TV

Danielle Bregoli's star continues to rise, because her Snapchat series is bringing in tons of eyeballs to the screen, and she's looking to parlay the early success into even more projects.

Snapchat tells TMZ ... Danielle's new Snap Original, "Bringing Up Bhabie," generated over 10 MILLION unique views in the 24 hours after its Monday debut. We're told the first-day numbers give Snapchat tons of confidence that the show's a hit.

Look out Kardashians ... a rep for Danielle points out 'KUWTK' gets 1.5 million viewers per episode, adding, even though they're not in competition, Bhad Bhabie's numbers are WAY bigger.

Danielle's first-day viewership makes for one of the most successful premieres for this type of series, which started launching back in October. Snap honchos are super happy with the direction of their original content -- thanks, in large part, to Bhad Bhabie.

As you know, Danielle has been rapidly expanding her empire with a 25-city tour, a certified gold single, a futuristic billboard ad, and a lucrative beauty and makeup endorsement deal.

Taking into account all of her revenue streams ... Danielle's reps tell us she should easily surpass yearly earnings of $10 million.

So, what mountain will Danielle climb next? We're told she's looking for TV and movie roles.

A former guest on Dr. Phil's talk show claims her mental illness became the subject of scorn and ridicule, causing her to have a breakdown -- but sources on the show tell us she didn't present herself as mentally ill, but falsely claimed to be the therapist of another guest.

The woman, named Kaden Mahaffa, says she was on Phil's show back in February 2017, but says her boyfriend was really supposed to be the focus during a show about childhood abuse. Kaden claims she was going to be on the show purely to support him, but during a pre-interview she told producers she has x-ray vision, the ability to hear people's thoughts, and other psychic abilities.

According to the suit, when Kaden went onstage she became the focus of Dr. Phil's questions. She claims he grilled her with hostile questions about her "sanity and beliefs" -- including asking her, "Can you tell me what I'm thinking right now?"

Now, what's clear when you see the clip is Kaden claimed to be providing more than emotional support for her BF, she claimed to be his therapist. Phil did grill her, but mostly about her credentials as a therapist.

We haven't been able to independently verify whether Kaden is a certified therapist.

Kaden says, in docs obtained by TMZ, the audience laughed at her and she felt humiliated. She claims things took a very dark turn when the taping ended. According to suit, she suffered a mental breakdown backstage ... "collapsing in tears and engaging in erratic behavior" including shouting at staffers and tearing out her own hair.

She says police were called and she was involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for 5 days. After she was released, Kaden says she was suicidal and became the subject of online harassment after the episode aired.

She's suing Phil, his production company and CBS for infliction of emotional distress, fraud and negligent misrepresentation ... and seeking unspecified damages.

We reached out to Dr. Phil's show, but they said they can't comment on pending litigation. However, sources connected to production tell us Kaden signed a release that made it clear anything she said was fair game for the TV show.

Tisha Campbell-Martin is firing back at her estranged husband, who claims she's an unfit mother -- insisting he doesn't deserve joint custody because he doesn't do any heavy lifting when it comes to childcare.

Tisha filed new docs Thursday, saying she is the primary caregiver to their 2 kids and tends to their basic needs on a day-to-day basis. She also says when the boys are with their dad, Duane Martin, he has either his brother or mother carry out duties like school drop-offs, custody exchanges and medical appointments.

As we reported, Duane claims Tisha's lack of a college education is hurting their boys' schooling ... and says the neutral drop-off location at a police station should be changed.

In Tisha's docs, obtained by TMZ, she says when they were together, Duane mostly laid around watching TV, and didn't spend quality time with their children. She implies ain't a damn thing changed since their split.

Moreover, Tisha points out Duane hasn't denied her domestic abuse allegations. She insists the police station is necessary 'cause Duane makes her uneasy. She's already obtained a temporary restraining order against him.

On Duane's accusations that the kids' schooling isn't a priority for her ... Tisha says the divorce has put a financial strain on her and she hasn't been able to hire a new tutor.

The FBI is working with folks on the "Empire" set to track down the person who sent Jussie Smollett a hateful, threatening letter just days before the attack, and they're also on high alert to prevent dangerous mail and other items from making their way to the cast.

