Reality TV

Porsha Williams had no problems getting with the estranged husband of one of her costars, because the 'Real Housewives' were never actually pals ... despite how it seemed on TV.

We've spoken to multiple sources who've confirmed Porsha and Falynn Guobadia have never been friends, they literally met the day they filmed together on 'RHOA' -- producers simply told them to act as if they'd known each other.

As you know ... Porsha recently got engaged to Falynn's estranged husband, Simon, and 'Real Housewives' fans were losing their minds thinking Porsha stole her friend Falynn's man.

Porsha says her ex-fiancé, Dennis McKinley, is supportive of her new relationship with Simon ... and we're told Dennis and Simon were never friends either.

Falynn revealed her split from Simon last month, after 2 years of marriage, but we're told they separated in January.

Here's where it gets even more interesting -- Porsha's claiming Simon and Falynn's divorce is already finalized. In fact, we're told Porsha made it very clear to Simon his divorce had to be final before they began their relationship

However, Falynn tells us she's "focusing on finalizing my divorce and healing" -- so she has a much different timeline than her ex and Porsha do.

Our sources confirm Porsha and Simon have only been together for a month, not any longer ... and we're told Porsha had nothing to do with his split from Falynn.

Evan Bass and Carly Waddell don't look like a couple calling it quits ... the "Bachelor in Paradise" stars are hanging out again after their split.

Evan and Carly were spotted at brunch Sunday at White Limozeen at the Graduate Hotel in Nashville, and folks who were there tell us they were acting very friendly toward one another.

It's interesting ... the brunch outing was on Mother's Day, but their children weren't with them. Seems more like a date than a family holiday outing, right?!?

Evan and Carly split back in December after 3 years of marriage ... and this is the first time they've been seen together in public since the split.

While witnesses say there was no PDA at Evan and Carly's table, we're also told Evan went to the same restaurant the weekend before with a male friend and made a reservation for him and Carly for Mother's Day. So, it sounds like this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Looks like there might be hope for an Evan and Carly reunion.

Kim Zolciak's time on another reality show has come to an end ... "Don't Be Tardy" is getting the ax after a long run on the air.

Production sources tell TMZ ... the TV show -- which follows the daily lives of Kim, her husband, Kroy Biermann, her daughters, Brielle and Ariana and the rest of the family -- is not returning for a 9th season on Bravo.

We're told the network decided not to move forward with another season of 'Tardy' because Bravo felt the show had simply run its course after 8 years documenting the famous fam.

The reality show debuted way back in 2012 when it was known as "Don't Be Tardy For the Wedding" ... and the first season follows Kim and Kroy as they prepare to say "I do."

'Tardy' was the first spin-off from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" ... and Kim famously left 'RHOA' to do her own show.

Mendeecees is free to leave the country for a very special occasion -- renewing his wedding vows to Yandy Smith.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the "Love & Hip Hop New York" star got a federal judge to sign off on his request to travel to Dubai for a few days later in May so he can renew his vows.

As we first told you ... Mendeecees was released from prison and reunited with his family in early 2020 after spending more than 5 years behind bars for drug trafficking.

He's still on supervised release until 2025 though, meaning he has to get approval for travel like this. According to the docs ... his probation officer says he's been compliant with the conditions of his supervised release, so the officer had no problems with his travel request and sent it on to the court for approval.

The judge agreed, so he's good to go for a trip to Dubai with Yandy.

Worth noting ... Mendeecees and Yandy famously had their lavish wedding ceremony in 2015 -- which aired on a live VH1 special -- but she later revealed in an episode that they were never legally married.

She said, "I have a union with Mendeecees, but I did not go into a partnership with Mendeecees and the government."

'Tiger King' star Jeff Lowe's got trouble with the feds again ... but this time he says they're actually hauling animals out of his zoo.

Jeff tells TMZ ... the authorities executed a search and seizure warrant Thursday morning at his Tiger King Park in Thackerville, Oklahoma and began taking animals away, which he believes is a violation of his constitutional rights.

