Reality TV

The folks at "American Idol" know gold fell in their laps when Claudia Conway auditioned ... and they're, very wisely, milking it even before the season begins.

Kellyanne Conway's headline-grabbing teen got the front-and-center tease treatment Monday night in a new trailer for the upcoming 'AI' season on ABC ... and they didn't pussyfoot with the big name they had in their midst. Claudia's appearance was cut as its own TV spot.

You hear Ryan Seacrest talking about how she's a social media sensation, but perhaps more importantly ... she's the kid of 2 very famous political figures, which CC herself alludes to on camera.

We also get to see what the judges have to say about her, at least momentarily.

It's a great hook into the season, and folks online seemed genuinely shocked the gal was involved at all. Guess they weren't paying attention, because Claudia herself revealed she was trying out back in November 2020 -- she posted some behind-the-scenes footage.

We'd also spoken to Ryan himself about her audition, asking if she'd be getting through on talent or her name.

Ray J and Princess Love might have just needed a change of scenery ... they're working on reuniting as a couple down in Miami, where they're planting some island roots.

The 'Love & Hip Hop' star joined us on "TMZ Live" to talk about tonight's 'L&HH' reunion show, and he dropped a few bombshells about his tumultuous relationship.

Ray J says he and Princess are living together with their children despite being in the middle of a divorce ... and while he stops short of declaring they're back together, he makes it clear they're really close to it.

Lots of the family drama went down in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and it seems Ray's leaving their baggage back West -- because they're in Miami now and loving the vibe.

As for the 'L&HH' family reunion mini-series, premiering tonight on VH1, Ray says it's going to be like an atomic bomb with so many outspoken personalities from all the franchises under one roof.

The 'Real Housewives of New York' are set to resume production next week, but not everyone's happy. Our sources say some of the cast members are pissed at Ramona Singer over her reckless behavior, traveling maskless all over the world.

Production sources tell TMZ ... some cast members are livid after seeing Ramona hitting up St. Barts and parts of Florida while production was on hiatus. Making matters worse ... we're told the cast's fuming over the fact she threw caution to the wind and visited these places without practicing COVID guidelines ... like wearing a face mask.

Production has been shut down for nearly a month after a 'Housewife' and several crew members tested positive for COVID. We're told frustration mounted when Ramona was seen galavanting at tropical spots over the last few weeks ... even after the cast was specifically asked to stay in NY.

For what it's worth ... a source close to Ramona -- who in the past had been dragged over her quarantine behavior -- tells us the network was well aware she had been traveling. Our sources say Ramona will take a COVID test before she resumes filming.

And, speaking of filming ... we're told the cast will film in and around Manhattan early next week and in a couple of weeks head to Ramona's Southhampton, NY pad to film what was originally supposed to be a cast trip to upstate NY.

The security guard seen on video accosting 'Bachelorette' alum Michael Garofola last month is now facing 3 charges, including one for allegedly committing a hate crime.

TMZ's learned cops picked up the guard, a man named Ernest Anwuri, and he's been charged with felony battery, and felony vandalism for allegedly damaging Michael's cell phone during the altercation.

Beyond the physical action, Anwuri's words also got him in trouble. We've learned he's been hit with a misdemeanor hate crime charge. You’ll recall ... Garofola said Anwuri went on a rant about Jewish people during the incident. For what it's worth, Michael isn't Jewish.

Some of that is referenced in the video Michael was able to shoot.

We broke the story ... Garofola started recording when the guard allegedly flew into an anti-Semitic rage after Michael told him he should be wearing a mask. In the video, you see the guy charging toward Michael while spewing something about "the Jews."

Michael claims Anwuri then snatched his iPhone, threw it down and punched him in the head.

Michael's best known for finishing fifth on Desiree Hartsock's 'Bachelorette' season. He also appeared on "Bachelor in Paradise" and "The Bachelor Winter Games."

Michael tells us, "As a new resident of L.A., the last thing I expected was to be physically attacked in the parking garage of my own residential building ... While my injuries will eventually heal and my damaged property will eventually be replaced, I am just glad that a person who holds so much hatred in his heart for certain groups of people has been brought to justice and will no longer be a threat to anyone else he encounters.”

T.I. and Tiny's reality show is pressing pause as the couple faces allegations of sexual abuse, even though they've vehemently denied the claims.

Production on "T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle" came to a grinding halt Friday as MTV put things on ice. Network honchos said, "We are aware of the allegations, and while they are not connected to our show, we have reached out to T.I. and Tameka Harris, as well as local and state officials."

Last month several women posted allegations on social media -- claiming the couple had drugged or coerced them into having sexual encounters. As far as we know, none of the accusers have reported claims to law enforcement, or filed lawsuits.

Still, MTV says, "Given the serious nature of the allegations, we have decided to suspend production in order to gather more information."

T.I. has strongly denied the allegations, and threatened legal action against at least one accuser.

Gene Simmons has officially kissed his Hollywood Hills crib goodbye ... selling it for a cool $2 million.

