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Vanna White has signed on for 2 more years as the cohost of "Wheel of Fortune," and she'll take home a lot more cash this time around, but we've learned things are far from settled.

Sources connected to Vanna tell TMZ, she received a "substantial pay increase" from the $3 million per year she was making for nearly 2 decades. She had not gotten a raise for 18 years.

As we reported, Vanna's pay paled by comparison to Pat Sajak, who is pulling in $15 mil per season.

Vanna's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, was in what were told were "very difficult negotiations" with Sony. Freedman wanted Sony to cough up at least half of what Pat is making.

Now this is interesting ... our sources say Sony had a clause in the new contract, releasing the studio from any claims Vanna might have, but Freedman insisted that the clause be removed ... and it was.

We're hearing Freedman is mulling over a possible gender discrimination lawsuit against Sony based on the disparity in pay. It's an interesting claim ... the show begins with the announcer saying, "Here are the stars of our show, Pat Sajak and Vanna White!" They come out arm-in-arm ... and at least visually there's no difference in status between the 2. In terms of pay, there is a huge difference.

Season 41 began filming last week ... it will be Pat's final season. Season 42 will have Ryan Seacrest at the reins.

A decorated 40-year veteran is opening up about how combat missions forever changed his brain function, and he says his experience is a cautionary tale for all service members and the doctors who treat them.

We talked to General Gregg F. Martin Tuesday on "TMZ Live" about his just-released memoir, "Bipolar General: My Forever War with Mental Illness" ... which chronicles his personal battle. As he explains -- bipolar disorder can actually develop over time.

Conventional wisdom is bipolarity is something you inherit, but Gen. Martin says it's not that simple. He says doctors told him the gene for bipolar disorder was dormant in his brain, until the stressors of repeated combat missions in Iraq triggered it.

The General says his manic episodes were devastating ... and, in some cases, he literally thought he was Superman. It wasn't until he was diagnosed as bipolar, 11 years after leaving Iraq, that he got on the right meds and learned how combat impacts the brain's biochemistry.

Gen. Martin says he's not alone -- far too many vets in this country have gone through the same situation ... but he adds the Veterans' Affairs Department is aware, and on the lookout for symptoms of bipolar disorder among combat troops.

He's hoping his story brings the issue to the forefront and destigmatizes the topic of mental health within the military.

Tamar Braxton told cops her car was "completely trashed" by thieves ... getting emotional just looking at it, as seen in the body cam footage.

The footage, obtained by TMZ, shows the singer chatting with officers Monday morning about what she says happened -- explaining it's gonna be tough to figure out everything they took.

At one point, Tamar takes a peek in the car before having to look away, saying she might cry just based on the condition of the vehicle. The cop eventually opens the door, showing some clutter on the passenger side -- but the rest of her vehicle's interior isn't visible.

Tamar says she usually locks her car, but admits she came down the night before to get something out of it, and isn't totally positive if she locked it back up.

BTW, Tamar says the culprits oddly enough left a computer behind when they took off.

'RHOC' star Shannon Beador was zooming around a residential street moments before slamming her car into the side of a house ... according to this insane footage of her alleged DUI incident.

Beador was hightailing it around a Newport Beach, CA street on Saturday just before midnight, when -- based on this video -- she seemed to misjudge a corner, careen out of control and crash into the home.

Almost immediately, Beador threw her car in reverse, getting off the sidewalk and back onto the street before slowly pulling away.

We got these pics of the damage left behind from the accident ... a concrete planter is crumbled after taking the brunt of the impact and there's a huge skid mark on the road.

It also looks like Beador barely missed the front door of the house ... which likely would've caused even more damage, and potentially injured someone inside the home.

TMZ broke the story ... sources say Beador eventually parked in the middle of the street, getting out with her dog. We're told when cops arrived, she tried to act like she was just walking her pup, but the officers weren't buying it.

A rep for Newport Beach PD says Shannon was arrested and booked for hit-and-run and DUI alcohol -- both misdemeanors -- and was cited and released without bond.

The Bravo series isn't currently in production, so she wasn't filming before the arrest -- her lawyer Michael Fell says, "[Beador] is extremely apologetic and remorseful. We will be awaiting the official information on this case as it becomes available, and Shannon is prepared to accept full responsibility for her actions."

