Religion/ Spirituality

Kanye West has been spewing antisemitic remarks for weeks, but apparently has no issue plastering the Star of David on his concert merch -- which came to light when he took his daughter shopping.

Kanye picked North West up from school Tuesday -- just hours after TMZ broke the story he and Kim Kardashian had settled in their divorce. Interestingly enough, North's shirt displayed the Star of David with a cross in the middle along with the words Donda and the date 8.5.2021.

The shirt was actually part of the merch collection Kanye released during the "Donda" album listening event at Mercedes-Benz Stadium more than a year ago.

What's not clear is the intention behind the design of the merch ... many have said the cross inside the Star of David symbolizes Christianity being central to Judaism, while others have said it simply shows a harmony between the two religions.

As we've reported, Kanye's been on an antisemitic tear -- blaming Jewish business and media leaders for his latest demise and wronging him in the past.

On Monday, he stormed out of a podcast interview with Tim Pool after the host pushed Kanye on his rhetoric and said he didn't agree with what he'd been saying.

Kanye West is trying to breathe new life into his Donda Academy -- this time in a new, holier location, even though the school has all but crumbled.

Pastor Ronald Nagin of Cornerstone Christian Church tells TMZ he and Kanye have had 3 face-to-face meetings over the last month, and Ye expressed interest in leasing some of the church space in Northridge, CA -- in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley -- for the Donda Academy.

We’re told Kanye believes CCC is an improvement from Donda's old space in Chatsworth -- where Ye reportedly relocated to last year. Prior to that, Donda Academy was operating out of Simi Valley.

As for what Ye likes about Cornerstone, Nagin says he likes the fact it offers a bigger space with more classrooms and a sanctuary. Worth noting … if Ye pulls the trigger on this, he’d only be utilizing a portion of the grounds -- not all of the church property.

While Nagin notes this isn’t a done deal yet, the wheels are in motion … because we’re told Cornerstone’s lawyers are drafting up a lease for Ye right now.

It’s not a one-way street of interest either … Nagin says the church views Donda Academy as a good fit for them too. We’re told Kanye's priority is providing good education in a Christian environment, which is right up the church's alley, as Cornerstone has had many schools operate out of the church in the past.

Of course, the biggest issue -- Kanye losing his students and teachers, who've recently fled for other programs. If he's successful in locking down the new space, he'll have to recruit a lot of new students, and convince the old ones to come back.

If you’re wondering whether Kanye’s recent bigoted and antisemitic comments are going to be a hindrance, the answer is no -- Nagin tells us he considers Ye a good guy and a friend. He even swung by this week for service, separate from the negotiations over the would-be rental space.

It’s interesting … word is, Donda Academy has been a bit of a bare-bones operation that’s sometimes open, sometimes not amid Ye’s erratic behavior -- so, uprooting it again wouldn't be as strange as it seems from the outside.

While Kanye West insists Alex Jones is a good Christian man, Alex's ex-wife begs to differ -- she says Jones is coming up short on supporting his children.

Kelly Jones is going off on her ex-husband on social media, claiming Alex is behind on child support payments ... despite "conning" Ye to believing he's a Christian.

In a series of tweets, Kelly alleges Alex hasn't paid child support for the past 2 months, and won't even help buy braces for their youngest daughter ... even though she says he has plenty of money to spend on himself.

Kelly even included what she claims is an email she sent to Alex last week, begging him to help her and their daughter with bills, and asking for him to, at the very least, settle up on the $2,000 of support she claims he owes.

TMZ has not seen any court records that support Kelly's allegation, but we've reached out to Alex for his response to her claim. So far, no word back.

Alex's ex-wife started blasting him online after we reported on Kanye's latest rambling interview, where Ye says Elon Musk should let Jones back on Twitter because he's a Christian ... and America's a "Christian country."

Kanye West says the Balenciaga scandal is proof that Hollywood's celebrities are muzzled -- and speaking of silence ... he thinks Elon Musk should let Alex Jones break his.

