Reality TV

Tom Sandoval's back in his all-too-familiar villain role ... he's under fire from fans and castmates for interacting with a captive tiger, and PETA is schooling him on why it's bad for big cats.

The animal rights organization fired off a letter to the "Vanderpump Rules" star after footage emerged showing him inside an animal enclosure at Tiger World Thailand, where a tiger put its massive front paws on Tom's shoulders.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, PETA scolds Tom for the photo op ... explaining, "When popular folks like you pose with wild animals, people are moved to support pay-to-play animal experiences, for which big-cat cubs are torn away from their mothers prematurely and denied their freedom as well as anything remotely natural and important to them."

More specifically, PETA's also schooling Tom on tigers ... it says wild tigers avoid humans and are naturally solitary and reclusive, adding, "Any human interaction with big cats poses dangers for both humans and the felines, and captive big cats have attacked and killed their captors and visitors."

While Tom walked away from the visit physically unscathed ... he's taking heat online from fans and his 'VPR' cast members, Lala Kent and James Kennedy.

Nigel Lythgoe is in the crosshairs of an investigation by the studio that produces his long-running show "So You Think You Can Dance" ... with his job possibly hanging in the balance.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the embattled EP of the hit reality competition show is at the center of an internal probe being conducted by Sony Pictures Television -- which co-produces 'SYTYCD' under its subsidiary 19 Entertainment, alongside Dick Clark Productions.

We're told Sony's looking into recent claims of sexual assault and harassment made against Nigel -- who created 'So You Think' with Simon Fuller, and has served as an executive producer since its inception, not to mention a consistent judge until he stepped away in '22.

Of course, what Sony's investigating here is Paula Abdul's allegations -- which she made in an explosive lawsuit ... claiming she'd been sexually assaulted by Lythgoe twice, once in the early 2000s during her 'Idol' stint and again in the 2010s while she judged on 'SYTYCD.'

Remember, as it pertains to the latter allegation -- which is what Sony's concerned with here -- she alleged Lythgoe invited her to his pad to discuss work opportunities ... only to allegedly pounce on her in an attempt to kiss her. PA also claimed Lythgoe groped one of her assistants during her time on the dance show.

Lythgoe denies Paula's claims, saying they're "deeply offensive" to everything he stands for and totally false.

Our sources say that while Sony digs into this matter, no decision has been made on whether Nigel will be allowed to stay on as an EP. It also remains to be seen if he'll serve as a judge -- this despite the fact he was announced to return to his chair last month for Season 18 ... which will start airing in March. He wasn't a judge during this past season.

Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny may have called it quits on their relationship before the end of 2023, but they rang in 2024 together with a crew of close pals ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the two remain close -- despite their recent breakup -- and have a group of mutual friends. The crew -- including Justin and Hailey Bieber -- were all vacationing together near Barbados, taking in New Year's Eve festivities.

In fact, in a clip of NYE fireworks posted by one of Kendall's pals, you hear Bad Bunny in the background wish everyone, "Feliz Año Nuevo!"

While the recent reunion may raise some eyebrows, we're told the two aren't officially back together, not yet at least, we're told the trip happened because of mutual friends ... there's nothing romantic.

It was a whirlwind romance for Kendall and the music superstar, spotted back in February leaving a double date with Justin and Hailey. Things heated up a month later when they were seen sharing a kiss and hug after sushi with her sis, Kylie Jenner.

In April, TMZ obtained photos of the two on a solo horseback riding date ... indicating things had gotten really serious between the two.

By the middle of the year, they were officially official -- cuddling up together at a Drake show, sitting front row at the Gucci show, doing a Gucci campaign together and hitting up the 'SNL' after-party following BB's gig on the show.

However, come late October, fans started to notice the two hadn't been spotted together in a while and questioned if things had fallen apart.

Fast forward to last month, and news broke of the couple's reported split.

Kendall Jenner y Bad Bunny pueden haber puesto fin a su relación antes de que terminara el 2023, pero empezaron el 2024 juntos y con un grupo de amigos cercanos, según ha averiguado TMZ.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo nos dicen que los dos siguen siendo cercanos -a pesar de su reciente ruptura- y tienen un grupo de amigos en común. El equipo -que incluye a Justin y Hailey Bieber- se fue de vacaciones juntos cerca de Barbados, para celebrar las festividades de Año Nuevo.

De hecho, en un clip de Año Nuevo, con fuegos artificiales, publicado por uno de los amigos de Kendall, se escucha a Bad Bunny de fondo desear a todos: "¡Feliz Año Nuevo!"

