TMZ Live

Ballerina Kirsten Bloom Allen is pulling off the near-impossible ... getting life-saving supplies to a fellow dancer in Ukraine, who's been forced to put aside his true passion so he can defend his country.

Oleksii Potiomkin says he wanted to help his fellow Ukrainians and protect his family at all costs, but supplies were scarce. When he and Kirsten joined us Wednesday on TMZ Live, she explained why she refused to sit by idly while a fellow dancer was in need.

Kirsten tells us she reached out to Oleksii online -- they knew each other through dance -- and they created a list of things needed for the Hospitallers, a volunteer paramedic group he joined that tends to Ukraine's wounded soldiers.

Kirsten says she shipped the supplies to another ballet dancer in Amsterdam, who took them through Poland and to Oleksii in Ukraine. Now, she's launched a fundraiser, hoping to get more supplies into the country such as medical supplies and food.

Oleksii tells us this war is forcing people from all walks of life to step up and fight for the cause. He started helping people on his own with medicine and aid, even before joining the Hospitallers.

Heroic and inspirational -- both fitting words for what Oleksii and Kristen are doing to protect Ukraine, and to help others heal.

Jake and Logan Paul might have a lot of haters, but that's not the case with WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns ... who says he respects the YouTubers/boxers and what they've been able to accomplish.

Reigns joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" ahead of WrestleMania 38 ... and the heavyweight couldn't say enough good things about the Paul bros.

"These guys from everything that I've ever seen or heard, they put in the work," Reigns said. "They live a full-time boxing schedule. They train. They eat. They do everything that a professional boxer would do to prepare for a fight."

Of course, the reason we're talkin' about the Pauls is that Logan is set to take the ring at WM38 on Saturday in a tag team match with The Miz.

Roman says its essential performers in the sports entertainment world be multi-layered -- something he firmly believes the former-YouTube superstars-turned boxers are.

"I think as performers, you got to be multi-layered," Roman said. "In performing arts, you have to have multiple lanes of a skill set."

The former member of "The Shield" said he thinks it's crazy anyone would try to dismiss their legitimacy as fighters -- especially since their work ethic and audience make them mega draws.

"I think it would be crazy to say they're not boxers," the 2015 WWE Royal Rumble winner said. "You got to have people tuned into what you're doing."

"And, they've done that, but they've also put in the work. Kudos to them."

Finally, we asked Roman if a match between him and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at next year's WrestleMania (set to take place at SoFi Stadium) was in the works, and the champ's response was interesting.

"I don't care who you are and what you been doing on the movie set and what kind of fight scenes you been putting together on the big screen."

"When it comes to a WWE ring, when it comes to the Universal championship, and the WWE championship for that matter -- I think I'm the safe bet to put your money on."

One of Ukraine's prominent politicians says western nations can do more than send military support ... they can financially stick it to the children of Russia's oligarchs in order to put pressure on Vladimir Putin.

Inna Sovsun is hunkered down near Kyiv, and joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" ... as the Russian army attempts to fortify positions, apparently digging in for a much longer war than Putin anticipated.

As devastating as the war has been for her country, Inna tells us citizens -- male and female -- remain focused on defending their homeland ... even though they're painfully aware Russia might resort to using chemical weapons and ultrasonic missiles.

While no one expects Putin to stand down ... she hopes people around him will realize the price of war is too high, and that's where the U.S. and other western nations can help.

Sovsun says tough personal sanctions against Russia's political elites -- aka Putin's oligarch buddies -- are a start, but shutting down their children will also hit them where it hurts. She points out that the oligarchs' kids are still allowed into the U.S. and some are still studying in Great Britain.

Inna told us, "I want them to go back to mother Russia and suffer for the consequences of what their parents did."

"90210" star Trevor Donovan is using some Hollywood acting skills to show students across the country how to stop being a bystander to bullying and harassment.

Trevor joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to explain how his 'Team Upstanders' program is empowering students to help each other ... especially those who aren't able to defend themselves against bullies.

