TV

Kevin McKidd's wife wants to officially close the book on their relationship as husband and wife ... because she just filed for divorce.

Arielle McKidd filed legal docs, obtained by TMZ, seeking to end the couple's 5-year marriage ... citing irreconcilable differences. She's asking for joint physical and legal custody of their two young children, Aiden and Nava, and wants to hash out splitting up assets and the like in mediation.

One other thing ... Arielle is also asking the court to restore her original surname, Goldrath.

She says they got hitched in 2017, but the date of separation is listed as "TBD." Kevin announced they were splitting up earlier this summer, around early July.

At the time, he wrote ... "I don’t often share my personal life on social media, but today there is something I do want to share with you. A few months ago, Arielle and I decided to end the marriage portion of our relationship. We reached this conclusion after much soul searching and discussion. We know it’s what is right for both of us."

KMD had some kind words for his estranged spouse, adding ... "Arielle is an incredible mother to Aiden and Nava. She’s one of the wisest, most intelligent and loving people I’ve ever known. We continue to have the highest love and respect for each other."

Legendary boxing ref Mills Lane -- perhaps best known for his portrayal in MTV's iconic "Celebrity Deathmatch" show -- has sadly died, his son announced.

He was 85 years old.

Tommy Lane told the Reno Gazette Journal Mills passed away on Tuesday morning in Nevada ... after being in hospice the past few days.

"He took a significant decline in his overall situation," Tommy said of his dad to the outlet. "It was a quick departure. He was comfortable and he was surrounded by his family."

Mills began boxing in his 20s while in the Marines, and quickly stacked up an impressive resume -- ultimately logging a 10-1 record as a pro. He later became a ref in the sport.

It was in 1997, though, that he gained national fame ... while reffing the infamous Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield ear-biting bout.

After Iron Mike had taken chunks of Holyfield's ear, it was Mills who ultimately DQ'ed the former champ. Mills then eventually retired from reffing in 1998.

Mills went on to host his own court show, "Judge Mills Lane" ... as well as being featured in "Celebrity Deathmatch."

In the MTV production, an animated clay version of Mills started every bout by screaming, "Let's Get It On!" The show gained a huge following for its gory representation of celebrity fights.

Mills eventually left the show in 2002 after suffering a stroke, being replaced by Chris Edgerly in the 2006 reboot.

During his lifetime, Mills -- who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2013 -- also worked as a prosecutor, a district attorney and a real-life judge.

Kirstie Alley -- who made a name for herself on both television and film -- has died after a private battle with cancer.

Her family announced Monday, "We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered."

They continued ... "She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother. We are grateful to the incredible team of doctors and nurses at the Moffitt Cancer Center for their care."

Her two children wrote in the statement, "Our mother's zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did."

Alley became a household name as Rebecca Howe on "Cheers" from 1987-1993 … a role that netted her both an Emmy and Golden Globe in 1991. She went on to snag her second Emmy for her role in "David's Mother."

Fans will also remember her for her leading role in the 80s flick "Look Who's Talking," the films "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," "It Takes Two" and many others.

She's survived by her two kids, William True and Lillie Price.

She was 71.

RIP

Kirstie Alley's death is not only shocking to fans, but also to her closest friends and costars -- like Ted Danson and New Kids On the Block singer Jonathan Knight -- who are expressing their love and admiration for the late actress.

Her fellow "Cheers" vet, Ted, says he was actually on a plane Monday, watching an episode of their classic sitcom -- the one where guest star Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie's character, Rebecca.

He told People he got the horrible news about Kirstie when he got off that flight.

He added, "I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh. I send my love to her children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her."

Kelsey Grammer also shared some of his thoughts on the loss, saying ... "I always believed grief for a public figure is a private matter, but I will say I loved her."

Of course, "Cheers" fans know Kirstie got her big break starring alongside Kelsey and Ted on the show.

Jonathan, a longtime friend of Kirstie who she'd jokingly refer to as "her husband," expressed his pain too ... posting on social media about how his "heart is ripped into a million pieces, and half my soul has been taken away."

Kirstie's final TV performance was actually in April on "The Masked Singer" -- she competed as the Baby Mammoth, beltin' out to "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline and "The Shoop Shoop Song" by Cher.

She got a standing ovation from the judges, and said she wanted to be on the show for her grandkids.