Aunque el reciente encuentro puede levantar sospechas en algunos, nos dicen que los dos no están oficialmente juntos de nuevo, o no todavía por lo menos. Nos dicen que el viaje ocurrió debido a estos amigos en común y que no hay nada romántico.

Fue un romance relámpago el de Kendall con la superestrella de la música, que se remonta a febrero, cuando salieron en una cita doble con Justin y Hailey. Las cosas se calentaron un mes más tarde, cuando fueron vistos compartiendo un beso y un abrazo después de comer sushi con Kylie Jenner.

En abril, TMZ obtuvo fotos de los dos andando a caballo en solitario, lo que indicaba que las cosas se habían puesto muy serias entre los dos.

A mediados de año, eran oficialmente oficial. Los vimos acurrucados juntos en un show de Drake, sentados en primera fila en el show de Gucci, haciendo una campaña de Gucci juntos y participando en la afterparty SNL después de la actuación de BB en el show.

Sin embargo, a finales de octubre, los fans empezaron a notar que no habían sido vistos juntos en un tiempo y se preguntaron si las cosas habían terminado.

A principios de este mes se supo que la pareja se había separado.

"Love is Blind" contestant Renee Poche says the producers behind the Netflix reality show paired her with a walking red flag, and are trying to bankrupt her for speaking out ... so now, she's suing.

Renee, who appears in season five of the popular reality dating show, is going after Netflix and 'LIB' production company Delirium TV ... claiming they matched her with a lying, violent, emotionally unstable drug addict and forced her to spend long stretches alone with him despite her concerns.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Renee says her pre-determined match, Carter Wall, was unemployed, addicted to drugs and alcohol, estranged from his family, homeless, violent and dead broke when producers matched them up for the cameras.

In the show, contestants go to separate pods to meet their dates, flirting and conversing through speakers while unable to see the other person. In order to meet in person, two contestants have to first get engaged and then are swept off to a Mexican resort for a vacation before being sent to their hometowns to plan the wedding.

Renee says she initially hit it off with Carter, but claims she later found out he was lying through his teeth and was far from marriage material.

In her suit, Renee says production put her through a rigorous background check and claims Delirium must have known about Carter's "troubling issues" and "mental instability." She says she became terrified to spend time with him but claims producers forced them to film together for long periods.

Renee claims Carter was emotionally abusive on and off camera, heavily abused drugs and alcohol and physically threatened a camera operator in Mexico.

She says producers threatened her with legal action if she did not move forward with the engagement, and when they got to his Texas hometown, producers warned her to ensure Carter had no access to firearms or weapons because they were concerned he would hurt Renee, himself or others.

Renee also claims producers admonished her for not giving Carter a chance and encouraged her to keep filming with him.

Once the show wrapped, Renee says she was informed her relationship with Carter would be axed from the program ... and she claims it's because Carter threatened to commit suicide if the footage aired.

Renee's since called off the engagement and spoken out about her experience in various podcasts, and she claims Netflix and Delirium are trying to ruin her for going public.

She says Delirium claims she's violating her NDA and is seeking $4 million from her as a result ... despite her earning only $8,000 to be on the show.

Renee says the NDA is actually unlawful though ... and she wants a declaration from the court that the NDA is illegal, invalid and unenforceable ... and she's going after Netflix and Delirium for damages.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard wants to meet with Kim Kardashian to discuss prison reform ... and while a meeting has yet to happen, we're told Gypsy still wants to pick Kim's brain.

Sources close to Gypsy tell TMZ … she's open to working with Kim and feels they are a good fit because of her experience with the justice system and Kim's work on prison reform.

Our sources say Gypsy thinks Kim could provide guidance on how to navigate her newfound platform on social media, and use her voice to affect real change and advance her advocacy work.

Remember ... Gypsy tweeted at Kim back in November when she was still locked up, thanking Kim for recommending an HBO documentary about her case and saying, "maybe we should unite forces together to make real change with the justice system.

Since Gypsy’s release, our sources say Gypsy has not reached out to Kim and KK hasn't reached out to her ... but we're told the door is open for them to get together in the future.

When Gypsy shouted out Kim on social media, some folks accused her of starving for attention ... but our sources say GRB genuinely wants to use her platform for prison reform, and it's something she's going to focus on as she starts her new life after prison. Kim's one of the few people Gypsy follows, but KK's not following back as of now.

Kim's the one who actually got the ball rolling here ... a few years ago she highlighted Gypsy's 2017 HBO doc "Mommy Dead and Dearest" on a list of true crime documentaries she recommended to her followers.

Gypsy's already seen her plans to see Taylor Swift at a football game fizzle, so it will be interesting to see if she makes something happen with Kim.