His assemblies feature skits where he acts out bullying scenarios with the kids ... which allows them to experience these emotionally charged incidents from different perspectives.

Trevor says letting the kids feel the impact is an effective learning experience, albeit a painful one at times.

By the end of the program, Trevor picks students to be ambassadors ... and it becomes their job to promote an anti-bullying environment.

After a recent assembly at Deer Lakes Middle School in Russellton, PA, Trevor says he was approached by a parent online, saying her kid was a target of bullying. He quickly jumped on a Zoom with the school's counselor and 2 upstanders he appointed -- and they all worked out a solution.

Facebook teaming up with a major Republican consulting firm to turn public opinion against their fiercest rival reeks of desperation ... so says Taylor Lorenz.

The Washington Post columnist joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday to break down her bombshell report on the ways in which Mark Zuckerberg's FB and Meta are playing dirty in their war with TikTok.

Taylor says Facebook looks incredibly weak for paying operatives at Targeted Victory -- a GOP consulting firm -- to carry out a calculated smear campaign to damage TikTok's standing in America and drive teens over to their social media platforms.

As for the Republican role in all this, Taylor says Targeted Victory is trying to drum up anti-Chinese sentiments and link TikTok to the Chinese government because the app is owned by Beijing-based ByteDance.

But, she says there's no evidence TikTok is in bed with Communist China ... despite claims by former President Donald Trump and others in the GOP.

Breathe easy, Philadelphia Eagles fans ... Jordan Mailata is not bailing on football, even though it seems he could after a surprising 'Masked Singer' gig that started with a very unexpected call.

The star offensive tackle joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to talk about his unmasking on the reality show. He was the one in the 'Thingamabob' costume, and last night he sang 'Classic' by MKTO. While his impressive vocals have been under wraps, Jordan says his teammates already knew about his hidden talent.

In fact, they'd encouraged him to go pro ... but Jordan says it wasn't until he got a call from his agent about doing 'Masked Singer' that it ever became a thought for him.

Now that folks outside the locker room know about Jordan's pipes, JM says he's taking things one step at a time and being realistic about his prospects in the music biz. He added, it's been incredible and humbling to get such wholesome reactions from people.

But, while he is considering doing more singing -- perhaps professionally -- Jordan says football will always be his first love.

As millions of refugees continue to flee Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, one couple is springing into action in the most humanitarian way -- giving traumatized families a safe place to sleep and begin their new lives.

Jakub and Gosia Golata are Polish-born UK citizens who've done something remarkable ... dropping everything in their lives and heading back to their native land to offer assistance by booking the entire Park Hotel in Tryszczyn. It currently has 180 beds, and the Golatas are using them exclusively to provide free refuge for Ukrainians.

Not just that ... but they're also volunteering transportation to and from the border via buses they've rented there. They joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" tell -- with the assistance of donations that have been pouring in from all over.

We asked what motivated them to do all this -- especially considering they've paused their day-to-day occupations in England -- and their answer was telling ... basically, they say they just couldn't stand by and not to do nothing for a neighboring nation in crisis.

Michael Bublé may be best known for his vocals, but now he jokingly says he could ditch his singing career for TikTok ... after newfound success on the app.

The Canadian singer joined "TMZ Live" and talked about working on his upcoming 11th studio album and  ... a possible TikTok career!

Michael has had worldwide success since dropping his debut, self-titled album in '03. In January, he dropped his single "I'll Never Not Love You" ... which is a sequel to his 2009 hit "Haven't Met You Yet."

So far, he's sold 75 million albums, but he believes his latest one "Higher" is his best one yet. Although the album is slated for Friday, Michael is very excited about another hobby he's seemingly mastered overnight -- TikTok.

He tells us, he loves interacting with fans on the app, but it's more important for him to try to get more followers than his wife ... only partially joking. Back in September, he got an impressive 31.5 million views on his first video, after his wife convinced him to join.

Bublé has garnered 1.7 mil followers and 14.7 mil likes ... but, insists his wife is still winning the competition. Luckily though, he knows quite a bit about winning ... with 11 Grammy noms and 4 wins since '08.

