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It seems in this increasingly troubled world, all roads lead to Elon Musk, and that was evident again Saturday after he hopped on a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky says Musk is providing more Starlink satellite internet stations to some of Ukraine's "destroyed cities."

Musk assured Zelensky terminals are on the way to Ukraine ... courtesy of SpaceX.

Zelensky said, "Talked to @elonmusk. I’m grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds. Next week we will receive another batch of Starlink systems for destroyed cities."

And this is interesting ... Zelensky is confident about the future of Ukraine to add, "Discussed possible space projects. But I’ll talk about this after the war.”

There's been a massive number of internet outages in Ukraine, and Musk had said a few days ago he was stepping up to activate Starlink satellite internet service to the country.

The Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation had tweeted a plea to Musk a few days ago, "@elonmusk, while you try to colonize Mars — Russia try to occupy Ukraine! While your rockets successfully land from space — Russian rockets attack Ukrainian civil people! We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations and to address sane Russians to stand."

Drake lost a fortune on UFC's main event Saturday night, and the winner was quick to trash him by talking about his "s**tty" music.

Drake plunked down $275,000 on Jorge Masvidal, who squared off against Colby Covington. Unfortunately for Drake -- and Masvidal -- Covington won a unanimous decision, and it wasn't even close.

Covington was quick to trash talk ... "Let's talk about all the money that Drake lost tonight. He needs to go back to selling those s**tty albums to get back the money."

He wasn't done, adding, "Drake, you suck at sports betting. Go back to your s**tty little albums and rapping."

There was definitely an upside to the bet since Masvidal was the underdog. If Masvidal won, Drake would have pocketed a cool $1 mil.

Bethenny Frankel has done something pretty incredible ... she's raising $25 MILLION for Ukrainian relief, and she's not done.

As we reported, Bethenny's foundation -- BStrong -- has been raising cash for badly-needed aid. She says $10 mil has been earmarked to help in the relocation of Ukrainian refugees, and the remaining $15 mil will provide food, medical aid and other necessities inside the war-torn country.

Bethenny said, "We are partnering with different apparel companies, food companies, lodging companies to be announced later, to place these people in lodging."

This isn't the first humanitarian effort in which she's been involved ... her foundation has helped with various disasters around the world since 2017.

Bethenny told us on "TMZ Live" how the foundation works and what they're doing to help innocent civilians whose lives have been turned upside down or destroyed by Putin's war.

KISS' Gene Simmons has stern words for bands still on the fence when it comes to their Russian concerts -- what are you waiting for? Cancel it!

We got Gene at Kings Road Cafe Thursday in Los Angeles ... he says bands should stick together in solidarity and take Russia off their tour schedules -- something KISS is doing.

He tells us there are more important things happening in the world that should take priority over a simple rock concert -- obviously referring to the war in Ukraine.

Gene thinks an American band that travels and puts on a show for the Russian people would be giving a thumbs up to President Vladimir Putin and his current attack.

Ever since the war began, artists have been pulling out of their Russian performances -- Imagine Dragons, Eric Clapton, Gorillaz, and Louis Tomlinson are just a few.

Matthew McConaughey has a head full of hair ... and in return, he's become a walking billboard for the company that helped him achieve his full mane ... a Co. that says he helped their biz during a dire time.

ICYMI ... Matt recently shut down rumors that a hair transplant was the culprit of his incredible hair transformation. Instead, he said that Regenix's daily hair ointment saved him. Well, we talked to the folks at the company, and they say it is actually Matt who saved their business.

Bill Edwards, CEO of Regenix tells TMZ ... McConaughey has been a customer of the hair ointment brand since 1999. It wasn't until he gave the company a shoutout on the 'Late Show' in 2001 that it began to see a huge uptick of customers from all over the world.

The 'McConaughey effect' increased demand to where the company had to initiate a new mail-order program for potential International clients. Under this new program, folks send hair samples in, and Regenix designs a tailored plan to regrow hair.

So, when the pandemic hit in 2020, Regnix's brick and mortar clinic in L.A. was forced to shut down ... and the company decided to go all-in on expanding their existing mail-order program. In return, Bill says they didn't lose a single customer.