The rapper was leaving a Messianic church Saturday where he was met with a small crush of paps who were ready to record him ... but not question him at all. Instead, KW just started speaking freely about his antisemitism scandal/fall from grace -- among other issues.

Ye suggests more people were outraged by what happened to him than what materialized publicly -- which he says is also evident in the lack of celebs who've decried Balenciaga.

Of course, he's referring to a wildly inappropriate ad campaign featuring little girls posing with BDSM-themed teddy bears ... not to mention court docs referencing a child porn case snuck into the background. The company apologized, but is still reeling from the fallout.

After that thought, Ye transitioned to another one ... namely, Twitter's continued ban of Alex Jones' account, which Kanye says should be reversed by Elon immediately.

His rationale there boils down to ... Christ. Yep, you gotta hear how Kanye phrases this one -- because it has strong echoes of his new pal, Nick Fuentes, who has often called for America to get back to its Christian roots -- which he usually couples with white nationalism.

As you know, Kanye has cozied up to Fuentes in recent weeks ... who accompanied Ye to a dinner at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday where Trump was present. KW has also brought Milo Yiannopoulos onboard ... so a lot of alt-right guys, and now -- he's singing Jones's praises.

Former NBA big man Marcin Gortat is inviting Kyrie Irving to come with him to his home country of Poland ... explaining to TMZ Sports he believes the trip would help educate the Nets star on Jewish history.

Gortat, who is not Jewish, was born and raised in Poland ... a country that experienced the terrors of World War II, Nazi Germany and the horrors of the Holocaust.

He told us out in LA this week that he found Kyrie's promotion of the antisemitic film "Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" to be "completely wrong" ... and he then extended the 30-year-old an invite to Poland to help him learn why he feels so strongly about it all.

"If he wants to learn something about the stuff he was talking about," Gortat said of Irving, "I can invite him to Poland and he will learn more about the whole situation."

Irving has issued an apology for his controversial tweet ... and after meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Nets owner Joe Tsai this week -- both men said they truly believe the basketball player is not antisemitic.

Irving's indefinite suspension, however, has still remained in place -- and it's unclear when the Nets will lift the ban.

Gortat, who played against Irving multiple times during his 12-year NBA career, wouldn't say whether or not he believed the punishment was fitting ... noting it was a team decision.

Shannon Sharpe says it's time to get past the latest Kyrie Irving controversy ... telling TMZ Sports that the Nets star's mea culpa is enough for him to be ready "move on" from it all.

Sharpe explained his stance on the matter to us out at LAX on Friday ... saying now that Irving's apologized -- and both NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai have deemed him to be not antisemitic -- he's down to put the whole saga in the past.

"He's done what they asked him to do," the Hall of Famer said. "He's apologized."

Sharpe did acknowledge that Irving's apology may not have been as prompt as some people would have liked -- but he went on to say it's still enough in his eyes.

"Hopefully, he meets with some of the people that were offended by the link he posted," Sharpe said, "and then, yeah, I agree, I'm ready to move on."

As we reported, after Irving tweeted out a link to the antisemitic film "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" and then refused to apologize for it ... he was hit with an indefinite suspension by the Nets.

But, since that time, Irving has said he's sorry ... and apparently had productive meetings and conversations with both Silver and Tsai about it all this week.

Clearly, Sharpe -- who has been critical of Irving on FS1's "Undisputed" in the past -- believes that's all enough.

Fat Joe's about to drop his memoir, which is filled with lessons many young rappers could use -- but it's actually an old-school rapper, one Kanye West, who recently sought out Joe's counsel.

The legendary Bronx MC joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and revealed he, almost literally, ran into Ye while walking out of his L.A. hotel room. Joe says Ye asked him for advice on how to handle all the backlash for his bigoted and antisemitic remarks.

He says he told Ye the truth, as he sees it, reminding him he's got pals from all walks of life and all religions. FJ advised Ye to keep God in mind, and stop using hurtful words.

Joe's got a lot more gems to drop -- especially for hip hop's up-and-comers -- in 'The Book of Jose.' His memoir will be available Tuesday, and reveals his days as a street hustler and his rise to rap superstar. He told us he knew exactly when his life had changed, and he needed to stop hanging with his old crew from the block.

