Kim Kardashian I Try to 'Take The High Road' During Kanye's IG Attacks

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TAKING THE HIGH ROAD
Ellentube

Kim Kardashian's estranged husband has used social media as a vessel to launch attacks on her and Pete Davidson -- and although Kim says it's tough, she tries to "take the high road" -- keeping their kids in mind.

Kim is set to sit with Ellen DeGeneres Thursday, where she tackles everything from the happiness she's found with Pete Davidson to the struggles she's facing with Kanye in the wake of their divorce.

Ellen tips her cap to Kim, saying it's impressive the mother of 4 is able to hold off on publicly going after Kanye -- the way he's done to her.

Kim says she learned a lot from her own mom and dad -- who went through a divorce -- and that she'll always be somewhat protective of Kanye because he's the father of her kids.

Of course, that's seemingly been more difficult lately ... Kanye's currently in Instagram timeout. TMZ broke the story, Ye's account was suspended for at least 24 hours for his violations of the app's community guidelines. We're told it's possible he could face more sanctions if his online harassment and bullying continues.

As for Kim, she says she tries to take each hurdle as a life lesson ... so you can imagine she's learned a lot since filing for divorce last year.

Rep. Ilhan Omar Applauds Marvel's Muslim She-ro 'Representation is Key'

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MARVELOUS REPRESENTATION
TMZ.com

If Rep. Ilhan Omar wasn't a Marvel fan before, she is now ... as the studio announced its first-ever Muslim superhero to headline a series.

We caught up with the congresswoman in D.C. and she told us it was incredibly exciting ... not only seeing our world diversify but also seeing it reflected by Marvel.

Ilhan says representation on this scale is extremely significant ... especially for young folks, like her son, who loves watching superhero movies.

ICYMI ... Marvel Studios released its trailer for the newest Disney Plus series, "Ms. Marvel" ... and the hero is Kamala Khan, played by 19-year-old Iman Vellani. It's the first time a Muslim woman is being featured in an MCU project.

Being one of the first 2 Muslim women to serve in Congress, Ilhan notes diversity on all fronts makes all the difference ... and that includes gender, culture, ethnicity and religion.

"Ms. Marvel" is set to debut on June 8.

'The Boys' Star karen Fukuhara I Was Attacked In Hate Crime ... 'This S*** Needs To Stop'

Karen Fukuhara, famous for her starring role in Amazon Prime Video's "The Boys," says she was the victim of an anti-Asian hate crime.

Karen says the alleged assault went down Wednesday and came out of nowhere. She says she was walking down a street to pick up some coffee at a café when a random passerby struck her in the back of the head as they walked by each other ... she did not name the location of the alleged attack.

The actress says she hadn't even made eye contact with her alleged attacker and she "wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary." Karen says she's physically fine after the alleged attack, but says the force of the blow to the back of her head knocked her hat off.

Karen says she spun around and her alleged attacker was already walking away. She says she didn't confront him out of fear and says he started yelling at her.

KF says it's the first time she's been the victim of what she's calling a "hate crime" and she says she feels lucky the alleged attacker wasn't armed.

The alleged attack has Karen contemplating a self-defense class ... and she says she wants to bring awareness to the rise in attacks on women, Asians and the elderly.

Bottom line for Karen ... "this s*** needs to stop."

Kanye West Courtside with Saint Amid 24-Hour IG Ban

Kanye West isn't letting his Instagram ban keep him down -- he appeared to be happy as ever at the Golden State Warriors game on Wednesday ... bringing his son, Saint, along for the fun.

Ye was all smiles courtside at the Chase Center as the Warriors took on the Boston Celtics ... posting up right next to Dubs co-owners Joseph Lacob and Peter Guber.

The "Eazy" artist was spotted chatting with Lacob throughout the game -- perhaps picking the guy's brain as he's openly talked about wanting to buy the Denver Broncos.

What's interesting -- Ye got in some serious quality time with 6-year-old Saint ... just days after he accused Kim of keeping him away from their kids. That's clearly not the case here ... as the dad-son duo wore matching all-black outfits at the event.

As we previously reported, Ye pissed off IG after his social attacks on Pete Davidson, Kim Kardashian, and Trevor Noah (to name a few) ... forcing the social media app to ban his account for 24 hours after violating hate speech, harassment and bullying policies.

It appears -- at least for a 48-minute NBA game -- Ye was able to hit the pause button on all the drama.

As for the game, the Celtics ran away with the win, 110-88.

Justin Bieber Lights Out in Denver ... Concert Grinds to Halt After Electrical Fire

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BEFORE THE SHOW STOPPAGE
TMZ.com
UPDATE

10:55 AM PT -- A tour rep tells us the video failure was the result of an electrical fire within the venue. We're told show producers were able to power lights and sound with the help of a generator, but the video screens had to remain off.