Bill says, Matt helped the hair treatment company on multiple fronts -- getting more customers and giving them a new way to withstand the Covid-19 business doom.

Ryan Garcia -- one of the best young fighters in the world -- has no regrets sharing his personal battle with mental health ... despite the mixed reactions he says he received from fans.

TMZ Sports talked to 23-year-old Garcia -- who's ramping up for his in-ring return in April -- and asked what the response has been like since stepping away from boxing because he was battling depression and having suicidal thoughts.

"Boxing fans are a little bit more harsh than say, if you're a singer," Garcia says. "Even in the NFL or NBA, if you come out, maybe you'll get a better response. But, I guess for boxing, you gotta be as tough as you can be."

"Or you're scared if you don't fight but, you know, it just comes with territory."

The last time we saw Garcia in a boxing ring was January 2021 ... when he defeated Luke Campbell via knockout in the seventh round.

Ryan tells us the long layoff led some boxing fans to question his toughness -- something he says is never in question when he steps inside the squared circle.

"It's been tough just hearing all these things about me, all these opinions on why, or what's the truth on the reasoning on why I'm not fighting," Ryan says. "I gotta hear about myself and character."

"This hate, this noise, I know how special I am when I step into the ring -- that's never been a problem!"

"When I get in the ring, I always show heart and I always show determination."

The silver lining is, Garcia says for all the hate and criticism he's received for his transparency, a lot of athletes, influencers and even people on the street have reached out to him ... commending him on speaking up before it was too late.

Garcia's also got a Snapchat series coming out on mental health ... where he'll interview guests on the topic -- and he tells us it's releasing before or after his upcoming fight with Emmanuel Tagoe on April 9.

Slim Jxmmi is making the transition from music to boxing -- he's preparing for his first match, and already looking to get in the ring with a bunch of famous opponents.

We got the Rae Sremmurd rapper after he finished a training session at Dogpound Gym in WeHo, where a ton of celebs work out, and asked why he's getting into boxing.

Slim says he's turning 30 and wants to make some changes, set a good example for his kids, and as he put it to our photog, "Be done with the stupid s***."

Along with making big life changes, Slim is mending fences.

As we reported, he was arrested in January for the alleged battery of his then-girlfriend -- but she's since recanted, and the case was dropped. He tells us everything is cool between them now, and he intends to take care of her for life.

Tyler, the Creator's good looks and style are still turning heads!

Here's a 20-year-old version of the Yonkers rapper and producer hanging out backstage at a show during SXSW in Austin, Texas back in 2011 (left). This was shortly after he released his debut studio album "Goblin" ... which went gold and featured other up-and-coming artists like Frank Ocean and Syd.

And, 11 years later ... the 31-year-old fashion icon -- who is celebrating his birthday today -- was last photographed a few weeks back while outside the Louis Vuitton fashion show at Paris Fashion Week (right).

The question is ...

"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.

Hidden under this egg-shaped snapshot is a scramble star that's known for her work as an actor, podcast host and muse to the world.

While it may be hard to guess the gal with the goth-like lipstick and oblong appearance ... try to get yourself front row at a fashion show to take an educated guess at who this diamond-worthy celebrity could be.

If you're still struggling to spot the foxy famous person in the oval image ... try to understand that she's been making headlines for being everyone's gem jam lately.

Kanye West's girlfriend, Chaney Jones, has been getting compared to Kim Kardashian -- and for good reason -- but it seems she wants the world to know ... she's her own woman.

Obviously, that goes without saying ... but it seems CJ wanted to hit the point home this weekend with an "about me" section that probably helps people out ... because, frankly, before this -- nobody knew much about her at all. She just sorta splashed onto the scene.

In since-deleted IG posts -- which were captured and shared before she got rid of them -- Chaney threw up 5 facts that described her ... and depending on how you read this, some of these points may or may not be shade at Kim. You decide for yourself, folks.

First she posted a photo of herself from behind that she says was from when she was just 20 years old, before her Brazilian butt-lift procedure. As you can see ... she notes that she's always been a bit thick in the booty area, and was never in "denial" about it when asked.

