'FLIP OR FLOP' Even Tarek & Christina Agree ... Perfect Time to End It!!!
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Tarek El Moussa and Christina Haack being on the same page is a rarity these days, but the exes, and their HGTV bosses, are in lockstep about pulling the plug on "Flip or Flop" ... TMZ has learned.
Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... Tarek and Christina's contracts for the show were up, but talks had already begun for a new season when the former couple had second thoughts about their 11th season.
Our sources say the decision had nothing to do with any specific incident or flop in ratings -- all parties involved just wanted to end the series on a high note.
It doesn't hurt that Tarek and Christina each have solo projects now with the network. Translation: Neither really needs "Flip or Flop" now that she's got "Christina on the Coast" and he has 'Flipping 101.'
Our sources point out ... working with an ex is not always ideal, and that's proven true for them. Remember, TMZ broke the story when Tarek lost it on Christina during a shoot last July. We were told he snapped because she was telling him it was time to start filming.
As you know, the exes announced they were splitting in December 2016, but still signed on for the next season of the show that made them famous. Tarek filed for divorce the following month, which was finalized a year later.
In their personal lives, both have since remarried -- Christina's even divorced and engaged again -- and now, to quote Fleetwood Mac ... they can go their own ways professionally too.
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Tinder New Background Checks Not About 'Swindler' ... But Will Stop Copycats
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Tinder rolling out background checks isn't a response to Simon Leviev's alleged handiwork -- detailed in "Tinder Swindler" -- but if it prevents similar cases from happening, the app will be thrilled.
Tinder just announced this week it will require the new background checks for users, but we're told the program has been in the works for some time. A spokesperson for Match Group -- owners of Tinder, Match.com and Plenty of Fish -- tells TMZ ... the criminal background check feature was something users have been demanding for a while.
They say the company teamed up with non-profit organization Garbo back in 2020 to create a system that works for all users. The rep points out this partnership started well before the doc debuted this year on Netflix.
The process brings up offenses that are relevant to safety, and that includes financial crimes. They tell us it's a great way for women to get a deeper look into their matches. And, while they didn't create the system for him, they say someone like Simon would be flagged instantly.
As you know, 'Swindler' was all about Simon and some of his alleged victims, who claim he tricked them out of more than $10 million after meeting them on the dating app ... and then ghosted them once he got what he wanted.
Since the doc dropped, Simon's had quite the ride ... he got banned from most dating apps, allegedly earned $30K on Cameo, and got a criminal court complaint filed against him from the wealthy family to which he claimed to belong.
The Match Group's rep says although Simon has been permanently banned, he wasn't someone they'd discussed internally before the documentary.
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Pam Anderson & Tommy Lee's Kids Sell Malibu Home for $3 Million
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Brandon Thomas Lee and his brother Dylan unloaded their gorgeous Malibu home this week ... scoring $3 million for the pad.
TMZ has learned ... the remodeled 5-bed, 5-bath house sold Wednesday, and they got their asking price. Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson's sons had the 2,634 square foot property on the market for 2 months.
The house -- within walking distance of Las Flores Beach -- is smack dab in the heart of Malibu, and was renovated from the ground up.
Inside, it's got lots of new touches and furnishings ... including Western doors and windows throughout.
With no houses on either side and a landscaped backyard, this place is perfect to get a tan and some privacy at the same time.
The Lee bros' home was featured on "The Hills: New Beginnings," as the show followed Brandon kicking off his career in modeling and acting.
Cooper Mount from The Agency held the listing ... congrats to the brothers on their big sale!
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'Sesame Street' Emilio Delgado Dead at 81 ... Played Luis for 40 Years
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Emilio Delgado -- the actor best known, and beloved, for his role as Luis on "Sesame Street" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.
Delgado's wife, Carol, tells TMZ he passed away Thursday surrounded by family at his home in NYC. We're told Emilio had recently been in hospice care ... he was diagnosed with the blood cancer Multiple myeloma in December 2020.
