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While Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is desperately hoping the European Union will accept his country, British TV's already welcoming him with open arms by buying his sitcom ... about becoming prez.

Zelensky's comedy, "Servant of the People," is going to be airing on the UK's Channel 4, which purchased the series ... clearly seizing on the Ukrainian leader's worldwide popularity as he stands up to Vladimir Putin's Russian forces.

Channel 4's not wasting any time either -- 'Servant' will reportedly start airing this Sunday night.

The show, which ran for 3 seasons in Ukraine, is about an everyday guy who's elected president and grows into his role as a beloved and heroic leader. Think "Veep" ... minus the heroism.

One scene from the show's already gone viral because it's kinda spot on with real-world events. It shows Zelensky getting a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who informs him he's been accepted into the EU. The prez starts celebrating -- even drops an f-bomb -- but then Merkel says she dialed the wrong number.

Kanye West is playing the game of musical chairs with his legal team once again ... dropping his divorce attorneys in the eleventh hour and just before a pivotal hearing with Kim.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us he recently fired his lawyer, Chris Melcher. We're told the relationship between Ye and Melcher had become extremely difficult, with little communication.

Our sources say at times, Kanye had expressed he just wanted to settle things with Kim ... and at others, he expressed a desire to put up a fight.

We're told Kanye's now hired attorney Samantha Spector, who recently represented Nicole Young in her divorce with Dr. Dre. Interestingly enough, Dre was repped by "Disso Queen" Laura Wasser in his divorce -- so once again, it'll be Spector and Wasser on either side.

As for Wednesday's hearing, it's expected the judge will rule to make Kim legally single. We're told it's "highly unlikely" Kanye will attend in person, but according to the court record, Kim will either call or video chat into the hearing.

If you're keeping track -- this is apparently Kanye's 4th attorney he's parted ways with since Kim filed for divorce in February 2021. In a rare, and public statement she made last month, asking Kanye to stop with the nasty posts about his family, Kim also mentioned, "Hopefully he can finally respond to the third attorney he has had in the last year to resolve any issues amicably."

Paris Jackson is about to go on tour for the first time ever ... one of her stops is being promoted by the same company behind her dad's last tour ... cut short before it began because of MJ's death.

Sources close to Paris tell TMZ ... Michael's daughter is hitting the road this month, marking her debut tour as a solo artist. We're told she'll be jetting off to Paris this weekend for a show ... one that's going to be promoted by AEG, which is interesting. More on that in a bit.

Anyway, later in March ... Paris will be coming back home for a string of gigs in the States alongside musician Patrick Droney ... with whom she'll tour and perform concerts in cities like Vegas, L.A., Seattle, Portland and others.

That's all well and good ... but back to AEG, which she's teamed up with for her Paris gig ... which also has a rocky history with the Jackson family.

You’ll recall… MJ’s mom Katherine sued AEG for wrongful death back in 2010, claiming it was partially to blame for the King of Pop’s 2009 death based on its alleged ill-fated hiring of Dr. Conrad Murray.

The jury ultimately decided in AEG’s favor, deciding Michael's death was caused by his drug abuse, and AEG was not responsible for protecting his health.

The intended target in the Cain Velasquez shooting on Monday was a man who allegedly molested one of the UFC legend's family members ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Multiple sources tell us the person who Velasquez opened fire at near a school in San Jose, CA. earlier this week was the man who was accused of repeatedly sexually abusing Cain's close relative.

We're told the man lived at a home that hosts a daycare where Cain's young family member attended. Sources say the man allegedly molested Velasquez's relative there and was ultimately arrested and charged with one felony count of a lewd and lascivious act with a child under the age of 14 last week over the allegations.

The man, however, was granted a release from custody following an arraignment hearing last Friday despite strong opposition from the district attorney's office.

Our sources say the release infuriated Velasquez so much, he attempted to take justice into his own hands and shoot the man while he was in a car outside of a local school.

Velasquez was arrested and booked on a felony charge of attempted murder for the actions.

