Kanye West I'm Not Official with Kim Look-Alike ... But Similarities Drew Me to Her

Kanye West certainly has a new muse in Kim Kardashian look-alike Chaney Jones, but the two don't consider themselves a couple, at least not yet.

Sources close to the two tell us ... while they've been together here and there over the last couple weeks, it's all for fun. We're told Kanye's obviously attracted to Chaney ... undeniably drawn to her because of her similarities to Kim.

As for how they met ... nothing fancy. We're told Chaney slid into Kanye's DMs and things went from there.

Of course, Chaney and Ye started hanging out shortly after he and Julia Fox split up -- Julia herself had admitted things were never that serious -- and our Kanye sources echo that ... he's not looking for commitment with anyone right now.

Chaney's style lately has almost been a carbon copy of Kim ... especially the tight-fitting bodysuits. She's even worn the same sunglasses as Kim.

Kim just spent a full week overseas at Milan Fashion Week where she has clearly ditched Balenciaga and dressed exclusively in Prada. As we reported, Kim's made it clear ... she now feels confident enough to make her own choices.

Farrah Abraham Sophia's Piercing is Just the new 13 ... Get Over it, Haters!!!

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LATER, HATERS
TMZ.com

Farrah Abraham says she's putting her child's happiness first, and standing by her decision to allow Sophia to get a septum piercing for her 13th birthday.

The "Teen Mom" star tells TMZ ... she's doing her best as a parent -- despite what her critics say -- to make sure her teen is happy and healthy, and if that means Sophia getting a needle through her nose, so be it!

What's interesting is Farrah acknowledges she wasn't personally a fan of Sophia getting the piercing, but says it was more important to her that it be done by a professional ... rather than Sophia sneaking off to do it herself.

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Despite not being for it, Farrah sure sounded happy to celebrate the piercing as a new Abraham family milestone. As for Sophia, she's also blocking out the haters, and called her new nose bling a "birthday wish come true".

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FARRAH'S WILD ARREST
TMZ.com

Seems like the reality star is in a much better place, compared to last month. You'll recall, she was arrested outside a club after allegedly slapping a security guard.

Since the incident, she's moved away from L.A. while threatening to sue the club. She's also said she's had suicidal thoughts due to the arrest.

Still, Farrah's proud of herself for posting the attack and putting the club on blast, and adds she's focusing on recovering by going to a trauma treatment center in Texas for 28 days.

UFC's Colby Covington Talks 'Blood Feud' w/ Jorge Masvidal ... 'I'm Gonna Make Him Suffer!'

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FUNERAL, NOT A BAPTISM
TMZSports.com

There's beef, and then there's Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal ... who absolutely HATE each other!!

TMZ Sports talked to 34-year-old Covington, the #1 ranked welterweight fighter, ahead of his "blood feud" with 37-year-old Masvidal, the #6 ranked WW, at UFC 272 on March 4.

"This is a blood feud. This goes back to a brotherhood. We were eight years together every single day, side by side, couldn't leave each other -- best friends," Chaos told us.

"Now, we're the biggest bitter enemies. He's the one person on Earth that I don't give a s***. Anytime I see him, I want to send that guy straight to hell and luckily I get to do it in the UFC Octagon next Saturday night on Pay-Per-View and it's gonna be bad, man. I'm gonna make him pay. I'm gonna make him suffer for backstabbing me."

See ... this goes beyond the routine pre-fight trash talk.

Colby and Jorge were friends ... best friends. Unfortunately, the relationship fell apart (long story) ... and now the men are about to be locked in a steel cage together.

One of the things both guys have in common is a friendship with Donald Trump.

So, who's the former Commander-In-Chief rooting for?! We asked Colby.

"Mr. President, #45, is not torn. He knows where his loyalty stands. He knows the person that put his whole platform for him, that was sacrificing, doing everything, really showing that I'm a true supporter. George is a fake supporter. He's not a real supporter."