He says the feds are refusing to tell him exactly what's going on, but according to the warrant ... they're taking animals protected by the Endangered Species Act. We're told the warrant was issued by a federal judge this week in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Jeff sent us video from the scene, where he says the feds are hauling away one of his liligers ... an animal he claims is NOT protected under the Endangered Species Act. BTW, a liliger is the offspring of a male lion and a female liger ... a lion and a tiger.

Jeff's wife Lauren is heard saying the feds are taking all of the zoo's hybrid animals, and she's concerned they are all going to be spayed or neutered.

Jeff tells us, "This is why Lauren and I are moving overseas to take over an animal refuge there. 'Tiger King' made the USDA look so incompetent that they have a vendetta against everyone that was featured on the show."

We broke the story in January that the feds were coming after Lowe's big cats at his park, allegedly over an unauthorized euthanasia of a tiger cub. According to legal docs at the time ... the authorities made it clear they wanted to seize all of Jeff's big cats that were a year old or younger, plus their mothers.

Love County Sheriff William Grisham tells us his office was alerted the feds would be executing a search and seizure warrant, and he was present for it. He says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was the lead agency, but the USDA was also there during the seizure of the animals.

Sheriff Grisham says the warrant was for 8 big cats, but he believes the feds only took 4. However, Jeff tells us they seized 6.

Josh Duggar's friends and family told law enforcement he's dealing with a porn addiction ... according to the feds, who claim his computer was chock full of disturbing images.

The "19 Kids and Counting" star appeared over Zoom for a court hearing Wednesday in his child pornography case. During the hearing, an agent from the Dept. of Homeland Security said Josh's computer had more than 200 images involving naked minors and child sex abuse material. The agent said some of the children were as young as 5.

The feds say witnesses, including friends and family, brought up Josh's alleged addiction to porn in interviews with law enforcement.

However, Josh's defense asked the agent if there's evidence Duggar had looked at the alleged images, and the agent said he hadn't "directly" seen Josh checking out child porn.

TMZ broke the story ... Josh was hit with charges of receiving and possessing child porn following last month's arrest by federal agents in Arkansas. He's pled not guilty.

In Wednesday's court hearing, the feds claimed authorities identified a computer with videos and photos of child porn in May 2019 -- a few months later they claim they connected Josh to the computer using the IP address.

Remember, the Springdale, Arkansas car dealership where Josh works was raided by the feds in November 2019.

DHS agents seized a computer from Josh's office, plus his iPhone and a MacBook from inside an RV during that raid, and the feds say child porn was on the HP computer.

Josh, who is facing up to 20 years behind bars and fines of up to $250k on each count, wants to be released from jail, on bond, pending a trial ... claiming he's too famous to be a flight risk. The judge has yet to rule on that request.

Nev Schulman says he's to blame for Ben Affleck getting rejected on a dating app by a woman who didn't believe he was the real deal ... but he has some advice for Ben.

We got the "Catfish" host at LAX and asked about Ben's apparent troubles on the dating platform, Raya, where the newly single actor sent a video message to a smoking hot woman he says "unmatched" him, thinking his profile had to be fake.

Nev says dating apps are inherently difficult for any celeb in the wake of "Catfish," and he tells us why Ben's got it even tougher than most famous folks when it comes to finding a date.

As you know ... Ben and Ana de Armas called it quits earlier this year and he's recently been hanging with his ex, Jennifer Lopez, though we're told they're strictly friends.

Nev tells us he's not surprised Ben might be dipping a toe in the online dating pool -- that's how most folks are finding dates during the pandemic -- and says the real issue for celebs involves keeping their private life under wraps.

Speaking of which, Nev thinks the woman who posted Ben's video message should be kicked off the app for spilling the Raya tea.

While Nev admits he "may have inadvertently c*** blocked Ben Affleck," he's got some sage advice if and when Ben runs into more dating app roadblocks.

Josh Duggar wants to be released from jail pending a trial in his child porn case ... claiming in new legal docs he's not a flight risk because, among other things, his face is way too recognizable.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the "19 Kids and Counting" star claims he should be let out of jail and released to his home so he can take care of his pregnant wife. He says he'll abide by any bail conditions the court puts in place to assure his appearance in court for any hearings in his case.