Sources on set tell us a private security company was hired by the show and met with FBI agents to establish a protocol for inspecting all incoming mail. We're told the team wears gloves so the evidence in question is not contaminated.

The security team has 2 functions ... to flag threatening, incoming mail and alert the FBI, and to possibly link new items to the letter Jussie already received, containing homophobic and racists epithets along with an image of a noose.

Our sources say the security team has already flagged "hate mail," but we're told that it's nothing new. The show has been targeted by racists and homophobes in the past, but now everyone is on high alert and the FBI is screening all of it.

We're told there are also daily security sweeps on the "Empire" set. Our sources say guards are looking for anything or anyone who might be out of place.

Production hired two additional makeup artists over the weekend to assist Jussie and make sure his cuts and bruises from the Chicago attack are well-hidden.

As we reported -- Jussie returned to Chicago Sunday after his show in L.A. -- and cops want to talk with him again as a part of their ongoing investigation.

'Love & Hip Hop' star Moniece Slaughter says she's living in fear after a man allegedly broke into her home and accosted her.

Moniece just filed legal docs against 30-year-old Sterling Coleman. The nature of their relationship is unclear.

Moniece says it all started last week. For some reason, he was at her home while she was on the phone with her dad and Coleman allegedly called her a nasty bitch. She says he followed her around the kitchen, living room and hallway while barking, "f*** you I'm not going anywhere."

Moniece says Coleman eventually left but moments later broke in through the kitchen window and got extremely confrontational. She says Coleman poured himself a glass of lemonade and drank it before slamming it on the counter so hard it shattered and cut her right index finger. She claims Coleman left but then called her incessantly.

She wants the judge to keep him away ... and the judge obliged. Coleman's gotta stay away at least 100 yards away from her and her 9-year-old son and have no other contact whatsoever.

We're told Coleman's also filed a restraining order against her.

Bow Wow might have to give up all of his personal belongings ... after getting royally OWNED in an epic rap battle on 'Wild 'N Out.'

TMZ got this clip of 'Wild 'N Out' cast member Conceited delivering a cold-hearted diss, aimed right at Bow Wow's jugular -- clowning him about how a couple of his exes ended up with Future.

His opening line -- "I think all your exes are psychics by the way they keep seeing the Future." The crowd ate it up, and it got worse from there. Watch ... BW looks pissed.

If you didn't know, Conceited's shot is touchy because it's totally true! Bow Wow was once engaged to Ciara ... they broke up, Ciara started dating Future and, of course, had a son with him. Later, Bow Wow dated Joie Chavis and had a daughter with her. When they broke up ... you-know-who swooped again, and also had a kid with Joie.

The episode -- airing this Friday at 8 P.M. on MTV -- was clearly taped before Super Bowl weekend when Bow Wow and his current GF, Kiyomi Leslie Holden, were both arrested in Atlanta for allegedly beating each other.

Andy King -- the event planner who offered oral sex in exchange for Evian (lots of it) at the doomed Fyre Festival -- is ready for his close-up ... strictly above the waist.

Andy tells TMZ ... he's received offers from multiple networks for a reality series since his unforgettable scenes in the Netflix 'Fyre' documentary. He says cameras would follow him doing what he does ... hosting major events around the world.

Andy says his show will absolutely focus on the drama and stress involved in putting on huge events -- a la the Fyre Festival -- but will also show the fun side. Presumably when things do NOT implode ... a la Fyre.

As for Fyre villain Billy McFarland, Andy still thinks Billy's heart was in the right place and he's not a bad guy -- he just made some very bad decisions.

Understatement much?

Unlike Billy, Andy says the events on his show will give back to the communities where they take place. Don't get the wrong idea ... he means financially.

Legendary soap star Susan Lucci now knows just how close she was to checking out -- and says it was only emergency heart surgery that saved her from a massive and likely fatal heart attack.

The "All My Children" actress went public with the terrifying story this week, saying she had to have two stents installed in October after a CT scan showed her aorta had 90 percent blockage, while another artery was blocked at 70 percent. It's what doctors call a "widow maker," for obvious reasons.