Hmmm ... OK, go on.

After that, Chaney appears to have thrown up more self-factoids in a list format ... and there, too, one could interpret a little saltiness perhaps being tossed in Kim's direction.

For example ... Chaney says her ethnic background includes mixes of both European and African blood -- explaining she's got roots in West Africa, Nigeria and Ghana. The reason that *could* be significant ... Kim has often been accused of appropriating Black culture, so maybe this is something or maybe not ... could be a totally innocent statement of fact.

There's more ... Chaney goes on to say she's getting her Master's degree and maintaining a 4.0 GPA -- adding she's the COO of a behavioral health org. She also touches on surgery again ... saying she's never had it done on her face, and that she was "born like this." 🤔

It also sounds like Chaney is quite young ... just 24. So yes, both Kim and Kanye are dating hot 20-somethings. The difference -- Pete's not being compared to Ye, but Chaney is absolutely being compared to Kim, as both women do look similar, especially in their bods.

While Robert Pattinson's turn as "The Batman" is being praised by many, a small group of conservatives are clutching their pearls ... claiming the flick is too woke for its own good.

Here's the deal ... the new movie about the Dark Knight takes place in a modern world (aka, the 21st century, post-2000) and some of the plot elements certainly reflect that ... for better or worse. If you look at what some mostly right-leaning critics are saying, it's the latter.

BTW, we're gonna get into spoilers here -- so if you're not into that ... stop reading now.

For starters, there's one scene, in particular, that's got Twitter trolls all up in arms -- it's when Batman and Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz) are chatting about who the Riddler is targeting ... rich, corrupt politician types ... all in the name of social inequality and justice. More on that later.

Catwoman is arguing that the people getting knocked off might actually deserve it, calling them "white privileged a*****es" ... including Bruce Wayne -- who's right in front of her.

The phrase is getting some eyerolls online, but it also leads to another criticism about the stars themselves ... namely, the fact that director Matt Reeves tapped a number of Black actors for significant roles, including Catwoman, James Gordon and the Mayor-elect.

You'd think that'd be a positive ... but lo and behold, there are a handful of critics bashing it, calling it "woke casting," etc. In response, many are calling such criticism racist, perhaps rightly so. For the record, everyone kills it in their respective parts ... regardless of race.

There's more representation in the film too, including for the LGBTQ+ crowd -- confirmed by Kravitz herself, who said she interpreted and played her character as bisexual ... and which gets alluded to quite a bit early on in what appears to be a romantic relationship between her and a Russian escort friend she's trying to help flee Gotham (who ends up dying, sadly).

Lastly, Paul Dano's Riddler is also being seen as an eerie reflection of society ... both in his crusade against corruption and the wealthy class (speaking to real-life larger convos these days about rich vs. poor/"eat the rich," etc.) ... but also, in his radicalization of people.

Without giving too much away ... the movie ends on a somewhat ominous note when it becomes clear Riddler's message is being embraced by a fringe social media crowd -- which leads to a would-be mass shooting situation ... something that was actually feared when Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" came out a few years ago ... but is literally depicted in this take.

Brittney Griner, WNBA superstar and 2x Olympic gold medalist, was reportedly detained in Russia after customs officials say they found hashish oil in the hoopers luggage ... and she could now face 10 years in prison.

On Saturday, the Russian Federal Customs Service announced they'd detained an American basketball player back in February after finding vape cartridges in her bags while traveling through Sheremetyevo airport -- about 20 miles from Moscow.

Russian customs didn't identify the person taken into custody, but TASS, a Russian news agency, citing sources, ID'd the player as Griner, center for the Phoenix Mercury.

Customs released surveillance video on Saturday appearing to show Griner, wearing a mask, going through airport security. The clip shows what appears to be a security official removing a package from the traveler's bag.

According to a statement from Russian Customs, the traveler was flying from New York to Russia. At some point, they claim a drug dog alerted to her carry-on bag. Soon after they claim they found the vapes.

The statement says Russian officials have opened up a drug trafficking investigation ... a charge that could carry a five to ten-year prison sentence, if convicted.

Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Brittney's agent, issued the following statement.

"We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA."

