TV

Kim Kardashian has added another piece to her growing collection of iconic jewelry and memorabilia ... a famous diamond cross necklace once worn by Princess Diana.

Auction sources tell TMZ ... the SKIMS honcho just snatched up the rare diamond-encrusted necklace Wednesday at a Sotheby's auction. A Sotheby's rep tells us the piece went for $197,453.

The stunning necklace is known as the Attalah Cross ... which she famously wore in 1987 at a London charity gala paired with a purple-tinged outfit, with the necklace hanging low down her torso. The Garrard jewelry company let Diana borrow the piece for the event.

It was also an elaborate fashion choice, and considered bold at the time.

The necklace has since come into the possession of the auction house, and now, it's on its way to Kim ... thanks to her winning bid.

Believe it or not, Kim is on the auction circuit quite a bit, buying pieces to add to her collection. We're told she's also copped items once donned by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie O and others.

Of course, she also likes to wear historical pieces as well ... just like at the Met Gala when she wore one of Marilyn Monroe's most iconic dresses.

Kelsea Ballerini might be playing coy about whether she's dating Chase Stokes -- but he's a bit more definitive ... explaining to TMZ what it is, exactly, he likes about her.

The "Outer Banks" star confirmed to our photog Tuesday he and the country singer are, in fact, an item ... but whether he meant for it to slip out the way it did is another story. Check out our chat with him in L.A. ... where we congratulated him on his new boo.

Rather than correct us or clarify anything ... he simply said thanks, and even gave us an answer when we asked what Kelsea brings to the table in their relationship.

Another tell they're definitely dating -- CS scoffing at the idea that Kelsea might need to brush him up on Southern culture. She's a Nashville girl, but Chase made sure to set the record straight ... noting he was raised in the South himself, and knows all about cowboy hats and such.

The speculation over whether they're a thing all started last week when they were seen attending the National Championship game in the same group -- but it looked more official when Chase posted a photo of just the 2 of 'em cuddled in the stands.

That seems to be the IG official pic, but Chase is letting people come to that conclusion on their own -- he didn't comment on the game shot, but happily talked about Kelsea.

For her part, Kelsea reacted to the gossip with a non-answer answer -- rolling her eyes at some DeuxMoi chatter about them and a lot of "Really?".

The BBC's broadcast of an important soccer match got super sexual ... audio from what sounds like a pornographic movie started playing ... and now the network's apologizing.

It all happened during the buildup to Tuesday's FA Cup match between Wolves and Liverpool, when BBC broadcaster Gary Lineker was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a woman having an orgasm.

Gary was barely able to contain his laughter as he told the audience, "I wasn't expecting that noise," before asking a reporter at the game a couple questions.

In the moment, Gary openly wondered about the source of the porno audio, saying ... "Somebody's sending something on someone's phone, I think. I don't know whether you heard it at home."

Yes, yes we did, Gary ... we all heard it loud and clear.

During the match, Gary tweeted a photo of a cell phone with some adhesives and captioned the post, "Well, we found this taped to the back of the set. As sabotage goes it was quite amusing."

The BBC is already apologizing "to any viewers offended during the live coverage of the football this evening" ... and a network spokesperson says BBC is investigating.

Jeremy Renner is still on the road to recovery after his nasty snowplow accident ... but at least that road's led him back home to continue recuperating.

The "Hawkeye" star tweeted Monday night, "Outside my brain fog in recovery, I was very excited to watch episode 201 with my family at home" -- referring to the season 2 premiere of his show, "Mayor of Kingstown."

Needless to say, his concerned fans were thrilled by Jeremy's unexpected update ... as he was flooded with messages congratulating him on making it home with his family, and at least one added, "We are still praying for you everyday and will continue to do so."

This is a big step forward for Jeremy -- as we reported, he was in critical condition at the beginning of the year after getting "completely crushed" by the Snowcat, according to the 911 emergency log. It also stated the right side of his chest collapsed.

Cops investigating the incident said Jeremy was working to get a family member's vehicle out of the snow when it happened.