Carol says Emilio was still a working actor right up until the pandemic -- playing the lead in "Quixote Nuevo" -- a theater production that had a 3-city run before things were shut down. He also recently did some voiceover work in January 2022.
The beloved Mexican-American actor was a pioneer in children's television, playing Luis, the 'Fix-It Shop' owner for a total of 40 years on the 'Street.' He took a brief hiatus from the show in the late 80s, but returned within a year.
He also performed in live theater throughout his career -- including some "Sesame Street" stage productions -- and has appeared at various conventions over the years.
Emilio was 81.
RIP
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CHRISHELL Stause I'll Send A Guy's Nudes To His Mom ... Keep 'Em Outta My DMs!!!
Chrishell Stause is getting sweet revenge on any guy who sends her unsolicited nude shots -- as one man just found out, she'll forward 'em to your mother!!!
The 'Selling Sunset' star issued a PSA Wednesday on her social media for any creeps hoping to get her attention by sending her their family jewels. She revealed she'd just dropped a bombshell on one such guy who sent a penis pic via DM.
Chrishell says once she opened the message, she went to work playing private dick, if you will, by going to his Instagram page and finding his mother's account. The genius had just tagged mommy in a post for International Women's Day.
Seems Chrishell had more respect than he did, though -- she used the 💩 emoji to cover some of the guy's junk, sparing his poor mom's eyes.
Chrishell says it's going to become standard operating procedure for her, if unsolicited nudes keep coming her way ... explaining she won't post them, but she will pass them along to the sender's mother, sister, wife or gf.
Guess this is part of the reason why Chrishell recently told us she's having trouble finding a non-celeb to date.
On a positive note, she's a pretty good internet sleuth ... so, c'mon guys, do better!
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Omeretta The Great Here's Why I Quit 'Love & Hip Hop' ... Spills Tea on 'It's Tricky With Raquel Harper'
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Omeretta The Great claims she was misled by "Love & Hip Hop Atlanta" producers, who focus more on "love" and less on hip-hop ... and she says that's why she's quitting the show.
Omeretta revealed exactly how things went south with 'LHHA' -- from her view, at least -- on the "It's Tricky With Raquel Harper" podcast. The rapper says the version of the VH1 show she was pitched would focus on her "rise to the top" -- a concept she agreed to right away.
Don't forget, Cardi B was one of many artists featured in the series before becoming an international superstar -- so, Omeretta hoped it could give her career a boost too.
But, she says what ended up airing was far from expected, highlighting drama over her grind in the music biz ... something Omeretta openly admits rubbed her the wrong way.
Now, it wasn't a total loss ... in fact, OTG told Raq she did get one big thing out of her time in front of 'LHHA' cameras.
It sounds like the show didn't fight hard to get her to stay, once she told them she was peacin' out. Watch this clip and you can feel the chill in the air ❄ -- Omeretta feels played, and she's not looking back.
Make sure you follow "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" on Apple, Spotify, Google -- or wherever you get your pods -- so you never miss an episode.
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'The Masked Singer' Costumes Bigger Than Ever ... Causing Headaches And Stumbles!
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This season of "The Masked Singer" is in full swing, with the costume designs literally bigger than ever ... unfortunately, that's resulting in more headaches -- and falls -- on set!
The hit series -- currently in its 7th season -- hasn't been shy when it comes to elaborate costume pieces ... even winning Emmys for their hard work! However, this season might've gone too far.
With celebs wanting to go all out with their looks, the team is forced to make things bigger and better ... which has proven to be a disadvantage for contestants, including Cyclops and McTerrier.
Both mystery celebs have had their share of tumbles and slips while in costume ... and there's concern more wipeouts are inevitable.
Cyclops' headpiece is a beast, too ... making it impossible to enter and exit the stage as the other contestants would. Instead, crew members have to move equipment around just for them to walk on stage.
We're told the choreographers are also bearing the brunt of the problem ... forced to simplify performances because the costumes are just too difficult to manage.