'Real Housewives of New York City' star Erin Lichy is being dragged to court over a debt ... her landlord claims she and her husband owe five figures in unpaid rent, plus interest.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Erin and her husband, Abraham Lichy, owe $43,950 in unpaid rent for their Big Apple loft.

The landlord says Erin and Abraham have rented their two-story apartment since July 2019 but claims the couple failed to pay the agreed rent and other charges between October 2021 and July 2023 ... racking up a substantial balance.

Erin and Abraham's landlord claims their lease called for them to pay a monthly rent of $13,500 -- due on the first of each month -- for the period in question, but they often paid late, didn't pay late fees, bounced checks and sometimes didn't pay rent at all.

Now, the landlord is going after the Lichys for $43,950 plus interest ... in addition to $12,900 to cover the landlord's legal fees in the case.

We're told the reason two months of rent was being withheld was due to an agreed upon abatement ... due to persistent rodents, unsanitary issues and a nonfunctioning elevator which lasted for several months.

Erin and Abraham are stunned by the lawsuit, because they tell TMZ ... the landlord wrote a glowing letter of recommendation for them when they moved out.

Bachelor Nation's track record of successful couples continues to dwindle ... with 'Bachelorette' star Rachel Lindsay's husband Bryan Abasolo pulling the plug on their marriage.

Bryan beelined it to court Tuesday and filed for divorce after 4 years of marriage ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

In the docs, Bryan lists their date of separation as Dec. 31, 2023 ... and he's citing the boilerplate "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for their split.

Bryan, a chiropractor, is requesting spousal support. They did not have any children together.

Rachel's estranged husband also shared an official statement Tuesday ... saying "loving himself and his partner meant he had to let go and start anew."

The pair fell for each other on season 13 of "The Bachelorette" in 2017 ... when Rachel made history as the first Black person to lead an ABC reality dating show.

Rachel and Bryan got engaged during the finale ... then tied the knot in August 2019 during a ceremony in Mexico.

In terms of 'Bachelor' years, Rachel and Bryan made it last for a while ... though Rachel has previously mentioned their difficulties navigating their relationship in the public eye.

Rachel went on fellow "Bachelorette" Kaitlyn Bristowe's "Off the Vine" podcast last year, explaining they both felt constant pressure showing fans how they were both doing.

Mama June scored a legal victory in her custody battle over Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell's oldest daughter ... she's been awarded temporary custody of Kaitlyn.

The reality TV star is duking it out in court with Michael Cardwell for custody of 11-year-old Kaitlyn, and a judge just ruled she should be with her grandmother, at least until a future court hearing on the matter ... according to new legal docs.

Michael -- who did have a daughter, Kylee, with Anna -- is not Kaitlyn's biological father.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Mama June says Kaitlyn does not have a legal father, and her biological father is unknown.

Mama says she's been caring for Kaitlyn since Anna's death, and says Kaitlyn moved in with her a month before Anna died from cancer.

As we reported ... Michael filed legal docs last month seeking custody of Kaitlyn, claiming he's taken a parental role in her life over the years despite not being her biological dad.

While there's no battle over 8-year-old Kylee -- she's living with her father -- June's vowed to continue fighting Michael for custody of Kaitlyn ... and so far she's winning.

Mama June anotó una victoria legal en la batalla por la custodia de la hija mayor de Anna "Chickadee" Cardwell y se le ha concedido la custodia temporal de Kaitlyn.

La estrella de telerrealidad está en pleno duelo en los tribunales con Michael Cardwell, el padre biológico de la hija menor de Anna —Kylee— por la custodia de Kaitlyn, de 11 años de edad. Un juez acaba de concederle la custodia a Mama hasta una futura audiencia sobre el asunto de acuerdo con nuevos documentos legales.

Michael, que tuvo una hija —Kylee—, con Anna, no es el padre biológico de Kaitlyn.

En los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, Mama June dice que Kaitlyn no tiene un padre legal y su padre biológico es desconocido.

Mama dice que ha estado cuidando a Kaitlyn desde la muerte de Anna y dice que Kaitlyn se mudó con ella un mes antes de que Anna muriera de cáncer.

Como informamos, Michael presentó documentos legales el mes pasado en busca de la custodia de Kaitlyn, alegando que ha tomado un papel parental en su vida a lo largo de los años a pesar de no ser su padre biológico.

Angela White, antes Blac Chyna, va por un nuevo look, y dice que la reducción del tamaño de sus implantes mamarios ha sido un proceso doloroso.

Chyna dice que recientemente decidió disminuir sus implantes mamarios con múltiples cirugías que condujeron a algunas complicaciones de salud.

