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Helen Mirren thinks the internet is jumping the gun over a possible film based on the war in Ukraine ... saying it's way too premature, because we don't know how the story ends.

We got Helen at LAX on Wednesday ...  and talked to her about the prospects of a film about Ukrainian President Zelensky and his bravery during the Russian invasion.

"Culture always responds to what is happening in the world," she tells TMZ. "The end of that story, we don't know yet, clearly."

Helen also weighed in on Jeremy Renner playing Zelensky -- it's making the rounds on social while she says she's not the one to make that call, she notes Renner is quite the actor -- more than capable for the challenge.

Helen mirrors the sentiment of her fellow actors -- supports Ukraine and the artists that have been affected by the conflict.

Kim Kardashian's quest to become a single woman has become a reality because the judge has granted her request to end her marriage to Kanye West. Kim will hereinafter be known just as Kim Kardashian ... the West is gone.

Kim was on a video call for Wednesday's court hearing -- her lawyer, Laura Wasser was in court -- and Kanye was absent. Kanye's lawyer did not object to restoring Kim's single status, although his lawyer said he had 3 conditions -- 1. any right to get reimbursement of money that's supposed to be divided up will be preserved in case either of them dies ... the judge granted that condition.

There were 2 other conditions the judge rejected -- that Kim would not transfer any assets she had in trust, and if Kim remarries she would waive the "marital privilege." That privilege means a new spouse would not have to testify about communications he had with her. The judge said nope to that.

To close out the hearing, Kim answered a series of questions, known as the "prove up" which included, "Are there problems in your relationship?" and "Do you think your marriage can be saved with counseling?" Kim answered "yes" to the first and "no" to the other.

A source close to Kanye tells TMZ, he also wanted the divorce to be granted. He's now a single person as well.

TMZ broke the story, Kanye recently dropped his 4th divorce attorney, Chris Melcher ... we're told there was little communication between Kanye and Melcher, making the relationship extremely difficult. It's been just over a year since Kim filed for divorce. We're also told Melcher was whipsawed ... one day Kanye wanted the divorce, and the next day he wanted to fight for the marriage.

Kim's been asking the judge to restore her single status since December, when she stated in docs, "I very much desire to be divorced." She also said she'd asked Kanye to keep their divorce private, which he hadn't, and his social media posts had caused "emotional distress."

Kanye and his legal team had continued to resist, making arguments the couple's prenup should be presumed invalid and even calling into question whether Kanye actually wrote the nasty social media posts -- FYI, he claimed he hadn't been hacked.

Of course, Kim and her team felt like this was all a stalling tactic ... this as Kanye had continued his overtures in a bid to win her back, even if it meant attacking her and her new BF, Pete Davidson.

Stanford women's soccer star Katie Meyer -- a Cardinal goalkeeper and a team captain -- has tragically died, the school announced Tuesday.

She was only 22 years old. No cause of death was revealed.

"Please join us in offering our deepest condolences to her parents and sisters," university officials said of Meyer in a statement. "We would also like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Katie's friends, hallmates, classmates, teammates, faculty and coaches."

School officials added that counseling has been made available all over campus to students and others who are grieving the loss.

Meyer -- described by the school as "a bright shining light for so many" -- was one of the Cardinal's best players ... and had helped the team win the NCAA women's soccer championship in 2019.

During that title game against North Carolina, she made two massive saves to help secure the victory. Her celebration afterward went viral.

Meyer was slated to be a redshirt senior on Stanford's team this season.

Whaddaya do when you win the Super Bowl??

You get all your friends together on a yacht and head to Cabo, of course!!

L.A. Rams head coach Sean McVay did just that this week -- boarding a $15k-a-night boat and having the time of his life ... and TMZ Sports has the pics.

36-year-old McVay, his fiancée, Veronika Khomyn, and their closest friends made the trip down to Mexico and partied it up on a 75-foot Sunseeker called Sea La Vie.

McVay quickly ditched his shirt for the occasion ... showing off his impressive build as he soaked in the rays before riding around on a jet ski.

Sean has a lot to celebrate -- he is fresh off leading the Rams to a Super Bowl win over Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals ... becoming the youngest head coach to win it all.

