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Ariana Grande's viral look-alike Paige Niemann says she felt "misled" by the direct message the popstar sent her amid her rise to online fame years ago.

Here's the sitch -- Paige's new docuseries "Turning the Paige" debuted this week on Prime Video ... and fans are buzzing about the empowering message Ariana sent a teenage Paige as she was gaining traction for the uncanny impersonation and look-alike videos she was posting.

The message, which TMZ verified came from the Grammy winner, said that Paige was beautiful "without trying to make her face look more similar to someone else's." The DM wrapped up, "Always do what makes you happy of course but if I didn't say that to you, I'd regret it."

Now, Paige tells TMZ ... she had mixed feelings about the entire interaction.

She tells us it was an unexpected moment she shared in her doc to show the love and kindness Ariana sent her ... though she felt "led on" due to the social media narratives forming around the same time the DM found its way into her inbox.

It turns out Ariana Grande's message to her viral look-alike is legit ... TMZ has confirmed its authenticity.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the message is real ... meaning Ari DID reach out to Paige Niemann, the girl who's made a name for herself by making herself up to look like the pop star.

As we previously reported, Paige shared the DM she got from AG in her new "Turning The Paige" docuseries.

Robin Antin is opening up about the devastating loss of Lauren Bennett, sharing an emotional tribute to the late singer ... and remembering Lauren as far more than a collaborator and former protégé.

The Pussycat Dolls founder took to social media to honor Lauren, revealing the two had been inseparable since they first met when Lauren was just 16 years old.

Robin says Lauren was her "beautiful best friend," her chosen sister and creative partner ... explaining how they became family over the years while chasing dreams, performing together and building unforgettable memories.

Jessi Draper is clapping back at haters after she and her 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' costars posted a video about "surviving," as Taylor Frankie Paul is still MIA and fighting in court over child custody issues.

ICYMI, Jessi, Whitney Leavitt, Jen Affleck, Layla Taylor and more got together to film the below clip Wednesday ... in which they danced around to "Big Time Rush" by the Nickelodeon boy band of the same name and said they're "surviving." TFP commented ... "Looks like thriving to me, I’ll show you surviving."

Jessi responded to the following backlash from fans ... confirming that she and a "group" are filming for the show, but that doesn't take away from her friendship with Taylor. She explains she's vehemently defended Taylor from the get-go and still talks to her every single day, but that doesn't mean she can't be friends with other people in the MomTok group.

9:16 AM PT -- Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff have separated after 3 years of marriage, according to a new report.

Margaret Qualley scrubbed her wedding day photos from her social media ... a move that is stirring more speculation that there's trouble in paradise between her and Jack Antonoff.

It's not clear when she removed the pics ... but Margaret was noticeably absent from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding celebrations last weekend, even though Jack was there -- leading to the split speculation.

Some folks think Margaret was MIA because she's working on the new flick "King Snake" ... but others claimed production wrapped a little while back ... and now she's seemingly removing any trace of Jack from her Instagram.

Mackenzie Shirilla is sharing a new photo from behind bars ... along with a positive message after suffering a legal setback.

Despite being locked up, Mackenzie's supporters are using her Instagram account. In a recent post, they uploaded a snap of her from prison, explaining she's "trying to do better every day and holding on to hope" ... despite a recent court decision denying her request for post-conviction relief.

Mackenzie's team explained the denial wasn't based on the substance of her claims. Instead, they said the filing was rejected because it was submitted one day past the deadline.

The claws came out on "The View" when Sunny Hostin called out Marjorie Taylor Greene for comments she made about Graham Platner's accuser.

MTG was asked about the scandalized Senate hopeful on the show Tuesday ... where she seemed to imply the allegations were strategically timed.

She told the panel ... "I don’t know anything about his policies. I just started learning about him yesterday when I saw this blow up. However, I do know what establishment political hit jobs look like."

Nolan Wells' friends are grieving his devastating loss ... flooding social media with touching tributes to the teen.

As you know, the 18-year-old's body was found in the water near Mississippi's Horn Island Monday ... he'd been missing since Saturday, when he and some pals took a boat out to the island.

