The Kardashians

The weirdo who came up to Kim Kardashian in blackface at the Vienna Opera Ball -- pretending to be Kanye West -- now claims the entire encounter was a misunderstanding ... insisting he's NOT a racist ... and didn't mean to offend her.

Chris Stephan -- a stand-up comedian in Austria -- just posted the apology on his Facebook, saying he's "incredibly sorry" things unfolded the way they did. He says he's of Arab descent himself, and never intended to be racist.

As we reported, Kim stormed out of the fancy pants ball yesterday after Stephan came up to her in black face make-up, acting like Kanye.

Kim was paid $500,000 to be the guest of Austrian businessman Richard Lugner at the event. Lugner later said Kim was a crappy date.

Kim Kardashian stormed out of the hoity-toity Vienna Ball after some white dude working the event came up to her in black face, pretending to be Kanye West!

Kim was paid $500K to be the guest of Richard Lugner, an Austrian businessman who has a long history of paying starlets half-a-mil to be his arm candy at the Vienna Annual Opera Ball.

Lugner just did an interview trashing Kim for not sticking to the program, saying, "Kim is annoying me."

But we're told she was taking pics with Lugner when a guy who was working the ball came up to her ... IN BLACK FACE acting like he was Kanye. She walked away from the guy, but had to stay another hour and a half.

The final straw. A short time later a guy came up to Kim and asked her to dance. She said she wasn't a good dancer, and then the guy responded, he would dance with her if the orchestra played "N****rs in Vienna."

Kim is saying there were other problems. She told her people Lugner was aggressive, at times grabbing her and imploring her to lose her security. She said Lugner was trying to be alone with her.

NEVER APPROACH KANYE WEST WITH A PEN -- especially if he's wearing a fancy sweater -- because after Yeezy's reaction in Paris this evening, you might as well be waving a knife in his face.

Kanye was leaving dinner moments ago when an autograph seeker asked the rapper for some love -- holding out a pen ... and a sneaker to sign.

The pen came within inches of Kanye's pristine white sweater -- and Yeezy nearly lost it.

First came Ray J ... then came The Game ... who just decided to announce he bangaranged Kim Kardashian long before she was super famous.

It's the humble brag of the century -- Game was doing an interview for some UK radio station, when the topic turned to rumors he's been hooking up with Khloe in the wake of her split from Lamar Odom.

Game denied the rumors -- but said he is NOT a Kardashian virgin ... casually letting it slide that he got it in with Kim way back in the day.

Game didn't say when exactly -- but sources tell us, Game and Kim hooked up briefly in 2006.

Kim's infamous sex tape was released a year later, but to Ray J's credit ... he really did hit it first ... the sex tape was recorded in 2003.

Lamar Odom says there's still hope for his marriage to Khloe Kardashian ... claiming he's not convinced she'll see the divorce through, 2 months after she filed divorce docs.

Odom was doing an interview in Spain -- where he's now playing pro basketball -- and said "only time will tell" if Khloe will finish the job ... though he says he hopes she reconsiders.

We broke the story ... Khloe filed for divorce in December, seeking to end their 4-year marriage after Odom's drug problem spiraled out of control.

"I love my wife. She'll always be my wife, no matter what," Odom says ... "Even if we were divorced, she'd always be my wife."

Khloe Kardashian is pissed at some of her "f**king stupid" Twitter followers who have a hard time telling black people apart -- and it's all over a picture of Sugar Ray Leonard.

The drama began when KK posted a pic for "Throwback Thursday" today featuring Robert Kardashian, Bruce Jenner and Sugar Ray -- and said, "#TBT I love this picture! My daddy. My second dad. My God father."

But some people confused Sugar Ray for OJ Simpson -- a friend and client of her father's -- and clearly, Khloe no likey.

"For those of you that are that f**king stupid.... That's NOT OJ in my #TBT," Khloe tweeted ... "That's Sugar Ray Leonard. Some of you never fail to amaze me!"

On a related note ... Bruce sure looks different these day, huh?

Lamar Odom doesn't just think he can save his basketball career in Spain ... he also thinks he can save his marriage ... and to prove it, he rocked his wedding ring on his way out of the country.

Odom was all smiles as he rolled through LAX on Tuesday ... right before he boarded his plane to Espana, where he'll join a Spanish pro basketball team (Laboral Kutxa Vitoria).

But it was clear he wanted to make a statement about the state of his marriage to Khloe Kardashian -- by wearing the ring on his finger.