Susan told People she had a pain in her chest, which got gradually worse until one day while shopping it "felt like an elephant pressing down on my chest." She met her cardiologist at an ER, got the CT scan ... and immediately went into surgery.

Her doctor told Susan she barely avoided a future heart attack by coming in when she did.

She's now teaming up with the American Heart Association to spread awareness of heart disease and getting testing.

Jussie Smollett is back to work in Chicago on the set of "Empire," and detectives want to chat with the actor while he's in town ... TMZ has learned.

A production source tells us Smollett flew back into the Windy City Sunday, after his weekend show in Los Angeles. We're told Smollett shot scenes for one of the final episodes of the season Monday and did a table read with the cast Tuesday ... security was present the entire time.

Law enforcement sources tell us cops want to speak with Jussie while he's in town as part of their ongoing investigation.

As for where he's staying while in town ... a source close to Jussie tells us he's back at the same apartment complex where he was living at the time of the attack.

Jussie made his first public appearance at a concert at the Troubadour in Los Angeles Saturday, where he very proudly stated, "I couldn't let those motherf*****s win!" The show was supposed to have a meet and greet, which was canceled due to security concerns.

Police revealed Monday they've found additional surveillance footage surrounding the time leading up to and after the incident ... but the new video hasn't been released. Our sources say cops have not found any video of the attack or anyone fleeing after the attack.

R. Kelly's international concerts are an act of desperation, and the countries allowing him to perform are spitting in the faces of alleged victims like Azriel Clary ... according to her father.

Angelo Clary's 21-year-old daughter is one of the alleged sex slaves featured in "Surviving R. Kelly" ...  and he's pissed Kelly will get to perform in Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. He tells us promoters in those countries need to address why they are welcoming Kelly with open arms and, presumably, wallets.

Kelly announced his new King of R&B tour Tuesday ... though, he didn't share specific dates.

Angelo says there's no excuse for supporting the singer in the wake of Lifetime's scathing documentary. He's taking personal offense to the tour, seeing as how Azriel's still with Kelly and NOT in touch with her parents.

It's interesting ... Angelo thinks there's a good chance his daughter and Joycelyn Savage will be highly visible during the tour, and Kelly will make sure they look good to paint a different image from the one in 'Surviving.'

As you know, Azriel, Joycelyn and Dominique Gardner have been front row at Kelly shows in the past. Dominique has fled from Kelly, but Azriel and Joycelyn are still with him.

Bottom line for Angelo ... #MuteRKelly should be a global movement.

Duane Martin didn't come anywhere close to addressing Tisha Campbell-Martin's abuse allegations in his latest legal filing ... but he does take a shot at her parenting skills.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Duane doesn't specifically make any mention of Tisha's allegations levied against him ... that he physically, mentally and emotionally started abusing her near the start of their marriage back in 1996.

In docs, Duane goes after the "Martin" star's skills as a parent -- or lack thereof. He says, for example, their kids don't do their homework when they're with her. He adds it's a different story when they're with him because "I am a graduate of New York University. Schooling was very important to me." He says Tisha didn't graduate from any university and has no educational background.

What's more ... it appears Tisha and Duane had previously agreed to hand off custody of their kids at a police station, but Duane now wants that to change because he says it's not in the best interest of their kids. Duane also wants the courtroom cleared for the next hearing.

As we reported ... Tisha alleged Duane once punched her in the chest with a closed fist and as recently as December Duane allegedly "grabbed me by my arm to try to get me in the bedroom." She claimed to have filed a police report in January about multiple alleged physical altercations.

James Gandolfini's son couldn't stop grinning ear to ear at the thought of playing his late father's most iconic role, and his smile says it perfectly -- Michael Gandolfini's up for the challenge.

Michael spoke to Adam Glyn while out in NYC Monday night -- hanging out with "The Deuce" star Chris Bauer -- and talked a little bit about the upcoming 'Sopranos' prequel. Michael's playing young Tony Soprano in "The Many Saints of Newark."

It's easy to see why Michael got the role ... for starters, the resemblance is uncanny. And, he reportedly beat out stiff competition because he mastered his father's iconic character's mannerisms. Can't beat the genes, baby!