Then, Covington added ... "Donald Trump, you know, I talked to his family the other day, I know where his loyalty resides."

Speaking of Trump, we also asked CC whether the ex-prez would be attending the fight.

Remember, DT attended UFC 264 in July 2021 -- Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 3 -- where he dapped up Masvidal backstage.

"See, I can't give away that spoiler. I am the king of spoilers and I love giving away spoilers but you gotta tune into the Pay-Per-View March 4. You might just see the big man, you know, the guy that Makes America Great Again and the greatest president in American history."

'Tinder Swindler' Simon Leviev Charging $20K for Club Gig ... Wants Jets & Suites Too!!!

Simon Leviev is an expensive habit -- as several European women will attest -- and now he's got nightclubs lining up to hand him up to $20K just to pop bottles and party.

Leviev is now infamous from the Netflix documentary 'Tinder Swindler,' and becoming a household name -- even for negative reasons -- means some hot spot clubs are looking to book him for appearances.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … Simon has several offers from clubs in Philly, Boston, Germany and Mexico, and he's at least interested, because his team responded with a laundry list of demands.

We're told he's asking for the $20,000 payday, plus bottle service ... but it doesn't stop there. Leviev's also requesting a private jet, suite at a 5-star hotel, black SUV car service and 2 full-time security guards.

Basically, he wants the same lifestyle his alleged victims say he pretended to have while he duped them into handing over millions of dollars. As we reported, Simon was recently shopping for Ferraris ... so, he's for sure, leaning into the image he portrayed in 'Swindler.'

You'll recall, the doc claims he bilked women out of more than $10 mil by gaining their trust on Tinder.

Ya gotta wonder if he really has Ferrari money now, but if not, he's now trying to get it legitimately ... if the nightclubs will bite.

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SWINDLER SALUTATIONS
cameo.com/simonleviev

Important to note he's also been blowing up on Cameo recently ... charging $200 per video and reportedly making $30K in just 3 days.

Zoe Kravitz Good Genes or Good Docs?!

Zoe Kravitz's good looks have nine lives.

Here's a 19-year-old version of the actor ... and daughter of rock god Lenny Kravitz and looker Lisa Bonnet ... at an after-party during the Tribeca Film Fest in New York City back in 2008 (left). This was shortly after Zoe's acting debut in the film "No Reservations."

And, 14 years later, the now 33-year-old famous feline ... who has been traveling the globe to promote her puuuurfect role as the Catwoman in the new "The Batman" movie opposite Robert Pattinson in London earlier this week (right).

Meow!

The question is ...

Zoe Kravitz

Louis Tomlinson Brings Show to Screeching Halt ... Sees Sick Fan in Crowd

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STOPPING FOR SAFETY
TMZ.com

Louis Tomlinson is ready and willing to pump the brakes on his live shows if one of his fans goes down, and after a Minneapolis show ... it's evident his security is also ready to react quickly.

The former One Direction member put on a sold-out show Thursday night, and as he neared the end of the show -- singing his hit, "Walls" -- he looked into the standing-room-only audience, stopped the song abruptly and then called out on the mic for help.

As security guards rushed over to a female fan in distress, Louis urged the crowd to let them get through. He and the guards yelled, "Make a hole" ... and then LT waited calmly onstage to let the responders do their job.

When security began taking her out of the theater, Louis decided to bring the lights up and take 5. Fans around the incident quickly cooperated and made a clear path to the doors.

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NEW NORM'
MEGA

This latest incident seals it ... artists are definitely more attentive to audience members who are sick or injured. Of course, Billie Eilish did it weeks ago at a show in Atlanta, giving the whole crowd a chance to relax, sit down and take a step back from the stage.

Billie even passed her inhaler to a fan in need a few weeks ago ... saying she likes to guarantee her fans are safe at her shows. John Mayer also slowed things down for a fan during an L.A. gig.