The former UFC fighter -- who has wins over Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos on his resume -- is due in court for a hearing on the matter later Wednesday.

Sources say he is expected to be formally charged by the DA's office prior to the court hearing.

Raymond Santana -- one of the wrongfully convicted Central Park Five -- has filed for divorce from his reality star wife ... and she's accusing him of being unfaithful.

Raymond filed divorce docs in Georgia, seeking to end his union with "Flavor of Love" star Deelishis, after only 20 months of marriage.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the couple – who first met through Instagram in late 2019 and tied the knot six months later – separated Nov. 7, with Raymond claiming their marriage is "irretrievably broken with no hope of reconciliation."

And Deelishis seems to agree… because she went public on social media Tuesday, accusing Raymond of being a narcissist, liar and a cheat.

But it’s not all discord between the couple… they recently filed an agreement with the court to resolve most of the legal issues between them. For starters, they both agreed neither party would pay the other alimony.

We broke the story ... Raymond and Deelishis got engaged back in December 2019 after first meeting through Instagram.

Raymond and Deelishis tied the knot on June 6, 2020 in the middle of the pandemic ... but it's already over.

Playmate Victoria Fuller is creating a virtual community in the world of NFTs -- using her own artwork -- and she's bringing a bunch of other Playboy models along for the digital ride.

Victoria was Miss January 1996 back in Playboy's heyday, but she tells TMZ there's one thing she wants to make clear now -- "I'm an artist first and foremost," and that's why she's diving into non-fungible tokens ... to take control of her work.

With the Playboy brand shifting its focus and the Mansion's doors closed, Victoria says former Playmates can't connect with fans, or make money the way they did back in the day. She's aiming to change that with her new Rogue Playmate series.

Here's how it works ... every NFT buyer will be airdropped a members-only "golden key" ... which grants them access to the virtual Rogue Mansion -- a digital space to hang out and interact in real-time with the models in the Metaverse.

The images for the NFTs are designed by Victoria and renowned multimedia artist Dutch Bihary. VF says she's most excited about carving out a niche for herself in the male-dominated world of digital art.

The first drop, on March 30, will feature 9,600 generative NFTs, each based on one of the 12 founding members of Rogue Playmates -- among them Lisa Dergan, Renee Tenison, Karen McDougal and Victoria.

Logan Paul's hardcore training for WrestleMania 38 is going off without a hitch ... so says WWE Superstar The Miz, who tells TMZ Sports the YouTube sensation is an "absolute natural" in the squared circle.

As we previously reported, the "Maverick" made a surprise appearance at Raw last week ... officially confirming his spot as Miz's tag team partner against Rey and Dominik Mysterio in April.

We spoke with The Miz about the preparations leading up to the big event ... and he says he was floored by how quickly Logan got comfortable with the complicated moves.

"Training's going really well, actually," he tells us ... saying Paul was even able to nail his signature Skull Crushing Finale in no time.

"Logan -- I showed it to him like, once. Literally picked it up like that. I was like, 'Oh, okay. This is gonna be fun!!'"

Miz says Logan's amateur wrestling background (he was a beast in high school) and boxing training has helped him immensely ... and it's going to show in his performance.

As for Paul's future in WWE, Miz says he truly thinks Logan could go full-time with Vince McMahon's organization.

Before this super stoked little kid was bringing cheers from the crowds as a top-notch athlete playing for the National Football League, he was just another happy baby with a bright future growing up in Illinois.

Even though this mini man is now six feet tall and 225+ pounds he still has those adorably deep dimples and an infectious smile ... if you can get past his big burly beard.

His parents clearly knew what they were talking about when they put on that crimson sweatshirt with the phrase, "Be nice to me I might be rich & famous one day."

Brian Cox says Russian actors and entertainers should absolutely stand up to strongman Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war ... even if they risk their careers by speaking out.

We got the "Succession" star Tuesday at LAX and asked if it is really worth it for celebrities in Mother Russia to support Ukraine over Putin.

Brian says there are definite pitfalls ... he says folks in Russia could be convicted of treason if they go against Putin ... but with so much at stake, he says it's a necessary gamble.