In docs, Duggar says he's not a flight risk ... and he can prove it. He claims he "has no criminal convictions, and has known about this federal criminal investigation since November 2019 when Homeland Security Investigations executed a search of Duggar’s prior workplace."

What's more ... he claims he's maintained an open dialogue with the U.S. Attorney's Office in connection with this probe. And, get this ... Duggar argues he's not a flight risk because he "has a widely-recognizable face and has spent the majority of his life in the public spotlight — making any concern that he is a risk of flight all the more unwarranted." Duggar's lawyers, Travis Story and Justin Gelfand, make note he and his family were in a hit reality show.

And, in trying to drive home the point... Duggar points to the feds allowing him to voluntarily self-surrender ... and says he complied as directed.

Matt James is keeping Rachael Kirkconnell very close by his side -- strolling around NYC -- as they attempt to bounce back as a couple after her racism scandal.

The former 'Bachelor' was hanging out Tuesday with Rachael in the Big Apple -- walking side by side on Manhattan's Lower East Side and even putting his arm around her back as they walked into a building.

Matt told People last week he was "focusing" on his relationship with Rachael, trying to make it work, and these shots show just how much energy he's pouring into it. An eyewitness tells us the couple was holding hands at one point.

He's still keeping a low profile, though, under a hoodie and sometimes a face mask. Kinda similar to what we saw a little more than a week after we saw them grabbing a beer with some friends in Santa Monica. Again, Matt was hiding out under a hoodie.

Despite all the public attention and pressure ... their NYC hangout sure looks like they're moving past the race issues. Even if 'Bachelor' nation hasn't since Matt rejected her during the 'After the Final Rose' ceremony.

As you know ... Rachael had posed for pics with sorority sisters at an antebellum-themed party, and also liked racially insensitive pics on IG, some featuring the Confederate flag.

Rachael made it clear she was still in love with Matt after the split, and all signs point to him being all-in for her as well.

Caitlyn Jenner's first political ad in her attempt to recall and replace California Governor Gavin Newsom is heavy on her Olympic glory, but completely ignores her reality TV fame and her Kardashian daughters.

Candidate Caitlyn brands herself a "dreamer" and a "compassionate disruptor," in the 3-minute video in a clear attempt to distance herself from "career politicians" ... but also seems to distance herself from her own family.

Not only is there no mention of the TV show that made Caitlyn a household name for the younger generation of California voters, but she also chose to omit the name Jenner along with Kardashian ... her slogan is simply, "Caitlyn for California."

As we first reported, Caitlyn's kids aren't thrilled with her candidacy and her daughters are making it clear they won't campaign on her behalf -- so, using 'KUWTK' clips would have been awkward.

Of course, the ad is also chock full of typical political mudslinging despite her attempt to be viewed as a non-politician. Caitlyn includes the notorious clips of Rep. Nancy Pelosi at the hairdresser, and the shot of Newsom -- who she dubs an "elitist" -- at a French Laundry dinner party ... both events happening during pandemic lockdowns.

Ronnie Magro-Ortiz won’t be charged with a felony in his domestic violence case ... but he's not exactly out of the woods just yet.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the "Jersey Shore" star will NOT be charged with a felony in his latest domestic violence arrest involving his GF, Saffire Matos, because the L.A. County District Attorney's Office determined it didn't have sufficient evidence.

As a result, we’re told the case has been kicked down to the L.A. City Attorney's Office ... meaning if Ronnie gets charged at all, it'll only be a misdemeanor. That being said ... Ronnie still has a very serious potential probation issue.

Ronnie's attorney, Scott Leemon, tells TMZ, "If this reporting is true, as we said from the beginning, initial reports and unreviewed charges are often and; in Ronnie’s case, wrong. We are glad the DA’s office made this decision not to charge a felony. We will await a decision from the County Attorney’s office.”

As we reported ... Ronnie's no stranger to domestic violence cases. He went down this road before with his ex, Jenn Harley. He got probation in that case ... so this latest arrest could end up with a judge hitting him with a violation of that probation.

Cassie Randolph still hasn't said anything about her ex, Colton Underwood, coming out as gay, but she's clearly moved on.

Sources close to the former 'Bachelor' winner and her new boyfriend -- 23-year-old singer-songwriter Brighton Reinhardt -- tell TMZ ... the 2 have been dating for a few months.

