Reality TV

Doug Kiker, the garbage man who brought Katy Perry to tears on "American Idol," is in police custody after cops in Alabama say he was involved in a domestic violence incident.

Mobile Police lieutenant Matthew James tells TMZ ... Kiker was busted Thursday for misdemeanor domestic violence (harassment) and he's now sitting in jail on $1,000 bond.

We're told officers responded to a report of domestic violence Thursday night allegedly involving Kiker and an adult woman and she's the one who called 911. The nature of their relationship is unclear.

Cops say responding officers investigated and determined there was probable cause to arrest Kiker ... and he was hauled off to jail, where he posed for this mug shot.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro says he's stepping away from 'Jersey Shore' in the wake of his domestic violence arrest ... he says he's seeking treatment for mental health issues.

Ronnie says he talked with honchos at MTV and they all agreed ... Ron needs a break to seek treatment for issues he says he's ignored for too long. He says he's finally ready to face his struggles head-on ... and he says his top priority is to be healthy so he can be the best man and best father he can be for his daughter.

TMZ broke the story ... Ronnie won't be charged in his recent domestic violence case, but his arrest for the alleged incident with his girlfriend could trigger legal problems because he's on probation.

You'll recall ... Ronnie's GF, Saffire Matos, called the cops following an argument that allegedly turned physical, but after his arrest she went on social media to downplay the allegations.

Ronnie also has a long history of domestic violence issues with the mother of his child, Jenn Harley.

Ronnie filmed scenes for the upcoming "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation" reality show, but it appears he was not included in the trailer. It's unclear if his scenes will be cut, and the series is set to premiere June 3.

"Seeking Sister Wife" star Dimitri Snowden is divorcing his third wife ... another chapter in what's been a problematic last few weeks between the two, which included accusations of domestic abuse.

Dimitri filed for divorce from Christeline Peterson Tuesday in Los Angeles. The two do not have any children together.

Dimitri's divorce filing comes on the heels of Christeline's attempt at getting a restraining order against him, claiming he was physically abusive during their relationship over the past year.

As we first told you ... Christeline claimed Dimitri slammed her head into the headboard of their bed back in January, and she said he was abusive during sex. She claimed he choked her during sex, even though she told him not to, and claims she's suffered bruises, scratches and redness around her neck from the alleged choking.

We broke the story ... Dimitiri and Christeline were in court last month for a hearing on the matter, and a judge tossed the case, saying Christeline did not meet the burden of proof ... so the temporary restraining order was dissolved.

Christeline came to the United States from South Africa to be courted as Dimitri's third wife on the TLC reality show ... but that was then -- now he's calling it quits.

Lisa Vanderpump and Kyle Richards are such bitter enemies they're always looking for new ways to stick to each other -- such as Lisa sending her restaurant tab to Kyle's table.

So, here's the deal ... Lisa and her husband, Ken Todd, hit up the ritzy Shu Restaurant Monday in L.A. ... where Kyle also was having dinner with a 'Housewives' executive producer.

We're told Lisa and Ken sat several tables over. Lisa never went to Kyle's table to say hello ... nor did Kyle pay a visit to Lisa's table -- for obvious reasons, we think. But, the EP, who also produces "Vanderpump Rules" and 'Overserved' -- did notice Lisa and said a quick hello.

Now, get this ... when Lisa and Ken got done with dinner, we're told Lisa instructed the server to send their $132 tab over to the EP because she has a playful relationship with the producer, and jokingly felt he owed her a dinner. After all, they've made hundreds of reality TV episodes together!

The server obliged but, we're told Kyle and the exec both refused to pick up the tab. Clearly, they didn't get Lisa's joke, but not to worry ... Lisa didn't stiff the restaurant.

She tells TMZ she left a cash tip for the server and an imprint of her credit card in the event the tab wasn't picked up.

Ex-"Deadliest Catch" star Jake Harris may not have learned his lesson from a previous DUI bust that landed him behind bars ... 'cause we’ve learned he was busted again for DUI.

A spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol tells TMZ ... Harris was busted near Mount Vernon, WA. last week after cops say they clocked him driving a Dodge Journey 86 MPH in a 70 MPH zone.

We're told Harris didn't initially pull over ... and drove another 3 miles to stop in a safe location. Cops say they discovered Harris’ license is revoked. Even if it wasn’t revoked, cops say Harris was required to have an ignition interlocking device installed -- a requirement from his previous DUI conviction.

And, you guessed it, cops say Harris didn't have the device installed since the car apparently belonged to a friend who had loaned it to him. In any event ... cops said Harris' eyes were bloodshot, his pupils were constricted, face was pale and his speech was repetitive.

Cops say Harris told them he had taken prescribed meds that morning, though the cop wouldn't say what kind. They suspected he was impaired ... and after Harris refused a sobriety test, cops arrested him.

He was booked into county jail for felony DUI, misdemeanor driving on a license revoked and misdemeanor failure to have an ignition interlock installed. Records show he posted $50k bond and was released on Tuesday.

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.