... Dillon's signaled he's ready to finalize his divorce with Joe, with some conditions -- which Joe here calls "extortion," while noting he too wants to be done with it so he can hurry up and marry John.

Of course, he says he's still trying to have his case heard on appeal ... and believes his latest team of attorneys is going to achieve that with "new evidence" Joe says has been obtained in his favor.

Ne-Yo and his wife, Crystal Renay, are as serious as they can be about giving their marriage another go -- TMZ's learned, they just walked down the aisle again, and they did it up big!!!

Witnesses tell TMZ ... Ne-Yo and the former reality star got re-hitched Sunday night on a rooftop at Resorts World in Vegas, exchanging vows and throwing a lavish reception for all their guests.

They had all the bells and whistles, too -- the room was filled with more than 10,000 roses, and we're told it took 3 days to set up. The enormous cake was about 8 feet tall with 4 different flavors!

The guest list included close family and friends like 'RHOA's Nene Leakes, Tammy Rivera from "Love & Hip Hop" and Melody Holt from "Love & Marriage: Huntsville."

And, the night wouldn't be complete without a performance from the singer ... of course, he sang some of his hits and danced along with his renewed bride.

The couple originally tied the knot back in February 2016. The "Sexy Love" singer filed for divorce in March 2020, but quickly withdrew it.

Since then they've been working things out, and Ne-Yo ended up popping the question, for the second time, on New Year's Eve 2020. He's credited the pandemic for saving their marriage.

All that back and forth looks to be a thing of the past for Crystal and her man.

Benzino doesn't appear to have been able to lure 50 Cent into a boxing ring, so he's settling for the next best opponent ... and, apparently, that's Aaron Carter.

Damon Feldman of Celebrity Boxing tells TMZ ... the former pop star is lacing up his gloves again this summer to fight the "Love & Hip Hop" star in the main event. We're told both contracts have been signed ... and they're slugging it out on June 11.

The match is set to go down at the Charles Dodge Center in Pembroke Pines, FL -- and Feldman says BitCoin Rodney is promoting it. Aaron is stepping up for 50 Cent ... whom DF and co. weren't able to book.

Despite the bad blood between Benzino and Fitty -- including the recent back and forth claims of outing attempts and alleged federal snitching -- it doesn't appear 50 was interested in settling their beef with hands ... dude's been mum on their public challenge.

Aaron, however, is coming back for seconds -- you'll recall ... he got pummeled by Lamar Odom last year, where he was greatly outsized. Benzino's also bigger than him, but it sounds like Aaron doesn't care ... and wants his shot to redeem himself.

No word on how much either of these guys is making for going 3 rounds, but ya gotta figure it's a sizable amount for them ... especially if Aaron's coming back after that ass-whoopin'.