Remember ... Brian first brought up the pickle many Russians find themselves in during the SAG Awards, when he said it's a shame Russian celebs are being muzzled by Putin.

It's hard to fault anyone for being apprehensive about crossing Putin ... but Brian says he would absolutely speak out, hypothetically, though he admits it would be easier given his age and already long career.

Juli Boeheim -- the wife of legendary college basketball coach Jim Boeheim -- was robbed at gunpoint in Syracuse on Tuesday, according to local reports.

Boeheim was sitting in her car in the Destiny USA parking lot at around 2 PM ... when a minor approached her and started a conversation, per Syracuse.com.

A short time after, cops say the boy pointed a gun at Boeheim, reached into her car and grabbed her purse.

The boy then ran off with the purse and fled the scene with two accomplices in a car that was reported stolen, according to the report.

Luckily for Boeheim, she was not injured during the incident.

A search for potential suspects is underway ... and Syracuse cops are asking for anyone with additional information to call 315-442-5222.

Juli is co-founder of the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation, which helps young kids fight cancer in the New York area.

Juli and Jim first met at the Kentucky Derby in 1994 ... and were married in 1997.

The Major League Baseball season will not be 162 games long this year ... commissioner Rob Manfred is now canceling contests after the league and its players failed to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement.

Manfred made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon following days of negotiation talks in Florida ... telling reporters, "I am going to cancel some regular-season games."

"We worked hard to avoid an outcome that's bad for our fans, bad for our players, and bad for our clubs," Manfred said.

The MLB commish said he will cancel the first two series of the season ... and insinuated there could be far more cancellations if the two sides don't strike a deal soon.

Manfred said both the league and its players worked tirelessly over the last week to try to get a deal done in order to avoid this outcome ... and he said the MLB provided a proposal that he believed was more than fair.

"The unfortunate thing," he said, "maybe the most unfortunate thing is that agreement, the one we've offered to our players, offered huge benefits for our fans and for our players."

No word on where talks go from here and when the parties will sit at a table again ... but if the negotiations stall again -- Big League action could be paused indefinitely.

Rough day for baseball fans everywhere.

"Tick, Tick...BOOM!" star Andrew Garfield is looking to celebrate with Lin-Manuel Miranda after winning Best Actor at the HCA Film Awards ... by tripping on shrooms!

Andrew was on stage Monday night at the Hollywood Critics Association's prestigious awards ceremony ... giving thanks after being awarded "Best Actor". During his speech, he looked to  TTB director Lin-Manuel Miranda ... heaping praise on him for his direction on the project.

"That's f****** crazy ... that we get to be here while you're breathing," Andrew said to the "Hamilton" playwright.

He ticked off what they'll do together to celebrate ... notably, mushrooms! He says they'll take some caps while watching "Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar" ... quite the combo.

Andrew was up against some tough competition this year ... with Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicolas Cage, Peter Dinklage, and Will Smith nominated for the same category. In the end, his riveting portrayal of "Rent" playwright Jonathan Larson took home gold -- and rightfully so.

Dua Lipa might be on Cloud 9 over her success with her smash hit song, "Levitating," but there's one band that wants to kick in the gravity ... because they're suing her over it.

A band called Artikal Sound System just filed suit against the British pop star -- who's absolutely blown up over the past couple years of the pandemic with the help of her new album, and this track by extension ... one that's dominated the charts and streaming game.

Unfortunately for DL ... these guys are claiming she ripped off the catchy tune from their own reggae song, "Live Your Life," which they dropped in 2017 ... to some notable success.

This is a simple allegation of copyright infringement. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Artikal simply states ... Dua and her team heard their earworm pre-2020 (when they started writing "Levitating") and trotted out a carbon copy.

There's nothing laid out in their claim to explain *why* they believe that to be the case ... but presumably, that'll get hashed out in court as this thing plays out.

We'll say this ... the two songs do sound awfully similar, especially the chorus. Different lyrics, obviously, but the beat comes across as damn near the same -- and Artikal obviously felt strong enough about this to sue.