Production sources say first rehearsals are usually rough when celebs break in their new attire ... but this season has been especially difficult due to the increasing complexity of the costumes.
This isn't the first time elaborate costumes gave the show some grief ... as we reported, last season's Jester -- AKA Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols -- had a bulge just too big for TV audiences, forcing costume designers to shrink the ... royal jewels.
Make sure to check out this season of The Masked Singer on FOX!
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'Love Is Blind' Kyle Abrams and Deepti Vempati Spotted Together!!!
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'Love Is Blind' stars Deepti Vempati and Kyle Abrams were spotted together after rumors spread the two were an item ... and the clip tells it all!
Kyle & Deepti were walking the streets of Wicker Park in Chicago Sunday. While they weren't holding hands or getting cuddly, people who saw them say they sure looked like a couple!
As they go down the sidewalk, a waitress calls out to them ... offering mimosas on the house. An irresistible offer apparently, as the reality stars beelined it into the restaurant -- his hand briefly on her back.
Season 2 of the Netflix series featured both Kyle and Deepti, as they ended up getting engaged to other people -- Shaina Hurley and Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee.
As fans recall, Deepti said no to a marriage with Shake at the alter ... after he constantly spoke about how he wasn't attracted to her. Kyle and Shaina didn't make it to the altar, breaking up in part because of religious differences.
On Friday's reunion episode, Kyle blew fans away when he said his deepest regret was not proposing to Deepti. The show did not highlight any of their dating interaction in the pods. In a recent interview, Deepti played it coy about her and Kyle's relationship post 'LIB' but said the two of them were "figuring it out".
With the duo in Chi-town, the fans might be on to something ... giving a happy ending to their story after all!
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'MASTERCHEF' Contestant I Was PRESSURED to FILM After STROKE ... Makes Claim in Lawsuit
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"MasterChef" contestant Mary Jayne alleges she toiled away in a kitchen to shoot an episode the same day she suffered a stroke, despite pleas for help ... and now she's filed a lawsuit.
Mary, who was featured on season 11 of the FOX cooking show, is suing its production companies, claiming producers pressured her to keep filming for 14 hours and prevented her from getting medical care, even though she was showing signs of a stroke.
According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Mary suffered the stroke the morning of March 10, 2020. She claims she told producers, prior to shooting, she didn't think she could make it through the day, but they insisted she compete in a baking challenge.
In the docs, Mary claims she told the show's medic she was in trouble as soon as she got to set, saying she was having difficulty moving her leg -- but the show allegedly denied her request for help and pressed onward with filming.
Mary claims she kept complaining to producers and medics throughout the day, and says her injuries -- including sagging on the left side of her body -- were clear to hair-and-makeup artists and fellow competitors.
According to the docs, Mary claims it wasn't until one of her competitors insisted the show take her to the hospital that producers finally relented and did so. The suit doesn't mention what kind of treatment she got, but Mary says it was a 14-hour day before she got back to her hotel.
In the suit, Mary claims "MasterChef" producers not only refused to take action to help her, but also actively prevented her from getting proper medical attention, thereby exacerbating the stroke and causing serious damage.
She's suing 3 production companies behind the show. We've reached out to them for comment, but so far no word back.
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Heath Freeman 'Bones' Actor's Autopsy ... Shows Overdose on Several Drugs
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"Bones" actor Heath Freeman died from an overdose of multiple opioids and narcotics, including fentanyl and cocaine ... according to the medical examiner's report.
Heath was found dead in his Austin, TX home last November, and the Travis County Medical Examiner says he had a lethal cocktail of booze and several drugs. Specifically, the report says fentanyl, cocaine, hydrocodone, oxycodone and alprazolam (generic Xanax) were in his system. The manner of death is listed as an accident.
According to the report, he was found unresponsive in his bed ... after apparently partying very hard the night before.
Heath was pronounced dead at the scene, and the report notes cops found oxy and alprazolam pills in his home.
