Relationships

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.

Tristan Thompson has hired a legal gun to shoot down new cheating allegations from an Instagram model ... whom he calls a liar and is threatening to sue if she keeps yapping.

The Celtics star -- who's back in with Khloe Kardashian now -- had his attorney, Marty Singer, fire off a cease and desist letter to Sydney Chase ... who recently claimed she had sex with Tristan since he and Khloe reunited. She also claims to have salacious texts from him.

In the letter, obtained by TMZ, Singer calls her allegations "malicious defamatory fabrications," adding ... "Mr. Thompson had no relationship with you whatsoever and he never sent you any such texts."

Singer goes on to accuse Chase of making up quotes from Tristan and having no proof to back up her claims, and blasts her by saying, "It is obvious that you are a liar."

The letter concludes by saying if Chase doesn't stop "defaming" Thompson in the media or online, "you do so at your peril since you may find yourself in court attempting to defend your indefensible misconduct."

Thompson's attorney also sent a cease and desist letter to Adam22, host of the "No Jumper" podcast ... on which Chase initially blabbed the cheating allegations.

"No Jumper" has already removed the portion of Sydney's interview where she talks about the alleged fling. We'll see if Chase keeps quiet.

Justin Bieber's fortunate there were no birds around as he headed in for his dinner date with Hailey, or they might have tried to set up shop on his new 'do -- a pulled-back take on locks.

The Biebs and his wife hit up Craig's restaurant in WeHo Monday night, arriving with very contrasting styles -- Hailey dressed to the nines, while JB had a more chill teen look ... at least it matched his bird's nest-like hair.

Speaking of that new coif, Justin partially covered -- or wrapped -- his locks with a black bandana, and umm ... pulled them back into pigtails. Ya can't say he's half-stepping into the new look.

Justin rounded out his ensemble with sneakers, jeans and a baggy red sweatshirt ... and seemed to be in his own world on his phone.

Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, are moving on to what's next ... they're getting divorced.

In a joint statement Monday, the couple announced they've made a decision to end their marriage, saying, "Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives."

They continue, "We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in the next phase of our lives."

Bill and Melinda began dating in 1987 after meeting at a New York trade show, and she'd go on to work in marketing for Microsoft and be appointed as General Manager of Information Products in the early '90s.

The couple wed on January 1, 1994 in Hawaii ... and Melinda left the company in 1996 to focus on starting their family.

Bill and Melinda have 3 adult children -- Jennifer, Rory and Phoebe -- and reside in their huge, earth-sheltered family mansion, dubbed Xanadu 2.0, overlooking Lake Washington in Medina, WA.

Along with being megarich, the 2 are widely known for their philanthropic efforts ever since launching the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. It was estimated in 2014 that they had donated $28 BILLION to the foundation, a number that's only skyrocketed in recent years.

For instance, the Gates Foundation made a contribution of $250 million in late 2020 to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Gates' net worth is estimated at more than $130 billion.

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.

Kylie Jenner made a big gesture for her baby daddy, Travis Scott -- flying across the country to be by his side as he celebrates his birthday.

She zipped over to Miami Sunday, and joined Trav for a group dinner at Komodo. Our sources tell us they rolled through with their entourage and security detail ... and broke bread at a private table.

She was on hand for the post-dinner clubbing too, and didn't try to hide her appearance either.

In fact, she captured some flirtatious horseplay between them both ... which, at first glance, suggests something's up.

On her IG Story, Kylie recorded Travis dancing up near her ... and her playing footsie with him. He dished out some affection too, grabbing a hold of Kylie's leg and giving her several love taps.

You could see all this and think ... yeah, they're fully back together. Or it could all be friendly -- it's hard to really say at this point.

Jennifer Lopez was hanging out with Ben Affleck this week, setting the Internet on fire with proclamations they're back together. Not so, and we have an explanation.

True ... they spent time together, but we're told they're strictly friends. Fact is, they've been friends for a long time following their difficult breakup. There's no such thing as "never," especially in Hollywood, so it's always possible something could be rekindled, but there's no evidence of that now.

J Lo seems to have an M.O. in relationships gone south -- keep it friendly. She's also spent time with both ex-fiance Alex Rodriguez and ex-hubby Marc Anthony since her breakup with A-Rod. Maybe part of it is getting comfort from those she knows, but whatever it is she doesn't drop people like hot potatoes when the romantic thing doesn't work out.