Though they've been spotted out together from time to time, their most recent outing is telling -- Brighton was hanging out with Cassie's family and we're told things are gettin' serious.

Cassie and Brighton spent the afternoon at the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach with her parents, along with her brother Landon, sister Michelle and her pretty famous boyfriend, Gregg Sulkin. Pretty good-lookin' crew.

As you may know ... Colton and Cassie dated after he gave her the final rose on his season as 'Bachelor,' but things fell apart and led to Cassie taking out a restraining order against him, which she later dropped.

We're told after she dropped it, there may have still been some bad blood, because Brighton dropped a song called "Creep" with the following lyrics --

"You can’t stop thinking about my baby / What once was yours in the world is changing / God, I hope you get your thinking right / GPS on the underside / Told her everything will be just fine / Damn, I can’t believe these guys." In other words, a clear shot at Colton.

Anyway, Colton recently revealed he's gay, and Cassie has yet to address it other than to say she wouldn't be discussing it, adding ... "There's a lot of layers to it, and I just think the best thing for me at this time is to move forward and just focus on going forward."

New Jersey native J.D. Roth (real name John David Weinroth) became a big name in the '90s after he hosted a bunch of great television shows including the kid's game show Fox's "Fun House," the go-to video game show "GamePro TV" and the short-lived dating show "Double Up."

After his stint as a host, Roth made some major moves to working behind the camera and is credited with producing some big-time shows including "The Biggest Loser," "Bar Rescue" and "Beauty and the Geek."

He's now a husband, father of two sons and even an author!

Josh Duggar is in custody in Arkansas ... federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

The reality star was arrested Thursday by federal agents in Washington County, and he's being held in a detention center without bail.

We've obtained Duggar's mug shot, showing the former reality star posing with a bizarre smirk.

As we reported ... back in November 2019, Homeland Security agents were crawling around the car dealership where Duggar works in Arkansas, raiding his office in connection to a federal probe.

Josh's only current legal dispute, as far as we know, is a civil lawsuit filed against him for real estate fraud. It would appear his latest arrest is for something far more severe, though it's unclear exactly why he's been taken in.

"Seeking Sister Wife" star Dimitri Snowden no longer has to deal with a restraining order against him ... a judge just tossed the case.

Demitri was in court Wednesday when the judge dissolved the temporary restraining order his third wife, Christeline Petersen, got against him when she made allegations of domestic violence. The judge found Christeline did not meet her burden of proof.

Christeline testified what we had first reported ... claiming Dimitri slammed her head into the headboard and choked her during sex after she told him to stop.

Dimitri countered by showing text messages he claims Christeline sent him saying she liked the choking. In the end, the judge said she could not ascertain which party was telling the truth ... so she tossed the case. As for Christeline's separate allegations against Ashley -- one of Dimitri's other wives -- the judge tossed that case, as well.

As we first reported ... Christeline, who came to the U.S. from South Africa to be courted as a third wife on the TLC reality show, claimed in legal docs she suffered bruises, scratches and redness around her neck.

Chris Harrison's wedding-y photo with his girlfriend might seem like it's cause for celebration -- but it's not really, because they're not hitched. Not yet, anyway.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Chris' latest IG photo with his girlfriend, Lauren Zima, is misleading -- especially if fans only looked at the image. Yes, it kinda looks like they're dressed for their own nuptials, but that's not the case ... they were just at a friend's wedding in Dallas, where Lauren was a bridesmaid.

You can't really blame Chris for people getting the wrong idea, either ... 'cause his caption was a dead giveaway. He wrote, "'I’d stop the world and melt with you' @laurenzima there’s no one I’d rather celebrate love with and I’ll be your plus one anytime."

Grooms don't typically refer to themselves as a "plus one" at their own wedding. Not out loud, anyway.

BTW, you might also be wondering why Chris is in Dallas and not on the set of the 'Bachelorette' ... which just wrapped filming. Remember, he's on a hosting hiatus due to the racism scandal after his controversial convo with Rachel Lindsay.

Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe have replaced him for this season, and his future with the 'Bachelor' franchise remains up in the air at this point.