And now, his friends are mourning his tragic death online, sharing sweet snaps and meaningful messages about what Nolan meant to them.

2:27 PM PT -- Nolan's family hired prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and is calling for a "thorough and transparent investigation" into the teen's death, according to a press release.

The mystery surrounding the death of Mississippi teen Nolan Wells has taken another twist ... law enforcement is investigating a viral video that allegedly shows a heated Fourth of July confrontation on Horn Island, near where his body was found.

Check out the clip ... it appears to show a tense argument involving several people gathered near the shoreline as boats line the beach.

The video has sparked widespread speculation online that it could be connected to Nolan's disappearance -- but, so far, there's no confirmation that's actually the case.

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter tells TMZ his office is aware of the circulating video, and investigators are actively looking into it as part of the ongoing investigation.

Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour dancer Tori Evans was torn apart online for wearing white to the superstar's wedding ... but her husband says her dress wasn't white at all!

Tori's husband defended her on social media after the internet criticized her dress choice, commenting on the viral Instagram Reel of their outfits, "DRESS IS PINK CHAMPAGNE color for everyone that doesn’t understand lighting 😂."

But, not everyone was convinced, with one arguing, "Champagne shades are still bridal colors. She looks great but the Internet is not going to like this. Wrong occasion for this dress." Several others shared a similar sentiment, as you can see by some of the comments above.

Brad Pitt and Ines de Ramon are going Instagram official with their "Love Story" following Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's nuptials over the weekend.

Check it out -- the pair posed together for some adorable photos posted by hairstylist Laurie Zanoletti and reshared by Ines to her IG Story. The movie star can be seen grinning in a classic black tux, while Ines beams in an off-the-shoulder black gown in the first snap.

The final pic in the carousel shows the couple laughing together as Brad wraps his arm around his better half's waist.

Mitch McConnell's health saga is continuing to fuel questions in Washington ... and now, one of the people closest to him has suddenly gone silent online.

Porter McConnell -- the eldest daughter of the former Senate Majority Leader -- appears to have deactivated her X account as speculation about her 84-year-old father's condition continues to swirl. The account had long been active ... with Porter frequently criticizing both her father's politics and the Republican Party.

The move comes as McConnell remains out of public view following the tight-lipped medical emergency that landed him in the hospital last month.

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour dancer Tori Evans apparently didn't get the memo about wearing white to someone else's wedding ... and the internet is letting her have it.

Check out the video and judge the wedding faux pas for yourself ... Evans showed off her look from Taylor and Travis Kelce's wedding in a new video ... rocking a dress that had some fans wondering if she was trying to blend in with the bridal party.

The dancer captioned the post with a nod to Taylor's "Blank Space," writing, "So it's going to be forever..." -- but the comments quickly became less about the song and more about the color of her dress.

Emilie Kiser is pregnant ... announcing the news just over a year her 3-year-old son, Trigg, drowned in their backyard pool.

The content creator announced the exciting news Friday by sharing a photo of her hand cradling her growing baby bump.

She wrote in her caption her pregnancy "feels very surreal and has already been such a bright light to us during some of our darkest days."

Congratulations are in order for Nick Viall and Natalie Joy ... they're the proud parents of twin girls!

The happy couple announced the arrival of their baby girls, Dove Tomlin Viall & Iris Parker Viall, on Friday ... calling them their "rainbow babies" after previously suffering 3 miscarriages.

You can see adorable pictures of the little ones in Nick and Natalie's joint announcement post ... they're lying on a blanket in matching onesies with name plates above their heads ... Dove has a bird next to her name, and Iris has a rocking horse.

Taylor Frankie Paul just broke her silence on the renewed custody battle with her ex-husband ... and she got real and raw with her accusations towards Dakota Mortensen and Tate Paul.

TFP posted several pictures of injuries she claims were sustained during fights with Dakota ... and said the two men were ganging up on her, using their three shared children as pawns.

TMZ broke the news ... a Utah judge ordered "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star to undergo drug and alcohol testing, and, if the results are clean, she will get to have unsupervised parenting time with their kids. If there's a positive test for any unprescribed drugs or alcohol, however, her parenting will have to be supervised.