As we reported, Kirstie's family announced her death Monday, saying "We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered."

She was 71.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle seem to be in strictly business mode ahead of their controversial Netflix doc's premiere -- a project that has a former friend of the family saying they should lose any trace of royalty they have left.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in NYC Monday, where they stepped off their private jet shoulder-to-shoulder and met with a group of friends on the tarmac before they were on to their next destination.

The trip comes directly on the heels of the latest trailer for "Harry & Meghan" -- in which they appear to take a scorched-earth approach toward his family while describing their experience trying to bring MM into the royal fold.

Harry's got a pretty serious face on here, as does Meghan -- who's wearing shades, but flashing the slightest of smirks too. No doubt, they've heard the waves of criticism for the documentary ... particularly across the pond, as they say.

Princess Diana's ex-butler, Paul Burrell, turned on his late boss's son publicly Monday night as he told Piers Morgan ... Harry and Meghan should be stripped of their remaining Royal titles.

Speaking out on the UK's Talk TV, he said Diana would be horrified by Harry's approach to disconnecting himself from the monarchy -- even if she could, in principle, support his move to America.

Burrell claims she would not have approved of what he describes as a route laced with "commercialism."

Burrell says the Duke and Duchess crossed a line, just from what he's seen in the trailer ... and he believes the actual series will be even worse.

He says King Charles should take a stand and turn them into true Average Joes.

Bill Cosby is facing a new lawsuit from 5 women -- most of whom were involved with "The Cosby Show" -- who claim he sexually assaulted them.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ ... the women claim the disgraced actor/comedian masqueraded as their mentor as they tried to break into show biz in the '80s and '90s, but instead he turned into a predator.

Plaintiffs Lili Bernard, Eden Tirl, Jewel Gittens, Jennifer Thompson and Cindra Ladd say Cosby was able to take advantage of them because they were young and vulnerable.

Lili guest starred as Mrs. Minifield in a 1992 'Cosby Show' episode ... and in the lawsuit, she says Cosby drugged and assaulted her several times -- including one time when she woke up during the rape to find him trying to smother her with a pillow.

According to the suit, she threatened to go to the police, and Cosby threw her down a flight of stairs and kicked her out, warning he would destroy her. She says she didn't report the alleged crimes out of fear for her life.

Eden Tirl -- who had a bit role as a cop on 'Cosby' -- alleges she was "escorted" by one of the employees on set to Cosby's dressing room, where he locked the door, grabbed her breasts, kissed her neck and pressed his penis into her back while whispering, "This is making love."

In the suit, Gittens says Cosby drugged and assaulted her at his home while they discussed a possible role for her on the show -- Thompson claims he forced her to masturbate him ... and Ladd alleges he raped her after giving her a pill for a headache that made her pass out.

As we reported, Cosby has been accused of rape by dozens of women over the years -- allegations that he denies. In 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years in a Pennsylvania prison for indecent assault -- but, he was released last year because prosecutors had violated an immunity deal Cosby had been given by a previous district attorney.

Earlier this year, he was found liable by a California jury in a civil case of sexually abusing a teenage girl in 1975.

Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes' benching from the 'GMA3' anchor's desk has nothing to do with an alleged workplace affair he had several years ago with another producer ... TMZ has learned.

Amy and T.J. were noticeably absent Monday morning -- less than a week after news of their romance was made public. Network sources told us Thursday the two would not face disciplinary action for their relationship, as it was both consensual and they held similar titles on the show.

However, DailyMail published a story Friday alleging Holmes had an affair years ago with 'GMA' producer Natasha Singh, and many felt it was part of the reason he and Amy got yanked this week.

We've spoken with several sources connected to ABC who maintain the alleged affair with Singh had nothing to do with Amy and T.J.'s absence Monday -- adding no ABC rules were violated.

The sources echoed what we reported -- ABC News President Kim Godwin said on an editorial call Monday ... the decision to pull Amy and T.J. was to calm the "internal and external distraction" their relationship has caused.

Order has finally been restored in 50 Cent's 'Power' universe ... now that Joseph Sikora and Gianni Paolo have officially squashed their beef!!!

The two actors, along with Michael Rainey Jr., are set to appear on The Crew Has It Podcast where they'll clear the air on their long-brewing war. In a teaser for the interview, Michael shared of pic of Joe and Gianni hugging and smiling -- promising everything would be explained on Tuesday when the podcast airs.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Joe and Gianni had been feuding behind the scenes on set, with tension being felt by fellow cast members whenever they were around one another.