UPDATE

Our sources say the power failure knocked out a whole city block, but thankfully the fire department was able to quickly get the fire under control and Justin finished out the show for his fans like a champ.

UPDATE
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GOOD TO GO!!!
TMZ.com
UPDATE

10:55 AM PT -- Concertgoers told us they were thrilled JB managed to keep it going ... even if it was less flashy, as you can see in this clip after they got back power.

Justin Bieber was forced to take a seat Wednesday during his concert in the Mile High City ... but not because of the altitude ... because his concert went to crap.

It went down at Justin's Justice World Tour show in Denver at the Ball Arena.

JB was performing "Yummy" when the stage lights went out, video monitors went dark, sound equipment shut down, lasers went off, the large monitor behind him went out ... and only the pyrotechnics -- mini fireworks -- still worked.

Once things started to go sideways, Bieber stopped performing and just sat down on the side of the stage ... while technicians worked frantically to restore power.

JB was only a few songs into his set ... and it was no quick fix because JB didn't rise up for more than 15 minutes.

And, speaking of sitting, it didn't sit well with his fans, who plunked down hundreds of dollars and traveled miles. Making matters worse, the concert had already been postponed and downsized due to COVID.

The show resumed after a 30 min pause, but there were still tech issues. Justin powered through but didn't have all the bells and whistles, like some of the large video screens, lasers and stage lighting.

When he returned to the stage, Justin mentioned Hailey ... asking the crowd if they had "heard about my wife in the news, she's doing better." TMZ broke the story, Hailey was hospitalized last week in Palm Springs with a blood clot. As we reported, doctors at the time thought it was COVID-related.

Justin said, "Thank you for your patience, sometimes life throws you a curveball, not much you can do about it."

Well, 2 curveballs in a week are a bit much.

Originally Published -- 7:06 AM PT

Julia Fox 'Kanye's Harmless!!!' No Danger to Kim or Pete

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JUST ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
TMZ.com

Julia Fox insists Kanye West wouldn't hurt a fly, or Pete Davidson, because he's quite harmless ... and his shots at Kim Kardashian's BF are just a form of "artistic expression."

We got Julia after a workout at Barry's Bootcamp in WeHo, and asked her about Kanye's string of threats against Pete ... which started while she and Ye were still dating. Many people think Kanye's crossed a line, Julia sees no real danger on the horizon.

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JABS AT "SKETE"
@kanyewest / INSTAGRAM

Julia says Kanye wouldn't follow through on any physical threats, and thinks it's all just creative expression. While she does admit her ex comes off aggressive, she dismisses it as nothing more than talk ... despite what D.L. Hughley or Trevor Noah might think.

However, Instagram clearly thinks his posts have become a problem. TMZ broke the story, Ye was suspended from posting, commenting, DM'sing and other actions on the app for at least 24 hours on Wednesday. A spokesperson told us he'd gone against community guidelines.

There are others who think Kanye's rants are a sign he might be a threat to himself ... and Julia has an opinion on that too.

Remember ... Julia got super close to Kanye during their recent fling, so you'd think she has a decent handle on what's going on with him behind the scenes.

Of course, they've been broken up for about a month now -- so, Julia did a little self-promotion when it comes to any potential suitors out there.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Message to Putin Protesters in Russia ... 'You're My Heroes'

SEEING THROUGH THE LIES
UPDATE

12:38 PM PT -- Interestingly enough, it appears Putin's Twitter account follows both Arnold and Elon Musk ... unclear if it happened before or after Arnold's message.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is using the power of his celebrity to reach Russian citizens and members of the military ... applauding the Putin dissenters from within and giving others the lowdown on what is REALLY going on in Ukraine.

Arnold posted a 9-minute video in which he praised those who are taking a stand against the Russian President, saying, "The world has seen your bravery. We know that you have suffered the consequences of your courage. You have been arrested. You have been jailed, and you have been beaten. You are my new heroes."

Schwarzenegger may have unique power to break through the modern version of the Iron Curtain ... he's such a massive, world star, his social media posts may seep through the cracks for his Russian fans.

Arnold has history in Russia ... he was the first Western star to film in Moscow -- in "Red Heat" back in 1988.

Arnold is urging Putin to "Stop this war." Putin won't care, but again, if Russian citizens hear this, they're gonna think twice about Putin's claim it's not a war at all.

Originally Published -- 6:53 AM PT

Ukraine Theater Destroyed By Russian Shelling ... As 1,000 Shelter Inside

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LEFT IN RUINS
Mariupolnow/Telegram

All that remains on the surface is smoldering wreckage, but underneath this theater, in Ukraine, more than 1,000 civilians are sheltered trying to survive another wave of Russian shelling.