On top of that, pretty much every major network wants him to leave his coaching gig to start a career in the broadcast booth ... reportedly being offered insane checks in the process.

Cain Velasquez allegedly rammed his truck into the car of a man accused of molesting the UFC legend's family member, before allegedly firing multiple shots into the man's vehicle, striking the alleged molester's stepfather.

TMZ Sports has obtained court docs that spell out the allegations against 39-year-old Velasquez.

In the docs, officials say Velasquez followed a 43-year-old man named Harry Goularte -- who was recently charged with 1 felony count of a lewd and lascivious act for allegedly molesting Velasquez's "close relative" -- along with his mom and stepdad from their San Martin, CA home on Monday afternoon.

Velasquez, who was driving a black Ford F-250, then allegedly began shooting into the Chevy Silverado driven by Goularte's stepdad.

Authorities say Cain caught up to the car and rammed it, before eventually firing off more shots.

Cops were called, and Velasquez allegedly left the scene. Soon after, cops located Cain on the road, pulled him over and took him into custody without issue.

According to the docs, police found a 40-caliber semi-automatic handgun in Cain's truck. They also noted they found two 10-bullet magazines in the vehicle, noting that 8 total bullets were missing from the mags.

Cain has been hit with 10 charges, including 1st degree attempted murder, multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and shooting an occupied motor vehicle, among others.

If he's ultimately convicted, Cain is facing decades in prison.

But, it's the circumstances surrounding the case that makes this situation unique.

Darren Criss' older brother, Charles Criss, has died by suicide -- and his sibling is sending out a powerful message about mental health in the wake of such a tragedy.

The actor revealed the sad news Wednesday in a social media post, throwing up a bunch of photos of his bro, as well as a lengthy statement about what had happened ... and what the takeaway is for him as a result.

Charles -- who Darren refers to as Chuck -- took his own life sometime last month ... although the exact circumstances are unclear.

What is clear, however, is how much thought Darren put into breaking this to the public -- because his note here is incredibly powerful and well worth a read in full.

To sum it up, he says that Chuck -- with whom Darren actually started a band -- had apparently suffered from depression ... something DC says he and his family were somewhat aware of, but not to the extent they thought it would ever lead to this.

He says his brother lost sight to the darkness -- despite the fact he was so very loved -- and also takes a moment to acknowledge ... this is something that cannot be discussed in just a sentence or two, going on to acknowledge the complexities of mental health that any one individual may be going through ... even if everything looks okay from the outside.

Darren writes, "There is simply no sense, nay, compassion or decency, to try to find blame in any direction other than the inner most tragedy of an untreated illness," going on to add ... "Which is why it is paramount for me to remind anyone reading this that may be feeling consumed by any similar kind of darkness -- that there is absolutely no shame in feeling shame, and furthermore, nothing wrong whatsoever with seeking help."

He also makes sure to hit this point home ... that Chuck's life is not defined by his suicide, and that it was so much more than just that -- acknowledging the great things he contributed to this world, including three young children that he leaves behind.

Darren's brother was just 36. RIP

Jon Stewart is blown away by what he's seeing in Ukraine ... first by Volodymyr Zelensky's remarkable leadership, and second by seeing war play out in real-time on social media.

We got the former 'Daily Show' host Wednesday on Capitol Hill and asked him about the Russian invasion and what he's seeing from his fellow comic, who is now leading Ukraine.

Jon says comedians are usually not the most courageous bunch  ... which is what makes Zelensky's strong leadership in the face of the massive Russian army so impressive.

The Russians have the military advantage, at least on paper, and are bombing the crap out of Ukraine ... and Jon says it's remarkable to see Zelensky and his people holding it together in the face of danger.

Jon also says it's unfathomable to see the real cost of war unfold on TikTok, pointing out it's a lot more intense than the old WWII footage, and offers this sobering point ... we're not that far away from the grand mistakes of the past.

A Ukrainian woman trapped in her Kyiv home says she's fighting a "war within a war," because she's transgender and worries transphobic Ukrainians -- who are now armed -- might get her before the Russians.

