TV

Colton Underwood admires women who fake it for love.

We got the 'Bachelor' star in WeHo heading into Boa and asked about Bri Barnes, who greeted him on the show with a fake Aussie accent. Colton thinks the move was fantastic ... deceptive, maybe, but deliciously so.

Our photog couldn't help expressing concern for the famed virgin, cautioning that people on the set needed to have his back in case he dove headfirst into the sea of love.

Danielle Staub's estranged husband says she's getting serious social media blowback for the way she treats people ... so she's trying to take the heat off herself by making up bogus claims about him.

Marty Caffrey tells TMZ ... Danielle's got a major public relations problem in the wake of the final 3 episodes of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," because they revealed her "horrific" treatment of him, his kids and the other cast members.

He claims bad PR is behind Danielle calling cops to his home this week and it's also why she filed for a protective order against him. According to Marty ... Danielle told him she's been getting "terroristic death threats" online, and she's blaming them on him.

Marty doesn't doubt she's getting threats on social media, and tells us he's looking into them himself to assure their safety ... but denies having any role in them.

As for cops removing him from the house he still lives in with Danielle after she accused him of "emotional torment" and "toying" with her ... Caffrey calls BS. He says the 2 have zero interaction and adds, "That's a joke ... I don't know what kind of mind comes up with this stuff."

Marty also denies Danielle's accusations of dragging out their divorce, claiming she took 2 extra months to respond to his settlement terms and tried to lowball him with an offer on their home.

Marty listed their NJ mansion in November -- allegedly without telling her -- and tells us he's contemplating taking legal action to determine whether or not she can keep living there.

Yep, this divorce seems on course to get way nastier.

R. Kelly allegedly kept a mother from seeing her daughter for years -- and the mother went on a hunt to track her down -- and it all happens on video for Friday's episode of Lifetime's "Surviving R. Kelly."

In the clip you see Michelle Kramer getting emotional as she tries to locate her daughter, Dominique Gardner ... tracking her down at a hotel and trying to bring her home.

The mother blames Kelly for keeping her family apart, saying any man who keeps a child from its parents doesn't have a heart. Dominique was with Kelly for 9 years, lived with him for more than 4, and eventually went missing from her family.

Kelly's legal team has adamantly denied the reports and information within the doc ... firing off a cease and desist letter to Lifetime, threatening a lawsuit if the documentary aired. However, Lifetime remained defiant ... airing it anyways.

In the clip ... Michelle finally tracks down Dominique at a hotel in Los Angeles ... and the Lifetime cameras were rolling when the family reunited.

Dunkleman says, "I chose to stop doing standup comedy and started driving an Uber so I could be there for my son as much as he needed after our life as we knew it was destroyed."

It seems he's referring to the divorce and ugly custody battle he and his ex-wife have waged over their child.

Brian Dunkleman -- the former co-host of "American Idol" -- is now making a living as an Uber driver.

Dunkleman is in the middle of a divorce with Kalea Dunkleman. He submitted financial docs -- obtained by TMZ -- disclosing his occupation as "Uber driver." He says he started the job in March 2016 and continued to this day.

Brian says he works about 45 hours a week and pulls in around $800 a week.

Dunkleman says he has $2,000 in his checking account. He pays $1,500 in rent per month and his expenses total $1,605 each month.

Brian, who co-hosted with Ryan Seacrest in season 1, says his 5-year-old son, Jackson, lives with him half the week.

The divorce has been dragging on for more than 2 years and the former couple has been locked in a bitter custody battle. He claimed Kalea was an out-of-control alcoholic who was a danger to their son. Brian also claimed she physically abused him. She claimed Brian was physically abusive toward her and called her a "useless bitch."

Lifetime's not afraid of R. Kelly -- it's going to air its documentary about the singer as planned despite his threat to sue.

We broke the story ... Kelly's lawyer threatened to sue the network if it airs "Surviving R. Kelly" Thursday night, claiming the TV doc is packed with lies about him being a sex-crazed and abusive cult leader.

Despite receiving a scathing cease and desist letter, a Lifetime rep tells TMZ ... the first part of its 6-part documentary will air tonight as scheduled at 9 PM ET/PT.

The rep adds ... "Lifetime has always been a brand that champions women’s stories." Not hard to read between the lines ... the network believes the women.

"Surviving R. Kelly" will feature people from his inner circle coming forward -- for the first time ever -- with new allegations that Kelly has sexually, mentally and physically abused women.

The singer's calling BS ... saying the subjects made false allegations to become famous. He also claims to have proof the network knows some of the girls are lying.

R. Kelly's had enough ... he's threatening to sue Lifetime if it doesn't pull the plug on airing its documentary that paints the singer as a sex-crazed and abusive cult leader.