As we reported ... some people, most notably Kanye West, took Billie's comments as a dig at Travis Scott, whose Astroworld event ended with the death of 10 people, including children.

After his fan was escorted out of the building, Louis returned to the stage and completed the show. Witnesses say he was helpful throughout the ordeal ... aka, the new normal.

Celebrity Scramble Guess Who!

Underneath this stretched-out snap is a phenomenal actress who is taking the film and television world by storm.

This warped-out woman got her start in TV as a child star who shook audiences up by showcasing the greatness of all her talents combined ... she can sing, dance and act with ease!

Now, this fashion mogul and celebrity personality has become a household name ever since she was cast in an Oscar-nominated sci-fi film set in space. Meanwhile, she never comes up short with her performances in a gritty high school drama dealing with drug abuse streaming on HBO.

Kanye West Looking Smitten with Chaney Jones Beach Bod Explains Why!!!

Kanye West might not be able to have Kim Kardashian -- but he's got the next best thing, it seems, in her look-alike ... who's almost like her carbon copy down to a curvaceous T!

As you know ... Ye's been trotting out his new flame, Chaney Jones, more and more lately -- stepping out in public with her in full view, whereas before ... he seemed to be trying to keep their relationship low-key.

The parading continued into the weekend, with Ye and Chaney leaving ZZ's Club in Miami very early Friday morning at around 3:30 AM ET ... coming down an escalator together, staring deeply into each other's eyes and then departing in the same SUV.

Just like she usually does, CJ was looking like a dead ringer for KK -- and Ye seemed to be all about it ... flashing a huge grin as they walked side by side.

As you know ... he still is very much trying to halt his divorce from Kim at the moment -- and seems desperate to get her back any way he can. It would appear that until he can have her to himself again -- which is probably NOT going to happen -- he's willing to settle for Chaney.

She's certainly not the worst consolation prize by any means, though ... evidenced in what she put on display Saturday at the beach -- namely, her rockin' bod, which she showed off from the front and the back.

Indeed, she's got the hourglass figure -- with quite the caboose -- just like Kim does ... so, you can see what Kanye digs about her in the looks department.

It's like they say ... if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with!

Ukraine President Zelenskyy Declines U.S. Offer to Evacuate ... I Need Ammo, Not a Ride

Ukraine is under attack, and while you might think its President would get the hell outta there ASAP ... Volodymyr Zelenskyy is doing the exact opposite, sticking around to fight.

Ukraine's fearless leader is showing his guts by staying on the ground in and around Kyiv -- the nation's capital -- and making sure his people know ... he isn't abandoning them in a time of crisis.

Case in point ... AP reports that sometime on Friday, Zelenskyy turned down an offer from U.S. officials to flee the country -- apparently with their help -- and instead told them ... "The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride," per sources familiar with the convo.

He later posted a video of himself next to fellow cabinet members in the middle of the night, assuring everyone there he hadn't fled -- contrary to reports, it seems -- and that he was dedicated to staying in Ukraine as long as possible to defend their sovereignty.

VZ threw up yet another video on Saturday morning echoing the same sentiment.

He said, "I am here. We are not putting down arms. We will be defending our country, because our weapon is truth, and our truth is that this is our land, our country, our children, and we will defend all of this."

BTW, reports say the Ukrainians are actually holding their own in the battle -- and, in some cases, are actually fending off Russian soldiers pretty well with the forces they currently have.

Zelenskyy further addressed Ukrainians Saturday with some encouraging news -- saying he'd gotten reassurance from neighboring countries that they'd help feed oil to Ukraine during this fight ... and not just that, but he also announced Russia had, in fact, been nixed from SWIFT.

SWIFT is an international banking communications system that Russia -- and a ton of other countries -- rely on to talk finance and money ... and removing them will further isolate Putin beyond sanctions already in place, with more consequences likely to follow.