In addition to Dua herself, Artikal has named Warner Records (her label) and others as defendants -- and they're asking for any profits they may have made off of "Levitating," plus damages.

Bethenny Frankel is commanding an army of her own -- hundreds of people tasked with saving Ukrainians as Russia invades their homeland, and how she does it is a remarkable lesson in efficiency.

The philanthropist and entrepreneur joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday to talk more about her Bstrong initiative, which is raising millions and sending aid to the war-torn country. Bethenny had announced her partnership with Global Empowerment Mission, pledging $10 mil in food, medical aid and other supplies.

All of that aid's being boxed up in her South Florida warehouse ... but on top of that, Bstrong continues to raise even more cash -- more than $5 million -- to help fleeing Ukrainians at the Poland border relocate. As for how she's pulling off this extraordinary humanitarian effort -- Bethenny tells us it's all about being "efficient and lean," and knowing where help is most needed.

She adds, for anyone looking to donate their cash to her initiative, your money certainly won't go to waste 'cause her team is on the ground working.

It's no surprise Bethenny's among those leading the charge ... she says she's gotten lots of training in relief efforts for natural disasters, like tropical storms in Texas, the Caribbean and the Australian wildfires. She says her history of putting on big productions, with many moving parts, has helped hone her get-it-done mindset.

Kobe Bryant was one of the most clutch players in the NBA, but he REALLY came through for Chandler Parsons during his rookie year -- 'cause the newly retired hooper says the Black Mamba once paid a $22,000 bill for him at a famous L.A. nightclub!!

Parsons joined former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes on their "All The Smoke" podcast this week ... where he shared how the encounter with Bryant went down.

Chandler says Kobe approached him in the fourth quarter of their game against the Lakers in 2012 ... telling the rookie he'd take care of him later that night if his team was spending more time in L.A.

Parsons says he got a text from none other than Kobe himself later that night ... confirming he arranged reservations for Chandler and his teammates at The Supper Club L.A.

When it was time to pay the bill at the spot, Parsons says the waitress walked up and gave him the check ... which came with a hefty price tag at the time.

Parsons admitted on the show he was worried that Bryant stuck him with the bill ... thinking it could have been some sort of rookie hazing into the NBA fraternity.

But, much to his surprise, the waitress told Parsons to "sign for Mr. Bryant" ... 'cause Kobe already took care of the tab.

The coolest part of the story is Parsons says he still has the text messages from Bryant ... proving that Kobe, indeed, did lookout for him after all.

Kim Kardashian's divorce case will be front and center Wednesday as she asks a judge to formally restore her single status, and the wild card is Kanye West, whose lawyers have raised a weird issue about their prenup.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye's lawyers filed legal docs claiming prenups in California after 2002 are presumed invalid. It's weird because Kanye himself has NEVER suggested their prenup -- which kept almost all their property separate during their marriage -- is anything other than valid.

As for prenups being presumed invalid ... that's not exactly true. The law says a prenup is presumed invalid IF one of the parties who signed it challenges its validity ... Kanye has not done that, so it's unclear why the lawyers are suggesting it.

What's more ... even if Kanye challenged the prenup, he'd have to show either it was not entered voluntarily or it was "unconscionable." Kanye had a lawyer represent him when the prenup was signed, so it's hard to imagine it wasn't voluntary. As for it being unconscionable, Kanye made a fortune during the marriage and all that money is his ... so this doesn't make sense either.

As for the argument Kanye's lawyers are making -- that his social media posts blasting Pete Davidson and Kim are hearsay -- Kanye himself has never denied posting. In fact, he's said the opposite -- that his account was not hacked. Besides, it's kinda irrelevant whether he posted or not ... Kim simply wants the divorce to become official and then work out custody and any property issues that remain.

Our sources say Kanye has not been working with his lawyers, other than to make his position clear he doesn't want a divorce, but the lawyers haven't really produced any evidence that would carry weight in tomorrow's hearing. And, we're told it's highly unlikely he'll show up for the hearing.