The rock star sold his 3-story pad that sits in Laurel Canyon for just a tad under the $2.2 million asking price. The house, and its views, are a beaut ... with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and iconic 180-degree views of downtown L.A., the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Park Observatory, Beverly Hills and the Pacific Ocean.

As we reported ... the house offers a spacious deck and tons of living space ... with 2,345 square feet that's perfectly suited for any rock star.

As for his other crib ... the KISS singer and bassist's Beverly Hills estate remains on the market, but the price on that one is a tad higher ... at $22 million. That one's way more house!

Joe Giudice's about to have his mug back on TV ... the former reality dad is in talks for a new show ya might call, 'Real Single Guys of Italy.'

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Joe's currently in negotiations with a production company about creating the show, which we're told would focus on his new post-prison/post-divorce life in his homeland.

Nothing's been shot yet, and we're told neither Bravo nor his ex-wife, Teresa, are involved in the potential project. This is a Joe solo deal.

If Joe and the production co. can strike a deal, their next move would be shopping around the show to a network or streaming service to air it.

As you know, Joe was a central figure -- along with Teresa -- in "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."

He hasn't appeared on Bravo since October 2019, when he told Andy Cohen about his decision to opt-out of ICE detention and move to Italy.

Kelly Dodd's disdain for COVID-19 and the safety measures around it just cost her a job -- not her TV one ... but another that might've been just as important.

The 'Real Housewives' star was just dropped by a brand with whom she had an endorsement deal -- Positive Beverage, a natural energy and vitamins drink she'd been repping of lately. This isn't a coincidence -- PB canned her as a direct result of her behavior regarding 'rona.

They write, "Our core values of wellness, community, diversity and inclusion should be reflected by our brand and anyone associated with it," adding ... "it has become clear over the past few months that Kelly's controversial views and opinions have distracted from our primary objectives, so effective today, we are no longer affiliated with Kelly Dodd-Leventhal."

Positive Beverage goes on to say while it welcomes a mix of people with differing views on things, there's gotta be an underlying layer of respect ... and they feel Kelly's lost that, and thus -- she's lost them too. It's a big deal ... Kelly was a big deal for them, appearing in several sponsored posts.

We're sure she was collecting a nice check from them. You'd think she'd be pissed, but not so ... Kelly had a quick, snappy response to the news.

She writes, "I'm glad I could help put Positive Beverage on the map and wish them well. I’m also really excited about my next venture in the beauty industry, which is my real passion. Stay tuned!" Sounds like there's no love lost on her end either.

Of course, this comes directly on the heels of Kelly going out and recording herself dining with friends at an OC restaurant ... where a bunch of them jokingly called themselves "super spreaders" and mocked mask-wearing and the virus as well.

She's made other comments about the pandemic that were eyebrow-raising ... some for which she's apologized. KD kept at it though ... and this mighta been the last straw.

A friend of 'Bachelor' Matt James body-shamed one of his contestants -- Victoria Larson -- but she doesn't really seem to care all that much ... if anything, she's almost excusing it.

We got Victoria Friday night in Bev Hills and asked her about Matt's golfing buddy making a remark about her body in a surfaced clip that was apparently shot after his season wrapped. The guy's name is Jerry, and he seemed to be trying to distract Matt.

Shortly after the clip was posted, Victoria wrote ... "Cute... I love my body :)" and later posted a body shot of herself in a bikini, to silence the haters. Plus, she threw up a meme of men commenting on beautiful women's bodies ... almost as commentary.

As fired up as she seemed at the time, Victoria was NOT nearly as enthusiastic to shut down the body-shaming in our clip ... like we said, she almost chalked it up to "boys will be boys" or "locker-room talk." She didn't use those words exactly, but the sentiment was there.

Watch for yourself ... she tells us she actually doesn't think it was Jerry -- the dude who made the comment -- who shamed her, and she gets that in a competitive environment, sometimes you say things to throw your opponent off. Hmmm ... okay.

She went on to write off all the talk of it as "noise" ... and when we asked if she hoped Matt himself had learned his lesson, and if the franchise would try to get more inclusive ... Victoria was careful not to cast a stone, actually praising Matt and dodging the question.

It's interesting ... Matt was silent in the moment when his buddy made the body comment about Victoria, but was later quick to condemn it during an appearance on "The Real." He said he needed to surround himself with better friends, but he didn't seem all that bothered by it in real-time.

We've learned the cause of death for the 'Wipeout' contestant who collapsed shortly after completing the obstacle course, and it underscores the hidden dangers of extreme sport game shows.

The contestant, 38-year-old Michael Paredes, died from a heart attack which was brought on by coronary artery disease ... according to the Los Angeles County Coroner.

The autopsy report, obtained by TMZ, notes Paredes was running an obstacle course built over a body of water when he fell down into the depths. He swam to the edge of the water but was unable to pull himself out, and when he was eventually pulled out he was placed in a wheelchair.

Paredes leaned side-to-side in the wheelchair and went into cardiopulmonary arrest. He was resuscitated before being rushed to a hospital, the report says.