Kelly's lawyer, Brian Nix, fired off a legal letter -- obtained by TMZ -- warning the network that its "Surviving R. Kelly" documentary is packed with lies. Nix threatens to file a federal lawsuit Thursday -- the same day Lifetime's set to air the special -- if the network doesn't relent.

As you know ... the family of one of Kelly's alleged brainwashed sex slaves has gone public in seeking her return. The alleged victim, Joycelyn Savage, refuted her own family and said she's no hostage. She was seen out in Bev Hills last May... without Kelly in tow.

Lifetime's 6-part documentary will feature, for the first time ever, people from Kelly's inner circle coming forward with new allegations that Kelly has sexually, mentally and physically abused women.

Daryl Dragon, "The Captain" of singing duo Captain and Tennille, died early Wednesday morning ... and love really did keep them together to the very end.

Daryl's publicist says the musician died of renal failure in Arizona, and was in hospice care at the time.

Daryl and Toni Tennille were famous for cranking out huge hits in the '70s, including "Do That to Me One More Time," "Muskrat Love" and "Love Will Keep Us Together." The duo was actually a couple -- they married in 1975. They landed their own TV variety show the next year.

Although they divorced in 2014, they remained friends ... and Toni was by his side when he died. As TMZ first reported ... their divorce docs made specific mention about their health insurance coverage. In 2009, she said Daryl was suffering from Parkinson's Disease. Daryl was blindsided by Toni's filing ... and told us they were still living together at the time.

In a statement, Toni says Daryl "was a brilliant musician with many friends who loved him greatly. I was at my most creative in my life, when I was with him."

Daryl was 76.

4:15 PM -- HBO tells us they had scheduled Bob to part of season 10 of 'Curb,' but his health prevented it.

Larry David says, “Never have I seen an actor enjoy a role the way Bob did playing 'Marty Funkhouser' on 'Curb.' It was an amazing, unforgettable experience knowing and working with him. There was no one like him, as he told us again and again. We’re all in a state of shock.”

Bob Einstein, the Emmy-winning actor from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and creator of Super Dave Osborne, died Wednesday from cancer.

Bob had recently been diagnosed, and he died at his home in Indian Wells, CA.

He famously played Larry David's pal, Marty Funkhouser, on 'Curb,' but he was a very successful comedy writer before that -- winning Emmy awards for being a writer on "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" back in the '70s and for producing Dick Van Dyke's "Van Dyke and Company."

Bob's character, Super Dave, pulled crazy stunts decades before "Jackass" even existed -- but he would always hilariously fail. Super Dave had his own show on Showtime in the late '80s and early '90s.

Bob didn't start out in showbiz -- standing 6'4", he played college hoops at Chapman University and then got into advertising. He was "discovered" in the comedy world by Tom Smothers who saw Bob on a local cable show.

His younger brother is actor and director Albert Brooks. Deadline first reported Bob's passing.

There's nothing true about the life these Kardashian wannabes are living with fake butts and lip injections ... but that's exactly what MTV's tackling when it reboots "True Life."

The new franchise -- dubbed "True Life/Now" -- will tackle obsessions in several directions ... starting with "Obsessed with Being a Kardashian." TMZ's obtained a preview of the first episode ... which follows 3 subjects on their quest to look like a famous K.

Check out the clip ... there's truly no such thing as pushing the limit. Future episodes will tackle obsessions with the perfect booty, looking like a Snapchat filter and avenging revenge porn. Wild stuff.

"True Life" was a huge hit for MTV after it premiered in March 1998 ... winning an Emmy in 2009. Though it was never officially canceled, no new episodes have aired since June 2017.

"True Life/Now" premieres Wednesday at 10 PM on MTV.

Hasan Minhaj's Saudi Arabia episode is off the airwaves there after Netflix received and acted upon a legal complaint from the country that it found valid.

The Financial Times reports that Netflix pulled Minhaj's 'Patriot Act' episode titled "Saudi Arabia" from the streaming service last week in Saudi Arabia itself after receiving a complaint from the country's Communications and Information Technology Commission, which claimed the episode violated an anti-cybercrime law.

According to the outlet, the government agency cited Article 6 of the law, which states in part ... "production, preparation, transmission, or storage of material impinging on public order, religious values, public morals, and privacy, through the information network or computers." It's a crime that's punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine not exceeding 3 million riyals (about $800k).

Translation ... any content that bashes the Saudi government and could cause a stir ain't gonna fly here.

In the episode, Minhaj touches on the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi and was highly critical of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ... joking that the country's leader had been getting away with heinous acts like this for years.

Minhaj quips at one point, saying ... "It blows my mind that it took the killing of a Washington Post journalist for everyone to go, 'Oh, I guess he’s really not a reformer.'" He goes on ... "Meanwhile, every Muslim person you know was like, 'Yeah, no s**t.' He’s the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.' So now would be a good time to reassess our relationship with Saudi Arabia -- and I mean that as a Muslim and as an American."