He was rushed to the hospital and had undergone surgery, but doctors were optimistic -- he even shared a pic from the ICU, thanking the healthcare team for all their help.

"Orange Is the New Black" star Dascha Polanco is in full support of Kim Kardashian's latest prison visit ... saying it proves Kim's more than just talk when it comes to prison reform.

We got the actress Monday at LAX, and asked her thoughts on Kim's latest visit to Cali's Pelican Bay State prison, where she met inmates held in solitary confinement -- a visit that drew mixed reactions ... from the public, at least.

Dascha says she's all the way here for Kim Kardashian making these kinds of visits.

From her own experience, she admits she's felt intimidated working with inmates at times ... but she salutes anyone who's willing to go above and beyond to make a difference.

As for whether Kim can have a real impact, Dascha says "absolutely" ... adding it all comes down to having a conversation and having influence, which we all know Kim has in abundance.

As we told you, the SKIMS founder recently spent a day at Pelican Bay ... chatting face-to-face with inmates about the toll solitary confinement can take on their mental stability.

Over the years ... Kim's dedicated a lot of time to prison reform. You'll recall, she met with former President Trump in 2018 to help pardon Alice Marie Johnson, and she played a huge role in freeing a number of inmates like Matthew Charles and Jeffrey Stringer.

Like many things, Kim got some backlash for her efforts -- but as far as Dascha is concerned, haters are always going to talk.

Kyle Richards disagrees with Erika Jayne saying Lisa Rinna can't be replaced on 'RHOBH' ... Kyle thinks Chrissy Teigen would be a great addition to the show.

We got Kyle leaving Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills on Monday and our photog asked her who she would cast to replace Lisa, who is leaving the reality TV franchise after 8 seasons.

Kyle says Chrissy would be the best option ... and she's always felt CT had what it takes to make it on 'RHOBH.'

Kyle's answer is in stark contrast to what Erika believes ... as we reported, Erika says producers can try but they won't be able to replace Lisa because she's the "f***** G.O.A.T."

Chrissy and Kyle have been friends for years ... and it sounds like she's got someone in her corner if 'RHOBH' producers come calling.

Of course, Chrissy's a little busy at the moment ... she just gave birth to her and John Legend's fourth child ... so it's unclear if she would even be interested in joining Kyle on the show.

The woman who runs the Miss Universe Organization is denying allegations the beauty pageant was rigged because it was an independent party that handled the results.

Amy Emmerich, CEO of Miss Universe Organization, tells TMZ ... "One of the top four accounting firms in the United States handled the results and verified the process."

As we reported ... Anne Jakrajutatip, the new owner of Miss Universe, has been accused of rigging the pageant for Miss USA, who won the crown over runner-up Miss Venezuela.

One issue many folks have, Jakrajutatip's JKN Global Group owns both the Miss Universe and Miss USA competitions ... which some say is suspect.

But, Emmerich tells us ... "The allegations re: rigging of Miss Universe are false. People saying that it's "suspect" that JKN Global Group owns both Miss Universe and Miss USA aren't familiar with the history of the organizations."

There is precedent for Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA all being under the same ownership ... back in 2015, IMG bought the 3 pageants and brought them under the same roof.

Emmerich also tells us an independent third-party law firm was hired to look into allegations surrounding the Miss USA pageant from back in October, which was also accused of being rigged ... and determined the allegations were unfounded.

R'Bonney Gabriel won the Miss Universe pageant Saturday, becoming the first Filipino American to take the crown. Emmerich says R'bonney was a "strong and dedicated contestant" who is the "rightful Miss Universe."

"Law & Order: SVU" legends Ice-T and Christopher Meloni are shooting down claims of an ugly rift between them since Chris' character "Elliot Stabler" returned to the series in 2021.

Ice shared an email Monday with Chris, in which the National Enquirer alerted him it was running an expose about how the 2 costars have been "feuding."

Both actors slammed the publication, telling their followers they're friends in real life, which is a great thing, especially in Chris' situation!!!

If there was an 'SVU' feud, it might be hard to sweep under the rug since they're both series mainstays -- Ice has been on the series for 23 years as Detective Fin Tutuola, and Chris was on for 12 years before his 10-year hiatus, and subsequent return.