'GMA3' saw a significant boost in viewers tuning in after news of Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes hooking up came out ... apparently, folks were interested.

The rating numbers are in for 'GMA3' from last week, with about a 20% jump from two weeks before the news surfaced compared to the day after the public learned Amy and T.J. were a thing.

For example, on Nov. 17 and 18 ... the 'GMA3' ratings clocked in at 1.497 million total viewers and 1.544 million total viewers, respectively.

On Dec. 1 -- the day after the story broke that they were in a relationship, Nov. 30 -- the ratings were 1.810. That day, both T.J. and Amy sat at the anchor's desk.

As we reported ... Robach and Holmes have no plans to slow things down after their status went public, but it does seem ABC wants to pump the breaks a little -- at least for now. Of course, they were yanked off the air Monday. It's unclear how long they'll be gone.

We'll see how this week's numbers compare, and if people remain interested.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's upcoming documentary lays out new allegations about his family's attacks on her -- but at least one expert isn't buying their claims of racism, because she says King Charles III has lots of "Black friends."

Angela Levin authored "Harry: A Biography of a Prince" back in 2018, and joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to break down the new trailer for "Harry & Meghan." Her take is it's total BS from the Sussexes.

She finds it suspect that the couple keeps playing the racism card without pointing the finger at anyone specific in the royal family ... and, without hard evidence. So, as far as she's concerned, it's a lie.

As we've reported, Netflix released a new trailer for the doc ... where Harry calls out the "hierarchy of the family," alleging they leaked stories about Meghan and him to support the family's "war against Meghan."

You'll recall, Meghan and Harry first raised the racism claim during the Oprah interview ... accusing unnamed members of the royal family of racism. Angela, for one, is convinced it's not Harry's father.

She told us King Charles has "loads of Black and Chinese friends." No joke, that's exactly how she said it.

The author didn't try to hide her distaste for Meghan, either -- flat out blaming the Duchess for bringing out the worst in Harry.

Jesse James' wife Bonnie Rotten is apparently willing to give her marriage another shot ... because she's pulling the plug on their divorce just a day after filing.

Bonnie took to social media Monday, putting up a lengthy post about her decision ... saying, "The past week has been a pretty terrible week on all accounts" -- saying she made the mistake of posting her "private business" about Jesse online.

For those unaware, Bonnie's referring to her putting Jesse on blast for believing he was cheating on her -- and soon after, it was reported she filed to divorce the mechanic.

She confirms she did file, but says "the next day I filed a non suit to stop the divorce."

Bonnie continues, "I love Jesse so much and was very hurt by what I saw when I went through his phone" ... saying she's working out the marriage "I believe in."

The honchos over at ABC News have made the decision to take Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes off the air ... calling the couple's relationship a distraction with next steps to be sorted out by execs.

Sources at ABC tell TMZ ... ABC News' President, Kim Godwin, made the announcement during an editorial call Monday morning -- calling the situation an "internal and external distraction."

Kim also said the decision wasn't easy and not a violation of company policy, she added, "And so, I want to say that while that relationship is not a violation of company policy, I have really taken the last few days to think about and work through what I think is best for the ABC News organization."

She continued, "This is something I'm not going to talk, we're not going to talk about on this call until there is more to be said. I'm asking that we stop the whispering in the hallways. You know, we can't operate with gossip, and speculation and rumors. We need to stay focused on the work."

Adding, "If you think there is something that management needs to know, you can always call HR or, as we've said, talk to a manager that you trust. If you think there is something that we need to know."

The decision comes less than a week after the public found out the coworkers were dating ... Daily Mail published a set of flirty photos of the two spending time throughout NYC, and broke the news they'd be taken off the air.

While neither Amy or T.J. said much about the relationship on air, they seemingly joked about all the attention it generated during Friday's broadcast when T.J. said he just wanted the week to keep going and going ... Amy said she was ready for the weekend.

TMZ broke the story, sources connected to Amy and T.J. told us the added attention to their lives wasn't going to make them pump the brakes on their relationship at all. The two were in a consensual relationship, and both had an equal position on 'GMA3.'

Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez will replace the two on Monday, it's unclear if they'll fill the whole week.