Zi Faámelu says "it was hell" living as a trans person in the capital of Ukraine, even before the Russian invasion, but now she's unable to flee out of fear leaving her apartment will be more dangerous for her.

While all her friends and neighbors have been able to evacuate the city, she told CBS News, "I don't want to go outside. I am literally scared for my life."

Zi says the country isn't accepting of LGBTQ folks, and she's painfully aware that many of the men who've stayed behind as volunteer soldiers have guns. So, in a twisted way, she thinks staying trapped in her home -- as bombs and missiles explode around her -- feels like the better option.

Even if she makes it to the border, Zi says she'll be blocked from leaving because "If you have male gender on your passport [as a woman] they will not let you abroad... they will not let you through."

Kirk Baily -- best known for his role as Kevin "Ug" Lee in the Nickelodeon sitcom "Salute Your Shorts" -- has died.

Kirk's family tells TMZ the actor died over the weekend. We're told he died from lung cancer ... and had only been diagnosed 6 months ago.

Early in his career, Kirk studied comedy at Groundlings and Second City. He got his start as a sound coordinator on the cult classic film "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" before getting acting roles, including "3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain" and "The Sixth Man."

He also landed a number of guest roles on shows such as "Felicity," "Sisters," and "NYPD Blue." Recently, Kirk has worked primarily as a voice artist on a number of anime shows and video games, including "Cowboy Bebop," "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" and ".hack//."

Most notably, he played Kevin "Ug' Lee in Nickelodeon's "Salute Your Shorts" in 1991 and 1992.

In 2019, the cast had a reunion in Hollywood at the Good Burger pop-up shop. He remained close friends with most of the cast members and production staff.

He worked up until the last few months of his life, loving his career until the end.

Kirk was 59.

Kanye West is spending time with another Kardashian outcast -- Mr. Tristan Thompson, and the duo sat down for a meal with some female company in tow.

Ye and Tristan were spotted having dinner Tuesday night at the Setai Hotel in Miami ... where we're told they broke bread around 11 PM or so. Like we said, they weren't by themselves ... there appeared to be some women at the table too.

Based on these photos, obtained by TMZ, it looks like KW and TT are as chummy as ever -- they seemed to be in great moods, and are obviously on good enough terms to hang out in public.

Tristan was in Miami because his new team, the Chicago Bulls, had played against the Heat the night before. His next game isn't until tomorrow in Atlanta ... so, he stuck around to get in some Ye time.

It's interesting to see them hanging out like this -- because not too long ago, Ye was accusing the Kardashians, and Tristan by extension, of refusing to give him the address to a birthday party for his kid, Chicago. Kanye named dropped Tristan at the time, saying he'd been told the address leak would have to be run by Khloe first.

Whoopi Goldberg hopes Americans never have to imagine being in a situation similar to the Russia-Ukraine war -- but if we do, we should get inspiration from Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky.

We got Whoopi leaving Harry Belafontes 95th birthday party at The Town Hall Tuesday night in New York and asked what Americans can learn from Zelensky, and her response was simple -- keep fighting for your country!

Whoopi says what we're seeing in Ukraine is nothing short of heroics ... with Zelensky refusing to leave his people behind, and defending your homeland is something everyone can get behind.

Zelensky has been proving his bravery, since leading his country's charge to fend off Vladimir Putin's Russian forces, and gave a rousing speech to the European Parliament on Tuesday ... saying he'd fight to the death for his country.

The speech -- coming on the heels of an attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city -- received a standing ovation.

President Volodymyr Zelensky turned the tables on Putin Wednesday, telegraphing he was acting like a Nazi by bombing a sacred part of his country that has become a memorial to Ukrainian Holocaust victims.

Zelensky was incredulous over the Russians bombing Babyn Yar, the site where 33,000 Jews were killed by the Nazis in 1941. It is sacred ground in Ukraine and the bombing has further galvanized the country.

It's rich, right? Putin brazenly lied in a weak attempt to justify the invasion by saying he was doing it to rid Ukraine of Nazis, but by bombing Babyn Yar he's acted like one himself. As Zelensky said, "You are killing Holocaust victims for the second time."