Freeman was featured on a number of shows during his career -- like "ER," 'NCIS,' and "The Closer" -- but he's best known for playing Howard Epps ... a recurring character for 3 years on "Bones."
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'Party Down South' Joshua Tharpe Dead at 42
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Joshua Tharpe -- a guest star on "Party Down South" -- has died ... TMZ confirms.
His brother, Billy, tells us ... Josh was found dead Monday by his mother on the kitchen floor of his home in Baton Rouge, LA. Billy says Josh's death comes as a surprise, as everything seemed fine just a day or so prior.
We're told Josh had gone to church with his mother on Sunday and then hung out at her house afterward. Later that day, he swung by a friend's place where he had plans to spend the night -- but had to stop by at his own place first to grab some clothes ... and Billy says he never returned.
The friend grew concerned when she didn't hear from him the next day, and contacted his mom ... who went to his house where she found him collapsed. Billy says the coroner has notified them that Josh died as a result of a heart attack. Apparently, he'd experienced something similar a year prior, but much more mild and he'd recovered.
Joshua wasn't a full-time cast member on the CMT reality show, but he was featured in multiple episodes.
He was just 42.
RIP
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'FBOY ISLAND' STAR GARRETT MOROSKY My Russian Roots Got Me Detained ... Scared I Wouldn't Get Home
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"FBOY Island" star Garrett Morosky says his passport showing Russia as his birthplace just got his butt detained in a Mexican airport ... while trying to return to the United States.
We got the Netflix reality show star at Tocaya in WeHo and he told us he had all sorts of problems crossing the border ... an ordeal he's chalking up to his quirky passport and the Ukraine-Russia war.
Garrett says he was all set to board a flight from Mexico to Los Angeles this month when he was suddenly yanked out of line and detained ... with Mexican officials asking him all sorts of questions and even taking off his pants during a search.
Garrett has a U.S. passport, but he was actually born in Russia ... which is on his travel documents. "FBOY Island" fans will recall, Garrett was on a date with Sarah Emig when he told her he was adopted from Russia.
Given the increased tension between the U.S. and Russia -- due to the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent U.S. sanctions -- Garrett says he was scared he might not be allowed back into the U.S.
Ultimately, he was released and allowed to board a flight to L.A., but he says it was an eye-opening experience.
Garrett says it's made him wary about future travel -- you can tell he's nervous just talking about it -- but he does have plans to be near the U.S.-Mexico border in the near future. He's just sure he'll stay put on this side.
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'Storage Wars' Rene Nezhoda I got Flo-Jo's Record-Breaking Cleats! Unearths Olympic Memorabilia
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"Storage Wars" star Rene Nezhoda scored big on his latest find ... unearthing tons of memorabilia that belonged to Olympic legend Florence Griffith Joyner -- Flo-Jo!
Rene tells TMZ ... his friend George bought Flo-Jo's storage locker 8 years ago in the San Diego area. Rene says he dropped several thousand dollars to take the Olympic content off his hands ... and the haul is impressive!
Rene walked away with Florence's Olympic jacket and even her signed track shoes -- the ones that she wore while breaking world records! As you'll recall, Joyner broke records in the 1988 Seoul Olympics ... for both the 100m and 200m dash! She took home 3 gold medals that year.
Also bought by Rene are rare photos, magazines featuring her, and autographed Flo-Jo Barbie dolls ... talk about a blast from the past!
Rene says he'll likely sell the pieces of history on eBay or through collectible auction house Heritage Auctions ... but if a member of Flo-Jo's family reaches out, he might work out a deal with them to return her personal items.
Flo-Jo died in 1998 after suffering a fatal epileptic seizure in her sleep. Apparently, her family paid the bills for the storage rental for years, but for some reason stopped, and that's why the locker went up for action.
The Flo-Jo locker haul will not be featured on season 14 of "Storage Wars," which premieres on March 8.