The 28th annual Critics' Choice Awards went off without a hitch Sunday night ... and while celebs were takin' home gold all night long, they were having loads of fun when the cameras WEREN'T rolling,

Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan hugged it out behind the scenes, marking another emotional get-together for the 2 since last working together in 1992's "Encino Man." They both were winners of the night -- Brendan for "The Whale" and Ke for "Everything Everywhere All At Once."

Award season frontrunners Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett -- who won for Best Actress -- buddied up for the camera backstage, too!

Angela Bassett, who took home the award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," was all smiles at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in L.A.

It was a 'Big Lebowski' reunion, too -- as good buds John Goodman and Jeff Bridges were cheesin' hard together ... as you know, John had the honor of presenting Jeff with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award.

ICYMI -- Brendan gave an incredibly emotional acceptance speech for his win, breaking down while telling the crowd he was recently "in the wilderness," and is grateful to have been rediscovered. What followed those remarks was just as powerful.

Andrew Callaghan is speaking for himself regarding sexual misconduct allegations that have been hurled his way -- saying sorry to those affected, while also stepping back.

The host of "All Gas No Breaks" -- as well as HBO's new mockumentary, 'This Place Rules' -- posted a public video Sunday on a YouTube channel that he seems to have just created. It's a 4-minute plus clip, where he outright apologizes to people he's hurt in this saga.

Callaghan says he's been in a state of shock/denial these past several days after allegations made against him -- namely, a handful of women who've come forward to claim he had sex with them only after wearing them down, among other alleged sexual impropriety.

Now that he's had time to reflect, however, Callaghan says he realizes he's been engaging in toxic pursuits of women for years ... noting there's a difference between someone saying "no" and an enthusiastic partner who's clearly consenting to sexual relations.

He says this has forced him to reevaluate some things in his life, and vows to start therapy sessions immediately. Callaghan also urges other young men who've been jumping to his defense to stop and look in the mirror as well -- as this is part of a much larger convo.

Callaghan does note there's some context missing from some of the stories told about him -- and some depictions, he says, are false ... but doesn't go into detail about what those are.

We'd previously been told that one accuser, Caroline Elise, had allegedly demanded money from Callaghan before going public -- something our sources say he refused to cave to, which prompted her to post the now-viral video where she details an encounter with him.

Al Brown -- famous from "The Wire" -- has died ... this according to his loved ones.

The actor's daughter, Jenny, tells TMZ ... Al passed away Friday in Las Vegas as a result of his Alzheimer's battle. She tells us that before he got into acting in the '90s, he was a 29-year-old Air Force vet who served two tours in Vietnam ... so he served honorably.

Jenny also says Al loved fans of his and was happy to stop and chat with anyone who might've recognized him from the show over the years -- noting, he loved his job.

Al will best be remembered for playing Col. Stan Valchek in the hit HBO show from the 2000s. In the series, he was a high-ranking Baltimore PD official, often portrayed as somewhat corrupt ... who'd give the main character cops a hard time in their investigations.

Valchek was a recurring character in all five seasons of "The Wire," but played a major part in Season 2 ... when he was dealing with dock workers who'd gotten mixed up with the Greek mob. His character was portrayed as a proud Polish-American -- a running gag throughout.

Great role, and Brown played it well for years. In addition to his work on HBO ... he also guest starred in other shows like "Rescue Me," "Forensic Files," "Law & Order: SVU," "Commander in Chief," "Maron," "The Hustler" and others.

Al even had a few notable movies in his repertoire ... playing small roles in "The Replacements," "12 Monkeys," "Lay the Favorite," "Red Dragon," "Liberty Heights," and more. He had a knack for playing hardboiled cops and law enforcement types ... and he did 'em justice every time.

He's survived by his children and extended family. Al was 83.

Soap legend Susan Lucci is on a mission to make sure others don't have to go through the same ordeal she did to survive a massive heart blockage.

We got the "All My Children" star out in NYC, where she downloaded us on her upcoming collaboration with the American Heart Association.