The contestant died about 24 hours after being hospitalized. The autopsy reveals extensive blockage in his coronary arteries. The right coronary artery had up to 90% stenosis -- narrowing or restriction -- and the other coronary arteries had issues as well. An acute case of pneumonia is also mentioned as a secondary factor.

When we broke the story back in November, production sources told us 'Wipeout' contestants underwent medical exams before participating ... and the autopsy notes Paredes had no reported medical history.

Just weeks before the country went into lockdown because of COVID, the cast of "Little Women: Atlanta" got in one last hurrah, which left a cast member bloodied and slashed.

The brawl went down in February of last year at Nouveau Bar & Grille. The initial fight pitted Amanda and Andrea against Abira. Ms. Juicy initially tried to act as peacemaker, but that went to hell quickly.

Unclear what started this and, for that matter, most fights on the show. Someone spit on someone and that was pretty much all she wrote. Glasses started flying, conking Juicy on the noggin, and leaving a big gash and a bloody mess. She ended up taking a trip to the ER where she got a CAT scan and stitches.

As we first reported ... Abria started clowning the twins over their plan to get in the rap game. As true 'Little Women' fans know ... they've been at each other's throats for some time ... but things really took a turn for the worse during their hangout that night.

Kanye West's cooking up something with his futuristic foam footwear ... with a little spray.

A Yeezy employee was spotted outside Ye's Calabasas office Monday spraying on what appears to be a new Yeezy Foam RNNR Ararat prototype. It's unclear what exactly the employee's trying to accomplish, but the sole's getting the bulk of the spray. Non-stick spray? Who knows.

Either way, this is the first look at Kanye's new Adidas RNNR prototype ... 7 months after the foam shoe's first release.

Some of Kanye's biggest pals have been seen wearing the Foams ... including Justin Bieber on a yellow Vespa and his wife, Hailey, during a recent shopping spree with Kendall Jenner.

Even though the shoe was soundly ridiculed when they were first released, they've made a killing on the resale marked ... going for as much as $800. The retail price was only around $100.

Joe Exotic is NOT living it up on the Vegas strip with 'Tiger King' stars Jeff and Lauren Lowe -- he's still behind bars, and the guy hanging with the couple is all about show biz.

'Tiger King' fans went nuts over the weekend when Jeff and Lauren started posting photos and videos with someone who looked a lot like Joe, leading folks to believe he was free. No dice.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the photos show Jeff and Lauren at lunch in Sin City with Vegas Joe, a Joe Exotic lookalike who was recently hired to impersonate the 'Tiger King' star in an upcoming Vegas show.

Vegas Joe is a dead ringer ... he's got the clothes, mannerisms, piercings, tattoos and voice of Joe Exotic down to a T. We're told Vegas Joe didn't even have to audition for the lead role after production crew members saw him on the strip.

As for the show ... we're told it's basically going to be an hour-long parody play with dancers and performers, plus an escape room. The hope is for a mid-summer premiere, or whenever Nevada allows live shows to fully reopen amid the pandemic.

Our sources say Jeff will be featured in the show, along with other 'Tiger King' alums making appearances from time to time ... including alleged hitman-for-hire Alan Glover, the nanny and Lauren.

Charlie Balducci -- best known for his time on the MTV reality show, "True Life" -- died from a drug overdose ... TMZ has learned.

The New York City Medical Examiner's Office tells TMZ ... Charlie's cause of death is acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone and alprazolam. The manner of his death has been ruled accidental.

TMZ broke the story ... Balducci was found unresponsive in his bed back in July and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. When we spoke to his mom, she told us his death came unexpectedly since he hadn't exhibited any kind of sickness.

For the non-hardcore reality TV aficionados out there ... Balducci is known as a trailblazer of sorts in the reality TV world after appearing in "True Life: I'm Getting Married." He allowed MTV cameras to follow him for 4 months before marrying Sabrina ... which ultimately produced one of the most infamous rants ever caught on TV.

Child star JoJo Siwa just confirmed she's part of the LGBTQ+ community -- but isn't quite ready to label herself with a letter just yet.

The former 'Dance Moms' star published a lengthy video Saturday, which pretty much hit the point home that she had, in fact, come out after much speculation these past few days. She says she's gotten tons of support, and has never been happier in her life to be her true self.

At one point, one of JoJo's fans asks how she identifies in terms of sexual orientation ... and she says she doesn't know yet. That's interesting to note, because everyone assumed she'd come out as gay ... mostly due to her own wardrobe, which literally had the word printed on.

JoJo showed off a shirt she received the other day, which reads ... BEST. GAY. COUSIN. EVER. Many took that as signaling, not to mention her lip-syncing to Gaga's "Born This Way."

It's a big deal, BTW. JoJo -- who's 17 years old -- has a massive audience with kids, so this is gonna reach them in some shape or form. Many think it'll help children be more comfortable with owning their sexuality, since one of their on-screen heroes now has.