Marc Anthony is a special case, since they share 2 kids. Again, it was a tough breakup but ultimately things got repaired so they could have a civil relationship and co-parent.

What's more, J Lo has maintained business relationships with some of her exes ... notably Marc Anthony and A-Rod.

As you know, J Lo and A-Rod called it quits after 4 years of dating and getting engaged in March 2019. They dodged a bullet ... were it not for the pandemic, they probably would have married.

Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan are at odds over the 'Magic Mike' franchise ... the exes are fighting over money and want a court to intervene and settle the dispute.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... one of the lingering issues in the wake of the divorce stems from holdings related to the 'Magic Mike' franchise, which they built together during their marriage.

Remember, Jenna helped Channing find a choreographer for the live 'Magic Mike' shows, and she moved to London to support their family when he was in production across the pond.

Our sources say Channing and Jenna have been unable to agree on how to split the assets from 'Magic Mike' ... we're told they were recently in intense mediation over percentages, but couldn't strike a deal.

Channing has turned 'Magic Mike' into a hugely successful business, with the movie, live shows and an upcoming reality show ... and our sources say there's a lot to sort out.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Jenna is requesting a trial in their divorce case to settle a number of issues, including a property settlement and spousal support. Jenna is currently engaged and recently had a baby with Steve Kazee.

Our sources say Channing and Jenna are in agreement about one thing ... the best path forward is to let the court step in and settle things once and for all.

We reached out to reps for both ... so far, no word back.

Esme Bianco -- best known for her role as Ros on "Game of Thrones" -- claims she was drugged, tortured and raped by Marilyn Manson in a bombshell new lawsuit.

According to the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the actress met the shock rocker in 2005 through his then-fiancee and he expressed interest in casting her in some film projects ... then she says he hit her up again after his divorce in 2007.

Bianco claims this is when he made his first "sexual overtures" toward her by requesting nude photographs, but he played it off as a joke. According to the docs, Manson flew her to L.A. in early 2009, purportedly to film a music vid for his song, "I Want to Kill You Like They Do in the Movies" ... and this is when years of abuse began.

The actress claims upon arrival she learned there was no film crew, just Manson, and she was expected to stay with him, be on call 24/7 and wear lingerie as her "costume." She alleges she was given drugs and alcohol and subjected to threats of violence and rape, and according to the docs ... was tied to a prayer kneeler and beaten by Manson with a whip he told her was utilized by the Nazis. She claims Manson also electrocuted her.

Bianco claims she was manipulated into believing this was all part of the music video shoot, and he assured her it was being edited. She says he then visited her in May 2009 in London and they began a sexual relationship, though she claims he was controlling and degrading.

According to the docs ... Bianco claims they kept a long-distance relationship going until 2011, when Manson convinced her to move to L.A. to live with him and promised her film roles. She claims during this time she endured constant abuse, including sleep deprivation, verbal abuse and tantrums if she expressed discomfort over the "violent and sexually graphic films" he allegedly played in his apartment.

She claims Manson once chased her around the home with an ax, and on another occasion "cut Ms. Bianco with a Nazi knife during sex, without her consent, and photographed the cuts on her body." She says he also posted the photos online without her consent.

Bianco says Manson used a pattern of using "drugs, force, and threats of force to coerce sexual acts" from her on multiple occasions, and claims he raped her around May 2011.

She also accused him of sexual battery during her time with him in L.A. in 2011. According to the docs ... "These acts include spanking, biting, cutting, and whipping Ms. Bianco’s buttocks, breasts, and genitals for [Manson's] sexual gratification," and all without her consent.

Bianco's lawsuit does not say if she reported the alleged rape or abuse to police. We've reached out to Manson's camp ... no word back yet.

Michael B. Jordan may have a case of gun fever, because he returned to an indoor shooting range where he'd trained for a role -- but this time it was just for fun with his girlfriend.

Michael took Lori Harvey to the Field Time Target & Training facility in the O.C. this week to do some shooting and, no, Lori wasn't just watching MBJ in action ... she opened fire too.

The team at FT3 Tactical tells us the couple were at the place for a couple hours Wednesday night, and enjoyed target practice. We're told Michael was there a few months ago to train with the staff for his upcoming movie, "Without Remorse."

Obviously, he liked the spot enough to return for date night.

FT3 says he was super nice, cool and humble and spent time chatting with employees and taking photos. They've even named him an honorary member of the team.