As we previously reported, Khloe already filed for divorce ... and wants out of the marriage.

Clearly, Odom is an optimist these days.

Kim Kardashian just called TMZ out ... echoing Kanye West's complaint that TMZ goes after him because we're uncomfortable with interracial relationships.

Kim was leaving Barney's New York Tuesday afternoon when we asked her about her fiance's rant over the weekend at a concert, where he lobbed his criticism of TMZ and other media.

Kim proclaimed her blanket support for whatever Kanye says ... but it was clearly targeted at his criticism of TMZ.

Not to brag ... but we criticized Kanye long before he hooked up with Kim, like in 2008 after he attacked a photog at LAX, and after his Taylor Swift fiasco a year later.

Kris Jenner has one word for people who think her estranged husband is changing his sex.

We got Kris last night at Mr. Chow in Malibu -- which by the way is where Bruce Jenner is now living full-time.

Kanye West thinks TMZ loves to rip him just because he's in an interracial relationship. Yep, he figured it out ... Kim Kardashian is the only reason anyone would ever bad mouth Mr. Congeniality.

The ONLY reason ... at all.

Anti-fur activist Khloe Kardashian made her views explicit in NYC Monday morning -- rocking a fake fur coat on the street ... with the words "FXCK YO FUR" spray-painted on her back in bright red letters.

Khloe has spoken out against wearing fur for years -- and even partnered with PETA on several campaigns, but she cut ties with the organization in 2012 after a PETA-affiliated activist dumped flour on Kim K during a red carpet event.

Kanye West went on another endless rant Saturday night ... but this one had a racial twist.

Kanye was playing the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey when he called out TMZ and other media for criticizing him over the last year.

Kanye said we all make him look like "a maniac and an animal" ... not because of anything he did ... but because of our discomfort over interracial relationships.

Unless we're missing something ... he thinks we all have a problem with the fact that he's engaged to Kim Kardashian.

Kanye West took his favorite mouth to dinner yesterday ... one day after he praised Kim Kardashian's oral skills on a new remix.

The two went out for a romantic evening in New York after his concert in New Jersey -- probably to make up for his recent remix of "Drunk in Love" ... where Kanye said he first fell in love with Kim after "impregnating her mouth."

Mercy.

The singles band together for Valentine's Day -- Kylie and Khloe Kardashian lunched with Bruce Jenner near the family home in Calabasas.

Gotta say ... Bruce looks great -- better than he has in a long time.

The 2 sisters showed unity as they left the restaurant.

As you clearly know ... Bruce is separated from Kris ... and Khloe has filed for divorce from Lamar Odom.

They're baaaaack!!

Kendall Jenner's nipples can now make it anywhere ... because they made it to a New York City high fashion runway Thursday.

18-year-old Kendall flaunted what her mama manages ... in a completely sheer brown top and a wig at the Marc Jacobs fashion show.

It was KJ's NY Fashion Week debut, and immediately after her nipples lit up the event ... Khloe Kardashian gushed on IG, "My baby sister killed it today."

Kim Kardashian also weighed in, saying ... "Proudest sister ever!!!!"

Kendall's goodies were last seen in sheer black.

First black, now brown? Kim and Khloe really are proud.

E! is quoting Bruce as saying the story that he's leaving the show is fabricated. We can tell you ... Bruce WILL NOT be part of the show after this season ... period.

The Kardashian family gravy train is moving full steam ahead -- with no sign of stopping -- TMZ has learned, Kim and co. will sign on for yet ANOTHER multi-season deal with E! worth more than what they're making on the current one ... and they'll do it without Bruce Jenner.

TMZ broke the story ... "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" was renewed for an additional 3 seasons back in 2012 for more than $40 million -- what was then the richest reality TV deal ever.

But now the Kardashians have outdone themselves -- sources connected to production tell us, the new deal will be worth more than the last.

"Keeping Up with the Kardashians" is currently shooting Season 10 and the new deal will take the show into Season 11 and beyond. As one production source put it, "It is a HUGE show."

As for Bruce Jenner, he won't be coming along for the ride -- as we reported, Bruce has decided to call it quits after Season 10 to spend more time doing the other things he loves. Production sources acknowledge Bruce was "fatigued" and hated the criticism that went along with the show.

He'll be missed -- but sources tell us, producers aren't concerned about his departure ... he was not a major character.

Our sources will not say if the deal has been signed or if it's still being negotiated ... but it's definitely far enough along that everyone knows the show will be back.