Russian bomber planes demolished the theater Wednesday in the southern city of Mariupol, and images of the aftermath are devastating when you realize somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200 peaceful Ukrainians were inside hiding for their lives.

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BEFORE THE BOMBING

The number of casualties is unclear, although Parliament of Ukraine member Dmytro Gurin told BBC, "It looks like most of them have survived," noting the basement where many are taking cover remains standing.

The Mariupol mayor's office says emergency workers are still struggling to get to the building due to constant shelling.

This latest airstrike on defenseless civilians comes after Russia's previous attacks on a church, apartment buildings and a maternity hospital.

President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia targeted the theater deliberately, and added, "Our hearts are broken by what Russia is doing to our people. To our Mariupol."

Satellite photos taken on Monday -- 2 days before the attack -- showed the Russian word for "children" written on the ground, warning Russian jets to avoid the building.

Local authorities say at least 2,400 people have been killed in Mariupol since the war began.

An estimated 300,000 residents are trapped in the city, while gas, electricity and water have been cut off.

Despite the horrifying video evidence, the Russian defense ministry is denying attacking the theater.

Kanye West 24-Hour Instagram Suspension ... After Attacks on Kim, Pete, Trevor & Others

Kanye West is being put in Instagram timeout after going after Kim, Pete, Pete's writing partner and a racist attack on Trevor Noah.

A spokesperson for Meta tells us Kanye's recent posts violated Instagram's policies on hate speech, harassment and bullying. As a result, we're told his account has been suspended for 24 hours -- where he won't be able to post, comment, send DM's, among other things.

The spokesperson tells us they'll take additional steps if further violations happen.

If you look on Kanye's page, at least one post has been deleted already, where Yeezy repeatedly hurled racial slurs at Trevor Noah.

As you know ... Kanye's been lashing out at more than just Trevor on social media, he's also posted and deleted a bunch of dirty laundry about estranged wife Kim Kardashian and her new boyfriend Pete Davidson, plus D.L. Hughley.

In all honesty, it's surprising it's taken this long ... but supposedly the previous attacks -- some of which could've been perceived as threats -- just weren't enough.

Yeezy wouldn't be the first big name to get the boot from Mark Zuckerberg's app ... remember, Kanye's good friend Donald Trump got the heave-ho in the wake of the Jan. 6 riots.

Stay tuned ...

'RHOA' Star Kandi Burruss Claims NeNe Called Her Racial Slur ... Dishes on 'It's Tricky'

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UNCALLED FOR
It's Tricky with Raquel Harper

NeNe Leakes once called Kandi Burruss the racial "c" slur ... so claims Kandi, who says she doesn't understand where the animosity comes from, but she has a hunch.

The former 'RHOA' star -- who now has her own new show, "Kandi & the Gang," on Bravo -- dished some tea to Raquel Harper on the 'It's Tricky' podcast, insisting her old castmate hurled the term at the peak of their feud.

Unclear when this happened, or what exactly triggered it ... but according to Kandi, NeNe said it.

Their beef has long been documented on reality TV ... but when Raq tries to drill down and get to the heart of the matter to understand where all this bad blood comes from, it leaves more questions than answers.

Kandi herself doesn't seem to know why NeNe's had it out for her, but she does have a theory -- it has to do with their respective success on the network, or a lack thereof (for NeNe, anyway).

As for the whole "c" slur thing ... Kandi thinks it's laughable -- and we'll let her explain why.

Make sure to follow "It's Tricky with Raquel Harper" on Apple, Spotify, Google -- or wherever you get your podcasts -- so you never miss any of Raq's episodes.

Jussie Smollett Gets Out of Jail ... While He Appeals Case

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RELEASED AND READY
Fox 32 Chicago
UPDATE

6:25 PM PT -- Jussie just walked out of jail in Chicago ... and he was flanked by a bunch of security guards as he was whisked away into a waiting SUV and drove off into the night.

UPDATE

There was a media circus Wednesday outside the Cook County Jail, with dozens of reporters and cameras waiting for Jussie to be released from custody ... and he walked right by without saying a word.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Jussie's legal team talked, though, and they had quite a lot to say ... railing against the judge who sentenced him to jail time, claiming the sentence was unconstitutional and draconian.

UPDATE

There was finally some insight on what nearly a week in jail was like for Jussie ... his lawyers said when they were talking to him at one point through a glass barrier it looked like Jussie had given up and lost hope in the constitution.

UPDATE
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"SHAME!"
Fox 32 Chicago
UPDATE

One of Jussie's attorneys, Tina Glandian, tells TMZ ... "We are gratified that Jussie will be back with his family and loved ones and look forward to a dispassionate review and reversal of the serial injustices visited upon him."