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RHOC's Elizabeth Lyn Vargas Lists desert Home For $9.95M
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"Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Elizabeth Lyn Vargas is giving up desert life ... for now, anyway -- TMZ's learned she's selling her home in the Palm Springs area for just under $10 million.
We're told Elizabeth listed the 6 bed, 7.5 bath home on Wednesday, and she's hoping to get at least $9.95 million, to be exact, for the 9,2000-sq ft. pad in the gated La Quinta neighborhood.
The house is much different from when she snagged it in February 2021 for just $3.3 million. We're told Elizabeth renovated the entire place over the last year, giving it modern finishes ... decking it out with new flooring, new fixtures and new paint.
The spread comes with some pretty neat features outside -- like an extended patio, a BBQ center and a private lake. The next owner can also enjoy a spa and a custom pool with waterfalls -- oh, and we can't forget the lighted tennis court!
The former 'RHOC' star still has another home in Newport Beach. You'll recall, that was the home where her ex-boyfriend barricaded himself inside, after she called the cops on him.
Despite having ongoing issues with her ex, it seems like she's staying focused on all the right things.
We’re told she's looking to scoop up another property in the desert -- this time in the Madison Club, where she might see some pretty familiar faces. Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli all have homes in that community.
Valery Neuman of Compass holds the listing.
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'Good Times' Star Johnny Brown Dead at 84
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Johnny Brown, who played housing project superintendent Nathan Bookman on the massively hit show "Good Times," has died.
Johnny's daughter Sharon Catherine Brown tells TMZ, he was at his doctor's office in L.A. Wednesday getting his pacemaker checked out, and shortly after he left he went into cardiac arrest and collapsed. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he passed. She says the appointment was routine, so his sudden death was a shock.
Sharon said, "Our family is devastated. Devastated. Devastated. Beyond Heartbroken. Barely able to breathe."
Johnny was a protege of Sammy Davis Jr. Sammy scored Johnny a role on Broadway, and from there, his career soared. He starred in "Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights" ... directed by Sidney Poitier. Neil Simon took notice and put Johnny in "The Out of Towners."
"Good Times," however, was his breakout role. He joined the show in 1975, in the middle of season 2.
Co-star Jimmie Walker tells TMZ he's hurting because he loved his compadre on the show.
Johnny racked up a bunch of credits, including 3 seasons on 'Laugh In,' 'Julia,' 'Maude,' "The Jeffersons," "Archie Bunker's Place," "Family Matters," "Sister, Sister," "Moonlighting," and "Martin."
Johnny is survived by his wife, whom he married 61 years ago, his daughter Sharon and son, John Jr.
Johnny was 84.
RIP
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Ozzy and Sharon Taxes Are Too Damn High Here ... We're Movin' back to England!!!
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are done with L.A. ... in fact, they're bailing from the U.S.
Ozzy and Sharon are moving to the U.K. ... Ozzy told The Mirror it's because the tax rate is too high. He wasn't specific if it was the CA tax rate (which is insanely high), the U.S. tax rate or both.
It's a big move ... they've lived in Bev Hills for a quarter-century.
Ozzy told The Mirror, "I am taking my recording studio with me. I am going to build a barn there and make my own studio at Welders. I will still be making music and my band will come over."
The Osbournes and Bev Hills have become synonymous ... as you know, their hit show "The Osbourne's" rooted in the mansion ran from 2002 to 2005.
As for Sharon, well she has lots of opportunities in England for sure.
Looks like they'll be doing some consulting from a distance ... there's a new flick in the works chronicling Ozzy and Sharon's relationship. Black Sabbath and some of Ozzy's solos will provide the soundtrack for the movie.
The 2 met in 1970 and things turned romantic 9 years later.
Sharon and Ozzy were at Erewhon market late last month in L.A. where our photog asked whether Whoopi Goldberg's suspension, which was less severe than Sharon's, would make her reconsider going back to "The Talk" if CBS asked her. Her response ... "I would never go back to that show because CBS sucks big time d***."