Danica Patrick has found new love after ending things with Aaron Rodgers ... the former racecar driver says she has a new BF -- and she couldn't be happier with him!!

The 39-year-old -- who split with Rodgers last summer after the two had dated for two years -- confirmed to ExtraTV this week she's in a new relationship with Carter Comstock.

And, in an interview where Danica gushed over her new man, she revealed Comstock is already fulfilling one of her "grand visions" for a relationship.

"We both love to travel and we're both super open-minded," Patrick said. "And, like, I had this sort of grand vision for finding someone that I could just sit on the couch with and, like, have a glass of wine and literally come up with any topic at all, simple or complicated, and just go, 'Let's talk about a tree.'"

"And, just go for two hours on like the nature of a tree. I just always imagined how great it would be to like find someone that you just sit on the couch and talk to for hours and that's just what we do."

It's unclear how and when Patrick and Comstock -- who's reportedly a cofounder of the meal prep service company, Freshly -- first linked up ... but she did post a photo of the two on a beach vacay earlier this month, saying, "Beach workouts are fun for one, but better with you."

As for her ex-flame... Rodgers got engaged to actress Shailene Woodley shortly after the Patrick breakup, and has said he's very happy now too.

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."

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro ended up getting arrested because cops say his girlfriend had visible marks on her body when they showed up, responding to her call for help ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us it was actually Ronnie's girlfriend, Saffire Matos, who called the police that night ... after they'd gotten into some type of argument that allegedly got physical. We're told when officers arrived, they spoke to both parties, and determined Ronnie was the aggressor.

As for why ... our sources tell us officers observed visible marks on Saffire's body which they determined she sustained during the alleged fight. We're told that was one of multiple observations that spurred police to slap the cuffs on Ronnie.

This is interesting because it shows Saffire had enough of a problem with whatever was going on to actually pick up the phone and dial 9-1-1. Since Ronnie's arrest, she tried to downplay the alleged violence.

She posted a statement in the aftermath, telling her followers not to believe media accounts of what had happened, insisting she and Ronnie were "fine."

Ronnie's attorney, Scott Leemon, tells us, "We are still investigating the incident of last week and have not yet received any of the police reports. Therefore, we will continue not to comment while our investigation is still ongoing. As we have all learned in the past, initial reports can be and are often incorrect.”

Of course, as we reported, this is bad news for Ronnie ... who's been down this road before with his ex, Jenn Harley. He ended up getting probation in that DV case -- and a judge could deem this latest arrest a violation of that probation.

Speaking of Jenn ... she drove all the way from Vegas to come get her and Ronnie's daughter, once she heard he'd been arrested.

"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.

Charli D'Amelio and Chase "Lil Huddy" Hudson have more than 100 million TikTok fans combined, and millions of them seem to believe they're dating again ... but they're sticking to the friendship story.

We got the teenage TikTok superstars out Tuesday night at Craig's, as they hit the WeHo hot spot with friends to celebrate the release of Lil Huddy's new single "America's Sweetheart" ... for which Charli co-stars in the music video.

Yeah, so that's how the romance rumors got sparked ... along with the fact the duo's actually dated in the past.

But, both Huddy and Charli shot down the dating speculation separately, with the singer saying they're "just friends" and Charli -- a bit more energetically -- saying they're just friends ... "really close" friends.

Take that for what it's worth, kiddos.

BTW, the release party for Lil Huddy's new single was swarming with other popular TikTokers ... including Addison Rae and Charli's older sister, Dixie.

The Kendall Jenner-Devin Booker relationship is still clearly going strong ... the "KUWTK" star hit up MSG to watch her man vs. the Knicks on Monday -- and the dude BALLED OUT for her!!

Kendall and some friends got box seats for the Suns game in New York ... and D Book certainly put on a show for them.

The 24-year-old NBA star scored 33 points in 41 minutes ... and led Phoenix to a 118-110 come-from-behind victory.

And, Kendall was clearly impressed ... cameras caught her smiling and giggling throughout the evening!!

The two began to get cozy about a year ago, when they were spotted on a road trip to Sedona ... and they've seemed to grow into quite the couple over the past 12 months.

They've been seen out on dates plenty of times ... with Kendall even posting a sappy pic of the duo for Valentine's Day last February.

As for any sort of "Kardashian Curse," there clearly ain't one here ... Devin is having a hell of a season with Kendall by his side, averaging 25.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game!!