It comes down to 2 words: RICO laws! You gotta see Joe explain the light bulb moment.

BTW, after his Ye run-in ... Joe also had an encounter with Will Smith, who's been laying low since that Oscars slap.

Following a meeting between Adam Silver and Kyrie Irving this week ... the NBA commissioner now says he has "no doubt" that the Nets star is not antisemitic.

The Association's honcho and the controversial Brooklyn point guard caught up on Tuesday ... and while Silver declined to get into the specifics of their chat during an interview with the New York Times on Thursday ... he did say he came away from the meeting sure that Irving was not full of hate.

"He's someone I've known for a decade," Silver told the outlet, "and I've never heard an antisemitic word from him or, frankly, hate directed at any group."

Silver requested the meeting with Irving after the basketball player had tweeted out a link to "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!" -- a film filled with antisemitic tropes.

The commish had called Irving's decision to press send "reckless" ... while blasting him for his refusal to immediately apologize. Irving was eventually hit with an indefinite ban from the Nets -- and ultimately said he was sorry.

Silver admitted the league and the Nets should have acted sooner regarding a suspension for Irving over it all ... telling the NYT, "We may have been able to get there faster. I accept that criticism."

But, he did say he believed both the Nets and the league got the suspension right in the end.

Irving is eligible to come off the ban later this week -- though it's unclear if that will actually happen ... as Brooklyn has imposed a myriad of conditions the 30-year-old must meet in order to return to the floor.

Silver also took aim at Amazon during his talk with the NY Times ... clearly believing the film Irving tweeted out shouldn't have a place in the org.'s marketplace.

For its part, Amazon has not yet removed the film ... and has not commented on the situation.

Kyrie Irving's relationship with Nike is "likely over," says Phil Knight, co-founder and chairman of the manufacturing conglomerate.

In an interview with CNBC, the billionaire commented on Irving's future with the Swoosh, saying, "I would doubt that we go back. But, I don't know for sure."

"Kyrie stepped over the line. It's kind of that simple. He made some statements that we just can't abide by, and that's why we ended the relationship. And, I was fine with that."

As we reported on Friday, the shoe giant announced it was suspending its relationship with the Nets' superstar point guard after he refused to apologize for tweeting a link to a controversial film containing antisemitic messaging.

"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech, and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the company said.

Nike's move to press pause on its partnership with Irving came after the Nets suspended Kyrie for at least five games -- the team felt that the 30-year-old wasn't contrite when he apologized for the harm he caused the Jewish community.

Like the Nets, Nike, too, was disappointed in Irving's seeming reluctance to disavow the antisemitic content in the film he tweeted, which left the company no choice but to suspend Kyrie's deal.

Knight told the outlet that when signing athletes, they consider not only how good the athlete is ... but also the kind of character the individual displays.

Shawn Mendes is making a strong case to be Canada's finest export ... for the latest evidence, look no further than these pics of him taking a stroll without a shirt!!!

The "Treat You Better" singer ditched his shirt Wednesday and went on a hike on one of Los Angeles' many trails ... looking like a certified hunk.

Shawn worked up a sweat on his journey ... which only made him look even hotter.

The guy's checking all the boxes here ... flowing dark hair, the right mix of tattoos, six-pack abs, and just enough body hair. Yes, please!!!

Handsome looks aside, it's good to see Shawn looking happy and healthy ... remember, he's not performing right now because he canceled his world tour for a mental health break.

TMZ broke the story ... Shawn told us he pressed pause on his tour to enjoy the simple things in life, along with some therapy, in order to regain his life balance.

The last time we saw Shawn, he was going to church with Justin Bieber, who also put his tour on ice for a mental health break.

Kyrie Irving reportedly had a "productive and understanding visit" with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday.

The report comes just 5 days after the All-Star guard was suspended at least 5 games for failing to adequately apologize for sharing a film containing antisemitic beliefs on Twitter.

Silver was furious with Irving after several opportunities to denounce antisemitism and the contents of the film ... saying he would be meeting him in person to address the matter.