Don't forget, Beador revealed earlier this year that she felt blindsided by the brutal split from her BF, John Jassen ... which came just weeks after production wrapped on season 17.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Do you think Shannon Beador's DUI/hit-and-run will affect her chances of staying on the 'Real Housewives' franchise? Vote below.

Tamar Braxton says her car was broken into and ransacked -- and she's lamenting the fact she doesn't feel safe, even at home ... which is understandable considering the video.

The singer posted 4 clips on IG Monday, which show a handful of men going through a vehicle in a covered, seemingly subterranean garage ... rummaging around and removing various items as they appear to be staging a getaway in another car.

Tamar writes, "I got robbed. At home. I’m not safe anywhere. I don’t know why I keep getting violated. I had a lot in my car cause I don’t live anywhere cause I’m not safe anywhere or with anyone."

It's unclear when exactly this took place, but if it was on Sunday ... that's shocking, because she was at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to sing the National Anthem ahead of the Packers-Falcons game. Tamar is known to have property in the ATL area, too.

The other notable thing about this is the fact that Tamar says she doesn't "live" anywhere anymore because of situations like this ... which has sparked concern online.

Bill Maher has pulled the plug on his decision to bring "Real Time" back without writers ... he says there's now hope both sides may reach an agreement so he's putting his show on ice until that happens.

Bill says, "My decision to return to work was made when it seemed nothing was happening and there was no end in sight to this strike. Now that both sides have agreed to go back to the negotiating table I'm going to delay the return of Real Time, for now, and hope they can finally get this done."

The words, "for now," are important ... if there's an impasse after the WGA and studios meet this week, Bill might go back to his OG plan.

Maher's decision comes after Drew Barrymore also reversed course herself after getting scorched by other celebs and folks on social media. Jennifer Hudson's show and "The Talk" also pulled the plug on coming back during the strike.

Bill announced last week he wanted to do something for the staff of his show that was struggling during the 5-month-long strike. He was planning on eliminating the writer-based segments and just having a spontaneous panel show, but now everything's on hold.

The big question ... will writers feel pressure to settle, knowing there are producers and hosts chomping at the bit to return to work if talks collapse?

Kim Kardashian knows how to carry herself in front of paps who are snapping away, but it seems one of her sons is still learning the ropes ... or, maybe, he just thinks he's #1.

7-year-old Saint was walking into an Islands burger joint in L.A. Friday after his basketball game, accompanied by a couple of pals, plus his mom ... not to mention a bunch of bodyguards. Naturally, paparazzi were all over the place too.

As the whole group was heading toward the front entrance, Saint let the photogs on hand know how he felt about their presence ... throwing up a middle finger.

The sight of a little kid throwing up the F-U signal is pretty funny in and of itself, but the way KK reacts to Saint's gesture is even more hilarious, TBH.

Let's just say she's very much in mom mode ... softly trying to muzzle her kid and get him to behave -- but she's not going very hard. Perhaps he's telegraphing how she really feels!

Now, in terms of who exactly he's channeling between his 2 parents ... Saint's leaning into his Kanye genes here. We've seen Ye flip his lid at paps over the years. It's definitely funnier when the kid does it, though.

Do you think Kim Kardashian was actually angry about Saint West flipping off paparazzi, or was it just for the cameras? Vote below.

Dr. Terry Dubrow says his medical emergency is one of the best things that ever happened to him ... 'cause he and his wife, Heather, are now saving folks from strokes.

We got the "Botched" and 'RHOC' stars in Century City and they told our photog his medical crisis helped get the word out about recognizing symptoms of strokes ... and they're getting messages from thankful families.

Terry and Heather say they're being flooded with messages from people who say they learned from them the importance of acting quickly when someone exhibits the signs of a stroke ... and it's literally saved lives.

TMZ broke the story ... Terry started slurring his speech when he was out to dinner with his family, and Heather insisted he go to a hospital ... with Terry reluctantly going after some drama.

Terry's since done a deep dive into strokes and he says people have an hour window to get medical treatment ... and if they act quickly enough, they can reverse the effects of a stroke.

It's pretty incredible ... Terry says based on the averages, he's estimating he and Heather are going to help save thousands of lives with their experience and messaging.

Drew Barrymore will not cross the picket line, after all ... she now says she is NOT going back into production on her talk show while the Writer's Guild strike continues.

Drew completed a massive flip-flop Sunday morning when she announced, "I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over. I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today."