Chyna dice que hizo el cambio porque ya no se sentía que unas grandes tetas falsas encajen con su tipo de cuerpo, pero debido a que ha tenido tantos implantes en los últimos años, tuvo que reducir gradualmente los implantes para llegar a su tamaño deseado.

Chyna dice que ha tenido dos cirugías recientes para pasar de implantes de 585cc a 190cc y uno de los procedimientos resultó en que su seno izquierdo se encapsuló. En otras palabras, su músculo se contrajo alrededor del implante.

La cosa es que Chyna dice que es la primera vez que lidia con los efectos secundarios de los implantes mamarios, calificándolo como el peor resultado posible.

Aunque Chyna dice que ha sido doloroso, se está recuperando y está amando su nuevo aspecto y se ve feliz por su futuro.

Angela White, formerly Blac Chyna, is going for a new look ... and she says reducing the size of her breast implants has been a painful process.

Chyna says she recently decided to decrease her breast implants, with multiple plastic surgeries leading to some health complications.

BC says she made the change because she no longer felt large fake boobs fit her body type ... but because she's had so many implants over the years, she needed to gradually reduce the implants to get to her desired size.

Chyna says she's had two recent surgeries to go from 585cc implants to 190cc ... and one procedure resulted in her left breast being encapsulated. In other words, her muscle contracted around the implant.

Thing is ... Chyna says it's the first time she's dealt with side effects from breast implants, calling it the worst possible outcome.

While Chyna says it's been painful, she's on the mend ... and she's loving her new look and happy about her future.

Lisa Vanderpump's original PUMP restaurant's moved to green pastures, but an iconic part of its decor remains as new owners move into the space ... and we're told her olive trees aren't going anywhere.

Mario Vollera owns Roosterfish, which is taking over PUMP's old location in West Hollywood, and he tells TMZ ... when he and the other owners checked out the space, they all strongly requested that the big trees in the outdoor patio stay put.

We're told the trees ultimately ended up being a big part of the sale agreement, and Mario wanted them untouched because they bring prosperity and good luck ... not to mention, they're beautiful and add a lot to the space's ambiance.

TMZ broke the story back in May that PUMP was closing its doors ... and the "Vanderpump Rules" crew -- along with tons of locals and fans -- all said goodbye during its closing weekend in July.

El restaurante PUMP, original de Lisa Vanderpump, se ha cambiado de ubicación, pero una parte icónica de su decoración se mantiene mientras los nuevos propietarios se mudan al espacio y nos dicen que sus olivos no van a ninguna parte.

Mario Vollera es dueño de Roosterfish -que se está haciendo cargo de la antigua ubicación de PUMP en West Hollywood- y le dice a TMZ que cuando él y los otros propietarios revisaron el espacio, todos pidieron encarecidamente que los grandes árboles en el patio al aire libre se quedaran.

Nos dicen que los árboles terminaron siendo gran parte del acuerdo de venta y Mario quería que no se toquen, ya que traen prosperidad y buena suerte, por no hablar de lo hermosos que son.

TMZ publicó la historia de que PUMP estaba cerrando sus puertas y junto a un montón de lugareños y aficionados, todos dijeron adiós durante su fin de semana de cierre en julio.

La estrella de "Jersey Shore", Angelina Pivarnick, sabe como pasar un buen rato. Supimos que se tomó el escenario de un club de striptease durante el fin de semana.

Pivarnick estuvo en 35 XXXV Gentlemen's Club el sábado por la noche en Jersey. Angelina no parecía ni un poco intimidada mientras bailaba, haciendo todos los pasos más atrevidos.

El público también parecía disfrutar del espectáculo mientras le llovían billetes a la bailarina de 37 años.

También es posible que la canción que sonaba en el club reconfortara a Angelina, teniendo en cuenta que era el tema de "Jersey Shore", "Crazy" de LMFAO.

Por supuesto, Angelina sigue siendo un elemento clásico en "Jersey Shore: Family Reunion", así que no es como si ella estuviera haciendo un cambio de carrera exactamente.

'Jersey Shore' star Angelina Pivarnick is no stranger to having a good time ... a skill she put to good use as she worked the stage at a strip club over the weekend.

Pivarnick took center stage at 35 XXXV Gentlemen's Club Saturday night in Jersey. Angelina didn't seem the least bit intimidated as she danced, getting down on all 4s and even working the pole.

The crowd certainly seemed to enjoy the show as well ... as singles rained down on the 37-year-old.

It's also possible the song playing through the club brought Angelina an added sense of comfort, considering it was the "Jersey Shore" theme song ... "Crazy" by LMFAO.

Of course, Angelina is still a staple on "Jersey Shore: Family Reunion" ... so it's not like she's making a career change.