It also sounds like President Zelenskyy has been on the horn nonstop with Western allies -- many of whom, including the U.S., are vowing support via resources and in some cases ... on-the-ground troops if needed.

It's a tricky situation, because a misstep here can unleash an all-out world war -- but all things considered ... Zelenskyy is navigating this as best as possible, and in many cases ... being hailed a hero for leading his people through a turbulent situation.

Here's the crazy part about Zelenskyy's tenure -- the guy is actually a comedian/TV star who actually played the Ukrainian Prez on his own show years before he manifested that into the real thing. He's been likened to Jon Stewart with his biting satire ... and now, he leads a war-torn nation in real life.

With all that in mind, it's incredible to see how well he's doing ... and the bravery displayed.

Rick Ross Cuts Down His Own Giant Trees ... Saves Himself $10,000!!!

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TIMBER!!!

Rick Ross isn't one to pay extra cash for something he can do himself -- which is exactly why he became a lumberjack in his own backyard ... saving a pretty penny in the process.

Renzel was on landscaping duty this weekend at his Atlanta estate -- which is hundreds of acres in size, consisting of quite a bit of land -- after deciding to cut down a flock of oak tress he had standing around that he wanted outta there ... one way or another.

He explains that he did a little shopping around for quotes on how much a job like this might cost, and he was hit with a huge price tag ... $1,000 per tree. At 10 trees ... that's $10k!!!

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money well-kept ...

No deal for RR ... who decided he'd just do the damn thing himself. As he explains here, Rick tasked a buddy of his to hit Home Depot and snap up the biggest damn chainsaw they had on their racks.

Looks like the guy came back with just what the Boss needed ... 'cause he immediately got to work, slicing up the trunk of one of the behemoths he wanted removed ... until it started to keel over.

In the end, it would appear Rick got the job done -- and he also had a little fun with the saw too ... Leatherface-style. Easy there, big fella ... that thing's still pretty dangerous. 😅

But on the DIY yard work ... well done!

Kim Kardashian I'm Enjoyin' the High Life ... In My New Jet!!!

Kim Kardashian is flying high these days, being a billionaire and such, and she's taken her massive wealth to a new level by plunking down more than $95 mil on a new private jet.

Kim flew back to L.A. from Milan Friday in a G65OER jet ... our sources confirm she had it built from scratch. When we say $95M, that's the base price. We're guessing cashmere walls are extra.

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FLYING IN STYLE
@mariodedivanovic/Instagram

She's been waiting a year for completion, and we gotta say ... it's pretty damn awesome. The custom interior and exterior are pained a Créme color. The cabin is laced with cashmere finishes and leather seats. It's the same color scheme as her home. She designed the interior with the help of Tommy Clements and Waldo Fernandez. BTW ... Fernandez also designed Travis Barker's home, with an assist from Kourtney.

It's baller ... the placemats and plates are the same as the ones she has at home. Not to mention, we're told guests who board are given a pair of SKIMS slippers and pajamas for a cozy trip.

It seats 18, so make your reservations now.

As for the total price ... we've made some calls and after the customizations, it could have easily set her back around $150 MILLION! But remember ... she's a billionaire.

The plane is the same type as the one owned by Jeff Bezos.

Interestingly enough, Kim was decked out in more Prada when the plane touched down, more evidence she's totally moved on from the Balenciaga looks Kanye used to dress her in.

Daring Rescue Cruise Ship Saves Floating Migrants ... Off Coast of Cuba

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RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
TMZ.com

A group of apparent migrants who were stuck in the big blue with nothing but each other and a raft found refuge in a nearby cruise ship -- which swooped them up in heroic fashion.

Check out this video showing a daring rescue Friday somewhere out on the Atlantic -- about 50 miles from Cuba, we're told, and en route back toward Florida -- where a Celebrity Apex came across these guys in the water ... floating aimlessly in the middle of nowhere.