The turnaround comes exactly one week after she first said she would start shooting new episodes -- and since then she's faced a wave of backlash and criticism that nearly brought her to tears in a video apology for coming back, but oddly said was still going to return to production.

Perhaps not coincidentally, her change of heart -- to pull the plug on a comeback -- comes hours after Rosie O'Donnell ripped into her.

As we reported, Rosie O’Donnell excoriated Drew on Saturday, posting simple instructions on how she can save face with the union and the public. She wrote, “Stop taping the show. Stop asking audiences to cross the picket line, Then ask someone to help you craft three declarative sentences. They should follow along these lines: I made an error. I apologize to the WGA for disrespecting the work of professional writers. I apologize to all union members who are withstanding real hardship as I live a life of luxury.”

Well, Drew didn't say that word-for-word, but, in essence, it is what she ended up saying.

BTW, the video apology has been deleted, and Drew now seems resolute in not coming back until the strike ends. She says, "We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon."

It will be interesting to see if other shows or hosts bow to pressure to honor the strike -- "Real Time With Bill Maher," "The Talk" and Jennifer Hudson's talk show are also returning without their striking writers.

Billy Miller -- a longtime soap opera star, who starred on some of the most famous shows in the genre -- has died, and it sounds like he was battling some demons ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the actor tells us Miller passed away Friday in Austin, TX. An exact cause hasn't been revealed, but we're told he was struggling with manic depression at the time of his death. His team suggests he may have taken his own life.

It's incredibly shocking and sad news for the soap community, as BM was one of the brightest stars in the biz for a good while. The guy had incredible runs on both 'The Young and The Restless' as well as a memorable role on 'General Hospital.'

He starred in over 700 episodes for the former -- playing Billy Abbott -- and acted in nearly 600 episodes for the latter, playing different characters. In addition to these two iconic shows, he also starred in 'All My Children' in the mid-2000s, which kicked off his soap career.

Miller's work on daytime TV was recognized and praised by his peers -- he won Emmys in 2010, 2013 and 2014 for Outstanding Lead and Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role on 'Y&R.' He was also nominated a handful of other times, including for 'GH.'

He didn't just work on soaps, either, BTW -- BM acted in a number of other TV series and movies ... such as 'CSI: NY,' 'Justified,' 'Ringer,' 'Castle,' 'Ray Donovan,' 'Suits,' 'Truth Be Told,' 'The Rookie,' 'NCIS' and others. He also starred in flicks like 'American Sniper' and more.

Miller is survived by his mother, Patricia, and his sister, Megan ... as well as other extended family and friends. He was only 43.

RIP

"Dancing With The Stars" is always down to tap into the biggest rumors in H-Wood, and almost had a ménage à trois for the ages.

As you know, Mauricio Umansky will be puttin' his dancing shoes on for the upcoming season. What you DIDN'T know ... we've learned producers also reached out to his estranged wife, Kyle Richards, and her good friend, Morgan Wade.

Well, the ladies gave DWTS a 1 out of 10 for that proposal, but wouldn't it have been awesome? We're guessing all 3 would have had professional dancers as partners, but maybe they would have tried something new if the troika was fully on board.

We're told the 3 of them were all approached at the same time, but Kyle and Morgan passed. Both women are now in Paris, shooting Morgan's documentary.

Thing is ... there'd be no tension had it happened. We know Mauricio and Kyle are still getting along great, and even Mauricio and Morgan seem kosher.

Kyle and Mauricio are still living under the same roof, although their status is still "separated."

Ashton Kutcher is stepping down as chairman of the board at the anti-child sex abuse organization he started with his ex-wife Demi Moore -- it's the latest blowback from a letter of support he wrote for Danny Masterson.

Ashton is leaving Thorn, the org he co-founded in 2012, and so is his wife Mila Kunis, who was an observer on the organization's board of directors.

They're departing due to public outrage over the letters they wrote to the judge who sentenced Masterson, their fellow "That '70s Show Star" who was convicted of raping 2 women. The letters were written to inform the judge about Danny's character -- in their eyes -- to help the judge decide on a sentence, but it blew up in their faces.

Ashton's resignation letter to Thorn's board, obtained by TIME, explains ... "Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences."

He continues ... "After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately."

Ashton adds,  "I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve."

He also apologized for letting down sexual assault victims and other advocates, writing ... "The mission must always be the priority and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did. And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry."