As we reported ... Khashoggi was brutally murdered last year at a Saudi Arabia consulate in Turkey at the hands of men who Turkish officials say were working under direct orders of the Saudi government. The Saudi government has had shifting stories on its role in the murder and cover-up, but has implied the perpetrators were not following any official orders in killing him, and that it was simply a dust-up gone wrong.

A Netflix spokesperson released a statement, saying, "We strongly support artistic freedom worldwide and removed this episode only in Saudi Arabia after we had received a valid legal request -- and to comply with local law."

"Pretty Little Liars" star Shay Mitchell rung in the new year with some tragic news for her followers ... she miscarried in 2018.

The actress was going over her year in review on her Instagram story, and toward the end she revealed the miscarriage by posting a photo of a sonogram with an emoji of a broken heart and a caption right before that read, "Lastly, although it was an amazing year, it didn't come without some hardships."

She then put up a lengthy message about the facade that is social media which read, in part, "We all have to deal with various struggles and challenges in life. And sometimes it's easier to only showcase the good times on social media, which is what leads many people to criticize it for its lack of authenticity."

She continued ... "Having so many people follow me on Instagram and read my posts is both incredibly humbling and hugely uplifting. The support and affection that so many of you show me lifts me up during even my darkest days, one of which happened last year after I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams."

"Big Bang Theory" star Kunal Nayyar is making one big gesture ... because he's one of several people who have donated to the family of late TV news anchor and reporter Chris Burrous.

Kunal donated $5,000 to Burrous' family Sunday, the largest donation yet on the GoFundMe account. The page was set up to help Chris' wife, Mai, and 9-year-old daughter, Isabella, cover funeral costs and other expenses in the wake of the popular KTLA anchor's shocking death.

Chris was found unresponsive in a Glendale hotel Dec. 27, and police say his death is being investigated as a possible overdose.

Kevin Spacey getting into character to address his real-life sexual assault allegations was a bad move, both in culpability and name-smearing ... so says a fellow Underwood.

We got Sheryl Underwood of "The Talk" Sunday at LAX, and asked what she made of Spacey's bizarre Christmas video, in which he delivered a monologue as Frank Underwood from "House of Cards," and suggested he was owed due process before a rush to judgment.

Considering the seriousness of the subject, Sheryl's got a pretty humorous take on the whole thing ... telling us Spacey has ruined the Underwood name for herself and other real Underwoods in Hollywood. She says this weird video of his definitely didn't help the cause.

As we reported, Spacey has been criminally charged in Massachusetts for allegedly groping an 18-year-old's privates in 2016 while at a bar in Nantucket. Spacey's lawyers tried to sink the charge by claiming no sexual assault victim would allow themselves to be groped for 3 minutes ... which is what they say the alleged victim told investigators much later.

His legal team failed in their bid to get the charge dismissed.

Spacey's set to be arraigned in court next week. He's resurfaced in the East Coast, and is clearly trying to lay low ahead of his hearing.

Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx are on the waterfront ahead of New Year's Eve -- and on the issue of jet skis ... Katie's leading the charge into battle.

The couple mounted some WaveRunners Saturday in Miami, and made a splash cruising around Biscayne Bay ... where Katie served as the pilot, and Jamie her trusty #2. She was ahead of him for most of the ride, and really seemed to have a handle on things.

KH and JF have been in Florida on a romantic getaway since at least Friday, where they've been staying in a luxury yacht ... just the two of them, as far as we can tell.

Going out as a couple has been a gradual progression for them since last September, when they first went public with their longtime relationship. Since then, they've been seen out together more and more ... and this is just their latest display of being boo'd up.

Michael Fishman, famous for playing Roseanne Barr's TV son, says one of the big reasons he and his estranged wife chose separation over divorce is simple -- he'd like to keep her on his health insurance plan as long as possible.

The 'Conners' star tells TMZ ... "Among the reasons for not getting a regular divorce is the shared desire to keep Jenny [Briner] covered by my health insurance, and allow to slowly unfold our 20 years together in a way mutually beneficial for our family, particularly on behalf of our children."

TMZ broke the story ... Jenny filed docs Thursday for legal separation after more than 19 years of marriage. Michael told us the decision to split was an amicable one ... adding he, Jenny and their 2 kids actually went to the courthouse together and afterward had a family dinner.

"Ink Master" star Chris Blinston has twice been accused of a serious crime ... and twice now has come away unscathed from those accusations.

TMZ's learned the battery case against Blinston has been dismissed because of insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt ... this according to the State Attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida.

We broke the story ... Blinston's girlfriend accused him last month of ending an argument by picking up a safe and pressing it against her chest to move her outta his way. She called cops and they arrested him for battery. He denied touching her and now prosecutors have declined to file charges.