As for "Higher", Michael says he got the help of some famous friends … including Paul McCartney, who gave his blessings for him to cover his song -- "My Valentine." Paul ended up working on the entire album and being accredited as a producer.

MB says Paul came to play, and he simply "has the ability to take good and turn it into great."

Volodymyr Zelensky's former press secretary says the guy's a good leader during war for a couple of reasons  -- including the fact he's a legal eagle.

We talked to Iuliia Mendel Monday -- who served as the Ukrainian President's spokesperson for two years after he was elected in 2019 -- and she told us what she and the rest of Zelensky's team saw in him then that the rest of the world is witnessing firsthand now.

For starters, she reveals that Zelensky was actually a lawyer in his past life -- before he was even a comedian/actor -- and that certainly plays into why he's so savvy in this difficult time.

Mendel explains her former boss' diverse background has helped him navigate what's going on with Russia ... and why he's even been willing to head to the front lines of the fighting to show support both to his troops and people, but also to negotiate as needed.

Then comes a somewhat difficult question ... what if all the backing from the world that Ukraine has received thus far simply isn't enough to fend off the Russians?

"Shark Tank" star Daymond John is having a hard time enjoying this year's NCAA Tournament ... saying he believes it's "horrible," and is actually "modern-day slavery."

The 53-year-old businessman spelled out his beef with March Madness to Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" on Friday ... explaining he thinks the players are getting a raw deal in the huge event.

John said there's a ton of people making millions -- if not billions -- off the tourney ... yet players aren't seeing much of the pie at all.

"The players make nothing! Zero off of all that," John said. "I think this is modern-day slavery and they're just giving them a little bit of a crumb."

John acknowledged that players do get scholarships and do now have the ability to get paid from NIL deals -- but he insisted that's nowhere near enough.

"These players are bringing in billions of dollars and making absolutely zero," he said. "It is really, I think, what business model do you know that makes billions of dollars and pays their employees zero?"

Violinist Vera Lytovchenko is opening up about her astoundingly brave performance in a Ukrainian bomb shelter, and despite deadly attacks in her hometown ... says she won't back down to the Russians.

Vera, a member of the Kharkiv City Opera Orchestra, joined us Thursday from Kharkiv, where 21 civilians had been killed earlier in the day. While Vera and most of her neighbors are sheltering, she's tugged at heartstrings around the world with a performance that's gone viral.

She told us on "TMZ Live" she got the idea to play music in her local bomb shelter from one of her violin students ... who did the same thing in a train station. Vera says she thought, "This young girl, 18 years old, is so brave. I can do something like this."

She hoped it could make a difference and keep people's minds off of the horrors of the Russian invasion ... and after posting some clips she found her comment section flooded with powerful messages.

Vera says she's been told her music is helping fellow Ukrainians who feel alone in these uncertain times.

The war literally hit too close to home for Vera recently when a bomb went off near her apartment. She's used social media to show the destruction.

Even in the face of that danger, she explained why she'll never leave Kharkiv. Saying her grandmother's grave is a few blocks away.

Vera is working with a friend to raise money for local musicians who've been affected by the war ... and says the money raised will help rebuild the music college, the conservatory and even go to struggling music students.

Congressman Mike Quigley is applauding President Volodymyr Zelensky for standing up to Vladimir Putin, and says the Russians -- and maybe the world -- seriously underestimated Ukraine's leader.

The U.S. Rep from Illinois joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" after he'd witnessed Zelensky state his case to Congress for more military assistance to defend his country from Putin's invasion ... and came away impressed.

Rep. Quigley says Zelensky's courage has managed to unite NATO in only a few weeks, despite the fact Ukraine is not even a member nation, and he's proving Putin made a huge miscalculation by taking him lightly.

As we reported ... Zelensky made an impassioned speech to Quigley and hundreds of his fellow colleagues in Congress, pleading for the U.S. and NATO to help to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine in hopes of stopping the Russians from bombing civilians.