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Apparently, it was actually a passenger who spotted them out there ... and then sounded the alarm. The captain of the ship turned the thing around to go get 'em -- and to bring them onboard, of course.

That's exactly what happened ... but it was no easy task getting a ladder down to the stranded trio -- who struggled, at first, in securing it -- but were ultimately successful.

As you can see ... folks were cheering when they finally got a hold of the rungs and were able to hoist themselves up. We're told that the captain later explained that if they'd left them out there ... those folks would've perished, not just because of the choppy waters ... but because they simply didn't have any supplies on hand -- including absolutely no food.

In the end the U.S. Coast Guard was summoned to collect the group ... which is what they did. Unclear what might become of them -- but they'll almost certainly be processed through immigration to figure out where they need to go. At least they're alive, though!

We're told the Celebrity Apex continued on its voyage and touched down in Ft. Lauderdale Saturday. That's a tale of the high seas those vacationers won't soon forget ... no doubt.

Russia Boycott U.S., Canadians Say Hell No to Vodka ... Pouring Out Stoli!!!

Americans and Canadians are banding together to kick a bad habit -- chucking Russian vodka by the liter in protest of Putin's invasion of Ukraine ... in hopes of sending a message.

Of course, President Biden and other world powers are already imposing sanctions against Russia as a way to deter Putin from continuing his takeover -- but if that wasn't enough ... local liquor stores and restauranteurs are doing their part as well with a heavy pour.

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And, we're not talking about ones for a shot either -- business owners from Oregon to Vegas and Vermont -- and, perhaps, soon even in Virginia -- are draining their Russian-based spirits down the sink and into the streets ... just to show solidarity with Ukrainians.

Bill McCormick -- who runs the Pine Tavern Restaurant in Bend, OR -- did an interview with KTVZ21 to talk about why he was nixing brands like Stolichnaya and others ... saying he doesn't wanna support any facet of the Russian regime, even if it means one less drink sold.

Ditto for the guys over at the Evel Pie pizzeria in Vegas ... who posted a photo of themselves emptying bottles of Russian Standard, among other brands, right onto the curb. The folks over at the Magic Mountain Ski Resort in Londonberry, VT are also following suit.

Another place that's speaking out ... Southern Spirits in Fort Mill, SC -- which posted something to Facebook declaring they would be avoiding promotion of Russian products.

They write, "We will sell down the inventory we currently have but will be moving the displays from the floor. Instead, we will continue to promote and carry Kozak which is an outstanding vodka from Ukraine. Thank you for your understanding."

Like we said ... Canada is getting in on the boycott too, with provincial powers that handle a good majority of liquor imports and sales announcing bans in their own backyard.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation expressed exactly that, writing ... "The Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation, along with other Liquor jurisdictions throughout Canada, has made the decision to remove products of Russian origin from its shelves. These include Russian Standard Vodka and Russian Standard Platinum Vodka."

There are Canadian officials that are joining the chorus as well, like Ontario's Minister of Finance -- Peter Bethlenfalvy -- stating his support of bans in the area of Russian vodka.

Maybe this will have an impact after all ... lord knows Russia loves drinking (and selling) their famed potato drink, but what happens when no one wants it??? Time will tell, we're sure.

Kanye West I Object, Your Honor!!! Kim Can't Prove I Wrote Those Social Media Posts!!!

UPDATE

3:06 PM PT -- Ye could have a hard time proving his argument in court that he didn't write the social posts attacking Kim and Pete. Check out his recent IG post in which he's pictured holding a yellow pad touting that his account was NOT hacked.

UPDATE

Kanye West has just made it clear ... he's not gonna end his marriage without a fight, but the fight he's waging is, well, bizarre.

Kanye just filed legal docs ... trying to make his social media posts attacking Kim, Pete and others inadmissible in next week's hearing. As we reported, a judge will decide next week whether to restore Kim's single status.

Kanye's argument -- How does Kim really know he wrote those posts? His lawyer is arguing these social media posts are not only hearsay ... they're double hearsay!