You'll recall, Susan underwent emergency surgery back in 2019 after having a 90% heart blockage. That saved her from a massive and likely fatal heart attack.

Now, she calls herself lucky to be alive and points to the "wonderful" doctors who acted fast.

Susan tells us, she was motivated to help others after her medical crisis ... saying she almost ignored it until it was too late, but thankfully she didn't. She says she had no idea her dad's side of the family actually had a history related to her condition.

Her hope is to spread awareness about heart disease and, most importantly, getting tested. As for the signs, she keeps it simple -- pay attention to your family history and changes with your body.

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen just added a new bundle of joy to their growing fam.

The Grammy Award-winning singer announced he and his model wife had welcomed their fourth child on Friday morning ... and John delivered the happy news during a private performance that night, according to People.

"What a blessed day," John gushed to the audience. He then said he "didn't get a lot of sleep," but he "feels energized" despite long hours at the hospital.

The crowd went wild ... and some fans promptly took to social media to break the big news to the world.

One person wrote, "@johnlegend just told us he had a baby this morning."

The couple has 2 other children, Miles Theodore, 4, and Luna Simone, 6. You may recall, though, Chrissy sadly lost newborn Jack in September 2020.

Lisa Rinna didn't just dislike her job ... she "f***ing hated" it!

Lisa just made it clear ... she left "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" not just because of personal tragedy -- the death of her mom -- but because she was the victim of an orchestrated smear campaign against her.

Lisa said she just had it after season 12 ... and a lot centers around her feud with Kathy Hilton ... specifically the blowup in Aspen ... so she told Interview Mag.

Lisa said, "The story just didn’t get told as two-sidedly as I would’ve liked. It was unfortunate that there weren’t cameras in Aspen. It was something that happened so spontaneously. In the moment, I didn’t think to turn on my voice memos. When somebody’s having a nuclear breakdown, you don’t think, ‘Oh, I should be filming this.’”

Lisa says Kathy was trash-talking her sister Kyle in between filming ... while alcohol was freely flowing.

Interestingly ... Kathy wasn't the principal villain in Lisa's world -- she reserved that for another housewife, saying at least Kathy was brave enough "for showing up to the reunion, because she could have run like Lisa Vanderpump did."

Kelly Clarkson's alleged stalker doesn't seem to be following a judge's orders ... her security says the woman keeps showing up at her house ... and they say it's all on video.

Here's the deal ... Kelly's got a temporary restraining order against 56-year-old Huguette Nicole Young, which says Young must stay at least 100 yards away from Kelly's home.

Problem is ... Kelly's security team says Young was caught on camera driving slowly past the singer's home on four different instances over a 10-day period.

Kelly's legal team beelined it to court after her alleged stalker allegedly cruised past the home on Thursday ... and in legal docs, obtained by TMZ, they say Young is the woman on camera driving a Mazda SUV past the house.

Clarkson's camp also says Young is the person on video standing at the edge of Kelly's driveway.

TMZ broke the story ... a judge granted Kelly a temporary restraining order against Young just last month, after Kelly's head of security claimed Young showed up to her home at least 18 times since October, often leaving notes and gifts for Kelly.

Police are involved too ... as we first reported, LAPD's Threat Management Unit is investigating Kelly's alleged stalker.

"Real Housewives of Orange County" star Heather Dubrow is behind Lisa Rinna's decision to say goodbye to "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" ... but she ain't too sure it'll be a permanent exit -- speaking from personal experience.

We got Heather leaving Craig's in WeHo Tuesday night ... and while she's got nothin' but good things to say about Lisa and her leave, she's also supporting a call to come back, if she chooses.

Fans of the series remember Heather took a step back from 'RHOC' back in 2017, saying she wanted to spend more time with her family ... only to come back in 2021.

Heather also addresses the rumors she might be makin' the move to 'RHOBH' ... which sounds like it could be in her future -- if the stars align.

As we reported, Lisa announced her Bravo exit last week -- telling People, "This is the longest job I have held in my 35-year career and I am grateful to everyone at Bravo and all those involved in the series. It has been a fun eight-year run and I am excited for what is to come!"