Colas continued ... "As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern."

The WNBA also released a statement pledging their support for Griner, saying their main objective was to return her to the USA as soon as possible.

31-year-old Griner, the 1st overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, is one of the best players in the league. Brittney is a 7x All-Star, 2x Scoring Champ, 2x WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a WNBA champion.

Despite her accolades, Griner and other WNBA players routinely hoop in Russia ... as women can earn significantly more money than what the WNBA pays.

Griner is no stranger to the country. She's won four championships with the Russian Euroleague team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.

It's not publicly known where, or if, Griner is being held ... as the detainment allegedly occurred in February.

It's a perilous time for an American to be held in Russia. Relations between the two countries are incredibly strained, as Vladimir Putin's military invaded and attacked Ukraine, and the west responded with harsh sanctions, dealing a significant blow to Russia's economy.

George Takei thinks Americans need to be willing to tighten their belt and shoulder bloated checkout tallies in solidarity with Ukraine -- but he's kinda catching heat for the suggestion.

The 'Star Trek' actor took to Twitter Friday with his sentiment, writing ... "Americans: We can endure higher prices for food and gas if it means putting the screws to Putin. Consider it a patriotic donation in the fight for freedom over tyranny."

Sounds innocent enough -- fact is, there is bound to be more inflation as a result of this conflict and the sanctions President Biden has imposed ... whether we like it or not.

If anything, it sounds like GT is telling folks to have a better attitude about it rather than actually proposing they act on it ... 'cause, frankly, there isn't much to do at the moment. Now, as you can imagine ... his idea is being embraced by some, but rejected by others.

The pushback ... namely, that George is a rich celebrity, and he comes off a bit tone-deaf here telling ordinary people to chip in for a good cause -- at least in his critics' eyes. Essentially, it's sounding like an elitist POV (to them) ... and talking down to "little people."

Big picture ... this convo is turning into rich vs. poor, which is a raging debate in this country -- as it seems there's a growing hatred of the 1%, whom many feel could be/should be contributing more to help society. In this case, George is on the receiving end of that.

Of course, the flip side of this is ... who the hell knows what George may already be doing and/or donating to help the cause in Ukraine? He could be pouring tons of cash and other resources toward the effort without anyone's knowledge -- and if he is, would he still be considered an opulent snob up in the ivory tower??? If we're being honest ... probably not.

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.

As Ukrainians try fleeing while Putin wreaks havoc -- one group that's been all but forgotten is ... unborn kids in the form of embryos, which some docs are fighting hard to save.

Word of a brave practitioner named Birol Aydin -- who runs an IVF clinic called IVMED in Kyiv -- has spread to the community online, and the story goes ... this man has attempted to remove a number of cryogenic tanks containing precious would-be life out of the country.

As one Yale professor puts it on FB ... Aydin supposedly tried smuggling upwards of 17 cryo tanks on day 1 of the Russian invasion, and after 5 days of travel -- he finally reached the border and was apparently able to get at least five of the tanks out of Ukraine in the first trip.

The professor, Cihan Halicigil, says he's hearing that Aydin had to go back for the rest shortly thereafter ... also noting he's a Turkish citizen, and under no obligation to do this.

As for the rest of the clinics in town, it's said to be very dangerous right now ... with a majority of the tanks being stored in bunkers with a low supply of liquid nitrogen (needed to keep them cold) and not a great outlook of viability the longer this conflict lasts.

Even more troubling is the fact that any male IVF docs and/or staffers are reported to have taken up arms in the military there to help fight ... leaving the facilities unmanned and mostly abandoned as Russia continues to move in on the capital.

Halicigil -- who's in the loop on all this from here in the U.S. -- tells TMZ ... these tanks contain anything from eggs and sperm to full-blown embryos that must remain at -196 degrees Celsius, or perish. The conflict has created a supply issue for the liquid nitrogen needed to help keep these tanks up and running -- and that the best of them can stay up and functioning for up to a couple months, assuming all other conditions are favorable.

As for Aydin, it sounds like he was able to get all 17 tanks to a safe place in a bordering country -- but Hilicigil wouldn't give that up for security reasons. Scary stuff, indeed.