Bob McGrath -- one of the original human stars on 'Sesame Street,' and a longtime staple on the show for years -- has died ... this according to his loved ones.

The actor's family shared the sad news Sunday, writing on his official Facebook page ... "Our father Bob McGrath, passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family."

McGrath will best be remembered as a recurring cast member of the beloved children's series ... having made his first appearance when the show first aired in the '60s. He was featured in the pilot in 1969, playing himself, and went on to work in an additional 47 seasons. He stopped acting on 'Sesame Street' in 2017 ... his last episode was 'Having a Ball.'

His contributions to 'Sesame Street' can't be overstated ... not only did he provide educational lessons for children through his interactions with the puppets -- but he brought a musical element to the show too, with original songs like "People in Your Neighborhood," "Sing a Song," "If You're Happy And You Know It" and even the 'SS' theme song.

While Bob stepped away from appearing on-camera for 'Sesame Street' in recent years ... he continued to work with Sesame Workshop -- the company that runs the franchise -- by going to public events and serving as an advocate.

Bob starred in countless 'Sesame Street' productions over the years -- including standalone films, sing-alongs, holiday specials, video games and more. He was one of the longest-standing human adult cast members on the series. He's survived by his wife and kids.

Al Strobel -- an actor famous for his work in the "Twin Peaks" franchise -- has died.

The news came down Sunday courtesy of producer Sabrina Sutherland, who's worked with David Lynch on a lot of projects over the years. She took to Facebook to write, "I am sad to have to post that Al Strobel passed away last night. I loved him dearly."

No cause of death was provided, nor were any other details offered.

Strobel is best known for playing the one-armed man during pretty much every "Twin Peaks" installment -- including the original TV show from the early '90s, the spinoff movie thereafter and the reboot from 2017 ... for all of which he always reprised his role as Phillip Gerard.

Gerard was a traveling shoe salesman who'd occasionally get possessed by a spirit known as Mike -- who used to work with another shady character (also dead) named Bob ... the entity that inhabited Leland Palmer, who ultimately killed Laura Palmer -- the central character.

His character comes in and out of the plot a lot throughout the full 'TW' saga ... and was oftentimes featured in bizarre dream sequences that Kyle MacLachlan's character, Agent Cooper, would find himself in ... all in an effort to unspool the big murder mystery.

Through it all ... Strobel always nailed it in his performances, which were kinda campy -- but so good too. He was an amputee in real life ... having lost his arm in a car accident.

In addition to his "Twin Peaks" role, Strobel also acted in films like "Megaville," "Sitting Target," "Child of Darkness, Child of Light," "Ricochet River" and more.

Keke Palmer made a big reveal during her monologue Saturday night on 'SNL' -- the buzz is real ... she's having a baby!

Keke's having her first kid with BF Darius Jackson, and she didn't just say it ... she showed it!!!

She said, "There's some rumors going around, people have been in my comments saying, 'Keke's having a baby, Keke's pregnant,' and I wanna set the record straight ... I am!"

Not sure how far along she is, but judging from the bump, she's well down the road. She confessed she has lots going on right now and wanted to keep it a secret for as long as she could.

The most hilarious part ... she said, "Even though some people feel a little weird about me having a baby cause I was a child actor, I just wanna say, look, I'm 29, I'm grown, I have sex, I own a home, I stormed the Capitol on January 6, you know? Things adults do."

Travis Kelce better prep his monologue ... 'cause "Saturday Night Live" alum Taran Killam tells TMZ Sports the NFL superstar would be the perfect pick to host the comedy sketch show!!

"Travis Kelce is one of the funniest, coolest dudes and a legend," Killam said at LAX.

"It's just not fair to be that strong, fast, good, charismatic, handsome and hilarious. I hate him. He's coming for my job," he joked (or is he?)

Killam knows about both comedy and football -- he actually has an Amazon Prime show, "The NFL Pile On," where he puts a funny twist on the sport's biggest stories of the week.

Killam has spent a ton of time at 30 Rock -- he was on "SNL" from 2010-2016 ... and had several memorable sketches during his stint.

Killam even thinks Kelce could take his talents to acting if he really wanted ... and says if "SNL" were to come calling, he'd thrive as the celebrity host for an episode.

"I'd love to see Travis Kelce host," Killam said, swallowing his pride as a Rams fan. "I think he'd kill it."