"While we appreciate the fact that he agreed to work with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, I am disappointed that he has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize," Silver said at the time.

According to Shams Charania, the meeting went down earlier today ... and the report states it went well for both sides.

The report says the conversation is "paving the way" for the Nets and Irving to move forward ... which could potentially mean his return to the court once the 5-game punishment is up later this week.

Nick Cannon is ripping the Brooklyn Nets for "dehumanizing" Kyrie Irving with a list of demands that must be completed before he can return ... comparing the team to a master attempting to break a slave.

Cannon defended Irving during a conversation with Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt this week ... saying, "I can wholeheartedly say I know Kyrie Irving is not antisemitic."

Greenblatt says he took serious issue with Irving sharing a film that questioned the legitimacy of the Holocaust ... which he explained is dehumanizing to Jewish people.

Cannon says it goes both ways, though ... claiming the conditions of Irving's suspension -- including meeting with Jewish leaders and completing training -- is similar to "buck-breaking."

Nick explained the term for Greenblatt, saying ... "The slave masters would bring the buck -- the one that gets out of line -- so all the other slaves would see lash after lash, show them the power to set an example. 'This is what you must do to fall in line.' So, when we see the 6 things that Kyrie must do to get his job back, that's dehumanizing."

Cannon came under fire for making antisemitic comments in 2020, when he agreed with long-held stereotypes about Jewish people ... including having control over banks and much of the world's wealth. Nick also suggested white people were "a little less" than dark-skinned people.

He also defended ex-Public Enemy member Professor Griff for saying back in the late '80s Jews spread wickedness around the world.

Cannon later apologized for his comments ... saying he was "ashamed of the uninformed and naïve place that these words came from."

There's at least one powerful celeb who ain't buying Kyrie Irving's apology ... Howard Stern absolutely shredded the NBA star, calling him a "f***ing moron" and a "douchebag!"

Of course, Irving (kinda sorta) apologized last week hours after he was hit with a minimum five-game suspension for pushing an antisemitic book/film on social media. Many felt the apology fell well short of what Irving needed to say to undo the harm he caused.

Count Stern, who happens to be Jewish, among that group ... the world's most famous radio host went in on the 30-year-old hooper Monday morning during his show.

"This Kyrie Irving is a complete douchebag. I mean what a f***ing ... you know he's a flat earther? He's a douchebag," Stern said.

Then, Howard mockingly imitated Kyrie, saying ... "Just let me hate the Jews. Don't bust my balls. I just wanna go on Twitter and hate Jews. Can't you just leave me alone? Everyone hates Jews. Why ya picking on me? I'm just an NBA player. I don't understand anything. A lot of people hate the Jews. Why ya picking on me? The Earth is flat. I think Jews are lizards. Next question. Just leave me be," Stern said to his millions of listeners.

Kyrie has served three games of his suspension ... meaning if he satisfies the team's requirements to return -- meeting with Jewish community leaders, etc. -- he could return this Saturday against the Clippers in Los Angeles.

Even if he returns, Irving reputation has suffered a massive blow ... as have his pockets.

Nike suspended its lucrative partnership with the Nets guard and halted the release of an upcoming signature sneaker.

It's not the first time Stern's gone after a celebrity who made offensive comments. Just a few weeks ago Howard compared Kanye West to just about the worst person possible ... Adolf Hitler.

"Kanye used to be fun crazy. Now he’s like Hitler," Stern said, also calling Ye a "douchebag."

A couple weeks after Stern made the comments, Kanye responded while on a podcast, telling him to "shut the f*** up," adding, "I used to be a fan of you."

Unlike Ye, Irving is yet to fire back at Howard.

Kevin Durant thinks the Brooklyn Nets should have shut up and let Kyrie Irving dribble ... saying the organization should have not gotten involved in his teammate's antisemitism controversy.

He does, however, say he trusts the organization to make the right decision when asked about Kyrie's 5-game suspension.

KD spoke with the media on Friday about the Nets' decision to punish Kyrie over inadequately addressing the decision to post a link to a movie riddled with antisemitic beliefs ... and he feels like it was none of the team's business.