Zelensky went on to observe, "Nazism is born in silence." He has been defending his country on 2 fronts -- internally against the Russians, and externally by pressuring the U.S., European allies and other countries to lend a hand.

As the Russian invasion intensified, Zelensky remains strong, speaking of what things will look like "after the victory."

WWE legend Scott Hall is currently in a hospital after he suffered significant injuries in a fall ... his good friend, Jerry Jarrett, announced this week.

Jarrett -- a prominent figure in the wrestling world and the father of wrestling legend Jeff Jarrett -- said Hall broke his hip in the fall and is currently recovering at a medical facility.

"Just got off the phone with my friend Scott Hall," Jerry wrote on his Facebook page. "He fell and broke his hip and he's in the hospital. Prayers will help him recover."

Hall was expected to participate in several events in the leadup to WrestleMania in Dallas next month ... though it's unclear if his injuries will preclude him from those now.

Hall rose to fame wrestling under the alias of Razor Ramon in the 1990s ... and was of the key players in the famous nWo storyline. He was ultimately inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014.

The tables have turned on 'Tinder Swindler' Simon Leviev ... he was bamboozled himself in an Instagram scam.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … Simon was hit up last Thursday by a verified female on Instagram. She claimed she'd help Simon and GF Kate Konlin get verified on the app through her BF -- saying he worked at Meta, Mark Zuckerberg's tech company that owns IG.

The alleged swindlers went to great lengths to pull this off ... Simon Facetimed the BF, who was in a busy office -- appearing like he was at Meta, with employees walking around behind him.

The fake "Metamate" said the only way he could give him the blue check on his profile -- as well as delete the fake accounts under his name -- would be to offer up a big chunk of change ... $6,664. The payments were sent via PayPal through 2 separate transactions -- one for him and one for his GF.

Shortly after, Simon's manager found the deal suspicious and reached out to an actual team member at Meta, who told them they don't charge for verifications. Before anyone could call out the swindlers, they completely scrubbed themselves from the Internet -- including removal of their IG accounts ... letting the swindlers walk away with the cash.

Simon allegedly swindled countless women out of more than $10 million through Tinder ... ghosting them once he got what he wanted. Since then, he's had "enemies" after him -- most recently a criminal court complaint against him from the true Leviev family, which he has no real part in.

If you thought the story behind Matthew Coleman -- the QAnon-obsessed dad who confessed to killing his 2 kids because he believed they had "serpent DNA" -- couldn't get any weirder ... it just did.

According to new docs in the horrifying case ... Coleman told the FBI, last August, he'd been "seeing all the pieces being decoded like 'The Matrix,' and that he was Neo," before he says he murdered his children.

In that same interview, following his arrest, Coleman also talked to FBI agents about time travel, teleportation and claimed his kids -- 2-year-old Kaleo and 10-month-old Roxy -- had told him about babies being placed in fireworks, food and walls.

The affidavit, first obtained by People, is a truly bizarre read, and includes Coleman's assertion he had to kill Kaleo and Roxy because they might have been corrupted with serpent DNA from their mom ... and he had "to prevent them from becoming an alien species that would release carnage over the Earth."

Also interesting ... months before the kids were killed, Coleman spent hours each day looking up conspiracy theories online, according to one of his close friends.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer got name-dropped at President Biden's State of the Union address -- but even on his way out ... the guy was a picture of modesty, almost to the point that it was kinda funny.

Biden mentioned Breyer was retiring at one point in his speech, and took a moment to thank him for his service on the bench -- over 2 decades worth -- which got a big round of applause from just about everybody in the House Chamber ... Dems and Republicans alike.

You could tell the longtime SCOTUS servant was grateful for the shout-out, but watch what happened when JB asked him to stand ... he obliged, but almost immediately parked it again after a brief rise to his feet!

He was also doing a ton of appreciative hand gestures, mouthing "thank you" and waving to both Biden and the congress members ... like we said, very humble and meek.

Funny enough, Justice Breyer kept the deferential vibes going even the Prez had wrapped up his remarks ... sharing a quick word with him on the House floor, but then allowing Joe to shake hands with others as soon as he sensed his time with 46 was nearing an end.