Ye's lawyer says, "Kim claims she read something online allegedly by Kanye and characterizes the posts in her declaration as misinformation ... Kim needed to offer the social media posts into evidence, and show that the posts were written by Kanye."

The docs never say Kanye didn't write the posts ... just that Kim hasn't jumped through all the hoops.

But, that's not all ... Kanye's lawyer now says the prenup can't be viewed as valid, at least not now. Ye's attorney says there's a presumption in California that prenups signed after 2001 are invalid, and the only way they can be validated is either during a trial or if both parties agree. So, it seems Kanye is saying he hasn't agreed it's valid, so it can't be enforced until there's a full-blown trial, and that means a big delay.

What Kanye is doing is throwing up roadblocks to stop Kim from becoming single. He previously filed docs saying he would agree to it, but one of the conditions is that all assets be frozen for now. The thing is ... they have a prenup that makes all their property separate and Kim needs that money to run her businesses.

It's highly unlikely the judge will buy what Ye's lawyer is selling ... restoring single status is a routine procedure, and the very point is to separate division of assets from marital status.

Translation ... he's gonna try and make getting a divorce as hard as possible.

Bill Maher Oh, You Don't Understand the War ... Kim's Ukraine, Pete's NATO and Ye's Russia

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LET ME EXPLAIN...
Real Time with Bill Maher/HBO

The brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine is hard for some Americans to understand, so Bill Maher broke it down in terms a pop culture consumer can easily grasp.

Maher broke it down Friday night on "Real Time," equating Ukraine to Kim Kardashian, NATO to Pete Davidson, and -- sorry Ye -- you're Russia.

So, the idea ... Kim (Ukraine) wants her freedom, but she's boldly taken steps to move on from her marriage by forging a romantic alliance with Pete (NATO), and Kanye (Russia) is now throwing up all these false scenarios, claiming they're making his life difficult, so he's now showing unbridled aggression.

Now you get it?

Maher ended his show in true Bill fashion ... showing unbridled contempt for the Republican Party, while blasting the Democrats for squandering an opportunity to avert midterm disaster.

He noted Trump's stranglehold on the Republican Party seems to be waining ... the poll numbers show a drop in support as dramatic as the decline of Omicron.

So, his point ... a lot of folks who were drawn to Trump who felt disenfranchised are now jumping off that train in droves, so they're ripe for the pickin', assuming Democrats don't attack them for having supported Trump in the past. In other words ... show graciousness.

There's a fabulous sports metaphor Obama once used to describe this very opportunity ... and Bill recounts it well.

His overarching message ... it's best not to talk politics with people who have opposing views -- it just never ends well. Talk about "Yellowstone" -- it's safer.

Kylie Jenner Back in Biz ... 3 Weeks After Giving Birth

Kylie Jenner is back in action -- checking out real estate -- just three weeks after giving birth to her second child ... and she's got her mom right by her side.

Check out these pics of Kris, Kylie and a couple others checking out a home under construction in So. Cal ... unclear if the pad already belongs to Kylie, or if she's scoping it out to buy.

The 24-year-old mommy of two looks great, and we're told Stormi came along for the ride. Family sources tell us the 4-year-old loves helping with Wolf.

It's the first time we've seen Kylie since she and Travis Scott welcomed their son, Wolf Jacques Webster, into the world on February 2nd.

TMZ broke the story, Wolf's middle name is an ode to his famous pops ... Travis' real name is Jacques Webster. Interestingly enough, Kylie's middle name is Kristen -- after her mom -- the middle name shout-outs continue.

We're still waiting on the first full pics of Wolf. In announcing his birth, Kylie posted a pic of Stormi holding her baby brother's hand, but all we see is his hand.

Not only is she scoping out homes, but Kylie also launched a new Kylie Cosmetics collection thing week ... so one thing's for sure, the billionaire mom is back in business.