Rep. Quigley's Chicago constituents include a neighborhood known as Ukrainian Village, and he's had conversations with Zelensky prior to today's speech.

Tech entrepreneur Andrey Liscovich is fighting for his birthplace of Ukraine by giving up his life in Silicon Valley and getting civilian soldiers the supplies they need ... and it's so dangerous he's just written his will.

Andrey joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" and tells us he and his colleagues put together the Ukraine Defense Fund, taking anything they can to help support the troops.

The organization has already raised $65k ... using the money to place supply orders worldwide, getting items shipped to Poland. They're also accepting supplies as a donation ... including medical supplies, body armor and clothes.

With over 100,000 volunteers joining the Ukrainian armed forces since the war began, the army doesn't have enough necessities to go around. He says, "You can imagine a guy ... coming in a sweater, getting an AK-47, and perhaps a few spare magazines and not get much besides that."

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is personal for Andrey ... growing up in Ukraine, he knew he couldn't sit on the sidelines while destruction plagues his people.

Andrey says he's even drafted a will on his laptop while the attacks rage on ... knowing these uncertain times are a matter of life or death.

President Biden's latest executive order is a big "W" for those in the crypto world, and a clear indicator everyone should, if nothing else, start learning what it's all about ... according to Daymond John.

The "Shark Tank" star joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" for his "Follow the Money" segment ... giving us his take on Biden's greenlight for feds to study risks and benefits of cryptocurrency. Daymond says the bottom line is ... it's really good news.

He says the news legitimizes crypto, and should get more people to invest. Even further, he believes Biden's interest in creating a digital U.S. dollar will protect all Americans.

Although, the prez did not announce any regulations of cryptocurrency ... Daymond says they'll be necessary to prevent investors from getting hurt or scammed.

Already, 16% of Americans have invested in crypto, and he says that number will increase greatly in the next 10 years.

Former CIA operative Ric Prado says killing Vladimir Putin inside Russia isn't as easy as Sen. Lindsey Graham makes it sound, but he adds ... there is an opening, if the oligarchs want him gone.

Prado, who has more than 20-years experience in in the Agency, broke down what he believes his former colleagues can do to help Ukraine beat back Putin's Russian army. Many people, like Sen. Graham, have said the best option is getting Putin out of power ... and Prado's all for it too.

But, as he explained Thursday on "TMZ Live" ... killing Putin is easier said than done. For starters, he says Putin is well protected and his inner circle will do anything to keep him alive, because they're as good as dead if he's ever assassinated.

Ric also says Russian civilians don't stand a chance against Putin -- they just don't have the weaponry -- but oligarchs have the resources and connections to make Sen. Graham's wish come true.

He says the economic sanctions are squeezing the oligarchs ... and he'd like to see one or more of Russia's 100 billionaires put a bounty on Putin's head just to stop their own economic bleeding.

Trent Hartsfield and his wife were supposed to permanently welcome a Ukrainian orphan to their family ... now he's in a terrifying race against time, as the brutal Russian invasion continues in Ukraine.

Trent joined TMZ live Tuesday from Bucharest, Romania -- he's flown there in hopes of finding 9-year-old Angelina, a little girl his family's trying to adopt as Putin's assault on Ukraine grows more and more brutal.

We spoke to Trent just hours after the Russians shelled a children's hospital ... putting him even more on edge. He says he and his wife fell in love with Angelina back in December when they hosted her for a month. They had to send her back in January, per Ukraine law, but they simultaneously started the process to permanently adopt her.

Once Putin declared war, Trent says he and his wife, Muff, were worried about Angelina's safety and lost all communication with her ... with the exception of one brief video call on Feb. 25.

Quite frankly, he's scared and devastated by the news out of Ukraine ... and wants to do everything in his power to bring Angelina back to the U.S. -- but, right now, it's like finding a needle in a haystack.

Trent says he'll start by going to the Romanian border with Ukraine in hopes missionaries and other volunteers can point him in the right direction.

Hundreds of American families in the process of adopting Ukrainian children are in the same plight as Trent, who says "timing is everything" in his search.