Awesome to see Michael carry on James' legacy. As we reported ... James died of a heart attack in 2013 while on a boys' trip with Michael in Italy.

Liam Neeson is insisting he's learned a lot about racism -- and is not a racist -- but it sounds like he doesn't get why his tale of wanting to kill a "black bastard" 40 years ago is upsetting to his fans today.

The Oscar winner's out trying to promote a movie, so the fact is ... he's gonna have to answer questions about the shocking story of race and revenge he voluntarily revealed Monday to The Independent.

His mea culpa tour landed at 'GMA' Tuesday, and Neeson said we should all open up about inner thoughts to expose racism and bigotry. He told another story about anti-Semitism in Poland while shooting "Schindler's List."

The point he finally got -- after Robin Roberts hammered it a couple of times -- is why his fans, African-American and otherwise, are disappointed by his confession.

He further admitted he didn't think about the fact he could have killed a totally INNOCENT black person.

Outside the 'GMA' studio Liam was asked if he can recover from this, career-wise. He didn't have an answer -- but time sure as hell will tell.

Tom Brady says being called the "Greatest of All Time" is a title that makes him cringe -- because he handles criticism WAY BETTER than he deals with compliments.

Goatie McGoatface was on "Good Morning America" with Michael Strahan -- who told TB12 he considers him the best QB who ever played the game.

Brady replied, "I don't even like that. It makes me cringe ... it makes me cringe."

Instead, Brady explained ... "I wish you would say, 'you're trash, you're too old, you're too slow, you can't get it done no more' ... and I would say, 'Thank you very much,' and I would go prove you wrong."

Strahan asked if he was driven by criticism more than success -- Brady replied, "Yeah, absolutely."

So, what's the lesson here? If you root for a rival team, stop the trash talk ... and start trying to kill Brady with KINDNESS already!!!

Of course, Tom just won his 6th Super Bowl in his 17 seasons as a starter. He also has 9 AFC championships under his belt, 4 Super Bowl MVPs and 14 Pro Bowl selections.

11:00 AM PT-- A source close to Kristoff tells us the actor had checked himself into UCLA Medical Center in January for depression issues ... and had just been released within the last few days.

We're told his depression was linked, in part, to his son, Julian's suicide years ago.

8:50 AM PT -- Kristoff's fiancée, model Kseniya Mikhaleva, reacted to his death, saying ... "How did it happen??? How??? Why did you leave so early???? and left me all alone ..."

Kristoff and Kseniya just got engaged 5 months ago.

TMZ also got the dispatch audio from the fire department, which responded to a call for an "unconscious individual" at Kristoff's home. You'll hear officials use the term "natural causes" -- that only means there was no foul play.

Kristoff St. John, star of the long-running soap opera 'Young and the Restless,' was found dead Sunday ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us one of Kristoff's friends went to check on him at the actor's home in San Fernando Valley, and found his body. Police and paramedics were alerted and responded to the house. We're told Kristoff was pronounced dead on the scene.

We're told there was no sign of foul play, however one source says alcohol might have played a role.

Kristoff has played Neil Winters on 'Y&R' since 1991 -- a role that earned him 9 Daytime Emmy Award nominations. He also won 10 NAACP Image Awards.

Kristoff has a tragic and troubled history with suicide. He and his ex-wife, boxer Mia St. John, lost their son, Julian, when he took his own life in 2014, while getting treatment at a mental health facility. Mia and Kristoff sued the facility for negligence. The suit was eventually settled.

In 2017, around the anniversary of Julian's suicide, Kristoff threatened to kill himself with a gun. Cops placed him under a 72-hour hold for psychiatric evaluation.

Mia reacted to Kristoff's death with an emotional post on social media (which she has since deleted), and it's clear she is connecting his death to Julian's. She wrote, "THAT HOSPITAL KILLED OUR SON @TheArtofJulian THEN MY HUSBAND @kristoffstjohn1. THATS WHAT HAPPENED! THEY KILLED MY FAMILY"

After their son's death, Kristoff and Mia founded the El Saber es Poder (Knowledge is Power) Foundation to battle mental illness.

Kristoff was 52.

RIP