"I ain't here to judge nobody or talk down on the life or how they feel with their views and things," Durant said. "I just didn't like anything that went on. I felt like it was all unnecessary. I felt like we could have just kept playing basketball and kept quiet as an organization."

Durant also took a jab at the media ... saying outlets were quick to spark outrage after Kyrie posted the tweet.

"Everybody has an opinion on the situation, and we're hearing it nonstop."

As we previously reported, Kyrie has been under fire for several missed opportunities to apologize and denounce antisemitism ... which resulted in his suspension and a fiery statement from NBA commish Adam Silver.

The Nets also voiced their dissatisfaction when handing down the suspension ... saying, "Such failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so is deeply disturbing, is against the values of our organization, and constitutes conduct detrimental to the team."

Kyrie eventually released his latest attempt at a mea culpa on Thursday ... which still wasn't enough for some critics.

Nets GM Sean Marks spoke about Irving's most recent comments on Friday ... saying it's a "step," but there's still more that needs to be done.

Marks also said the Nets never considered waiving Irving ... but it's clear the team is not happy.

Kyrie Irving is finally apologizing for tweeting out a link to an antisemitic film ... though many fans are questioning the sincerity of the Brooklyn Nets star's mea culpa.

The 30-year-old wrote out the "I'm sorry" in a lengthy post on his Instagram page late Thursday night -- one week after he promoted the film "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!"

He began by admitting he made a mistake in pedaling a movie that contained "anti-Semitic statements, narratives, and language that were untrue and offensive to the Jewish Race/Religion."

He then apologized to people of Jewish faith for his actions -- something he had refused to explicitly do despite having multiple opportunities in the days after he pressed "send" on his tweet.

"To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post," he wrote, "I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize."

Some have found the line to be insincere -- believing it to be nothing more than "I'm sorry if I offended you" rhetoric.

Kyrie then apologized for not explaining the parts of the documentary that he actually agreed with ... another line with which fans took umbrage -- considering the entire film is laced with antisemitic tropes.

Finally, Irving wrote, "I had no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate." Some have blasted him for this comment as well. The question -- is he really acknowledging the Holocaust happened, or is he saying he's sorry he offended Jewish belief that it happened?  There's a huge difference between the two.

Irving's apology came just hours after the Nets announced the point guard would be suspended for at least five games over the situation. The team said in a statement he will not be allowed to play for the org. again until he "satisfies a series of objective remedial measures that address the harmful impact of his conduct."

The Anti-Defamation League is refusing to accept Kyrie Irving's donation ... with its CEO saying in a statement Thursday the org. is giving back the $500K that the Nets star donated this week.

Jonathan Greenblatt made the announcement on his Twitter page -- just minutes after Brooklyn suspended the point guard for at least five games.

In his statement, Greenblatt said that after Irving refused to specifically apologize for tweeting out a link to a film that contained antisemitic rhetoric despite having multiple opportunities to do so ... the ADL "cannot in good conscience accept his donation."

"We were optimistic," Greenblatt said, "but after watching the debacle of a press conference, it’s clear that Kyrie feels no accountability for his actions."

Irving initially made the donation on Wednesday evening ... with the Nets saying they'd match his pledge. A statement came attached to the announcement of the contribution, with Irving appearing to express remorse for his tweet.

But, things only got worse after that -- despite having several chances to straight-up apologize or completely denounce antisemitism, Kyrie refused.

"I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from," Irving said when asked if he held any antisemitic beliefs.

He also would not explain what parts of the film he disagreed with ... saying, "I think some of the criticism of the Jewish faith and the community for sure. Some points made in there that were unfortunate."

The ADL isn't alone. NBA commissioner Adam Silver -- who is Jewish -- unloaded on Irving for his comments ... saying he was "disappointed and" would be meeting with him in person over the matter.

Irving has since been suspended at least 5 games ... with the Nets saying they're "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets."

It's unclear if the ADL will accept the Nets' $500k donation that came along with Kyrie's contribution.