AK testified before Congress a few years back, passionately laying out his mission to protect abuse victims ... and video of his impassioned speech is now being scrutinized in the wake of his Masterson defense.

Drew Barrymore is offering up an emotional apology to the thousands of writers who are striking while her show returns ... but she is NOT shutting down the show.

The talk show host gave a lengthy apology on social media Friday, tearing up while taking full responsibility for the heat she's been facing since saying over the weekend her show will resume production.

She says she doesn't think there's anything she can do to make it right, and admits she didn't want to hide behind others for the decision to return. Drew claims she wasn't expecting folks to be as up in arms as they are, but wants to make it clear that she won't be breaking any rules with the show.

It's interesting, Drew isn't yanking her production but instead is explaining why she decided to move forward ... citing reasons like the ones Bill Maher had for taking "Real Time" back to the studio.

As we reported, Drew has been labeled a scab after saying on Sunday she's resuming her show, claiming she wants to "provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience."

Sophie Turner was lockin' lips with her costar, but it's not a new fling ... it's just another day at the office for her while the divorce from Joe Jonas moves forward.

The actress was spotted kissing "Fear the Walking Dead" actor Frank Dillane on a beach in Spain this week, while production continues on her British TV series, "Joan."

Frank is playing her husband on the project, and Sophie's portraying the lead character, Joan Hannington ... an infamous jewel thief who wreaked havoc in London back in the 1980s.

As we reported, Sophie popped up on set this week ... the first time she's been seen since the divorce news. She was taking a smoke break while filming another scene.

Joe filed divorce docs last week, asking for joint custody of their 2 young daughters.

Sources told us the breakup comes, in part, as a result of their different lifestyles -- and we were told Joe saw something on a Ring camera that made him realize it was over.

Mauricio Umansky says he's got no beef with Morgan Wade, and despite persistent rumors the country star is dating his estranged wife Kyle Richards ... he tells us he loves Morgan.

We got Mauricio leaving his "Dancing With the Stars" rehearsal Thursday in L.A., and our photog asked if he's got a good relationship with Morgan.

Mauricio says he's a big fan of Morgan, and he's inviting her to one of his 'DWTS' tapings. Hell, we might've given the show's producers a great idea, too, when we asked him and his pro partner Emma Slater about possibly dancing to one of Morgan's songs.

Spoiler: They're open to it!

His reaction to the Morgan topic is super interesting -- remember, he and Kyle recently separated after 27 years of marriage, and there's been endless speculation Kyle and Morgan are an item.

For their part, Kyle and Morgan have had fun with the buzz. They filmed a music video, and this week they've been touring Paris, the City of Love, together.

By all accounts, Mauricio and Kyle have kept things very amicable since the separation ... they've been co-parenting their 4 kids and even took a family trip together to Positano.

MU seems genuinely happy and jovial in our clip -- and, if it's all an act, someone should hand him an Oscar ... because he doesn't seem threatened by Morgan at all.

Bill Maher is taking it on the chin for bringing back 'Real Time' in the middle of the writers strike ... with one Writers Guild leader insisting Bill's misguided move won't weaken the union's labor stoppage.

WGA negotiating committee member Greg Iwinski joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to push back against Bill's assertion that bringing back his show was necessary to help non-union staff members who are also feeling a severe financial crunch due to the strike.

Greg says Bill is not facing the same economic pressure as most crew members in Hollywood ... and he says he hasn't seen or heard of Bill helping the 'Real Time' crew pay for rent or groceries during the nearly 5-month-long strike.

Actually, Bill says he has provided "some assistance" to his staff ... but adds, some of them are still struggling, and that's why he's returning without his writers.

Meanwhile, Greg says the union is hustling -- with financial backing from some A-list celebs -- to support everyone affected by the strikes, including crew members who aren't writers ... and he rattled off several of those efforts.

His overall point is ... Bill could join those efforts, instead of crossing the picket line.

As we reported ... Bill announced Wednesday his show is returning later this month without writers, saying it was time to bring non-union folks back to work -- and the WGA quickly responded with plans to picket outside Bill's show.

While Greg's taking a pretty diplomatic approach here, actress Ellen Barkin had plenty of expletives for Bill when our photog got her in the Big Apple.

Bill's been critical of the strike recently and even called for California Governor Gavin Newsom to step in and do something to bring an end to the stalemate.