Jussie Smollett is going free -- at least for now -- while he tries to get his sentence for the hoax attack overturned.

The appeals court ordered Jussie's release during the appeal process. He's being released from Cook County Jail on his own recognizance, but if he misses any future hearings it'll cost him $150,000. It's unclear when exactly he'll be walking free.

Clearly, the state isn't happy with the decision ... its response to the ask for release reads, in part, "Rather than attempt to meet his burden of showing good cause for his immediate release, Mr. Smollett makes only cursory, woefully undeveloped arguments. Each fails to demonstrate good cause to stay his jail sentence."

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STICKING TO HIS GUNS
WGN

As you know, Jussie had begun serving his 5 months last Thursday -- and immediately after the judge sentenced him he was defiant ... shouting he was innocent and raising his fist in the air as he was taken out of court in handcuffs.

His defense team and family members never stopped pressing for his release, though ... claiming Jussie was in physical danger while behind bars. They cited racist and homophobic threats they'd received, and also said Jussie was immunocompromised ... and highly susceptible to contracting COVID-19 while in jail

Story developing ...

Originally Published -- 6:23 AM PT

Josh Flagg Buys Massive, Multi-Million $$$ Bev Hills Estate ... And He's Tearing it Apart!!!

Josh Flagg just bought a massive, multi-million dollar estate, and he's spending almost as much on the renovations as the purchase price itself!!!

The "Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" star just scooped up a baller, 7,100-sq-ft. Beverly Hills mansion for $9.2 mil  ... just 2 weeks after announcing his divorce from his model/real estate agent husband, Bobby Boyd.

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INSIDE LOOK

The 7-bedroom, 8-bath estate comes with a 3-car garage and chauffeur's quarters ... oh, and a large pool. We're told Josh plans to give the house a massive makeover that could cost $7 mil!!! He's collab'ing on the renovations with starchitect William Hefner.

Josh tells TMZ, "Just because Bobby and I will be getting divorced does not mean life stops. Business continues as usual. I have been aggressively courting the owners of North Bedford Drive to sell me their house for years, but earlier last year I was told by a few people they were more seriously considering a sale and I would not take no for an answer."

You'll recall ... Josh recently announced, he and Bobby decided to go their separate ways, after 5 years of marriage ... though it seems there are no hard feelings.

Josh is currently living at The Beverly Hills Hotel while Bobby is living at the home they shared in Beverly Hills.

BTW ... when rich folk get divorced in L.A., the one who doesn't get the house usually ends up at the Bev Hills Hotel.

Bruce In 'Not Another Teen Movie' 'Memba Him?!

Actor Samm Levine was just 19 years old when he shot "Not Another Teen Movie" -- starring as the Asian-influenced character Bruce -- a high school freshman who is parodying Jim Levenstein from 'American Pie' and Daniel LaRusso from 'The Karate Kid.'

Samm shared this iconic role with Cody McMains who played the little brother of Chyler Leigh AKA Janey Briggs, as well as A-lister Chris Evans, the high school jock who falls in love with the nerdy-hot girl -- a parody on "She's All That."

21 years later, Levine recently celebrated his 40th birthday.

See what he looks like today!

The Masked Singer Mystery Celeb Rolling Deep ... Big Entourage Pissing Off Fellow Contestants

One mystery contestant on "The Masked Singer" isn't looking to make any more friends ... pissing off fellow masked celebs with maybe the biggest entourage ever.

Backstage sources at 'TMS' tell us ... in the past 6 seasons, they've never seen a contestant show up with a crew this big. Usually, celebs roll solo at rehearsals to avoid revealing their identity, but this person seems unconcerned, opting to bring a massive group with them!

Friends, managers, beauty and hair team, family members... this contestant rolls deep.

We've also learned that the sheer size of this celebrity's entourage has pissed off other contestants backstage ... one contestant in a trailer close to them complained to producers about the noise coming from the giant posse ... turning relaxing downtime into a giant headache.

Our sources won't reveal which contestant rolls with the giant entourage -- not wanting to give away who this might be -- so fans will have to come to their own conclusions for the time being.

Make sure to check out this season of The Masked Singer on FOX!

Ukraine Rap Comedian Shocks TX City Council Meeting ... 'Put a bullet in Putin's Head'

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RUTHLESS RAPS
Instagram / @primetimestein

Here's the most unlikely reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- a "rapper" spitting bars in a TX city council meeting about killing Putin and riding hard for Zelensky.

Alex Stein, best known as internet comedian Primetimestein, heated up Tuesday's meeting in Plano, Texas by dropping some seriously anti-Putin lyrics to the council members -- and you can tell from their faces ... this wasn't the meeting they expected.

Armed with a Bluetooth speaker, Alex rapped ... "Gas prices are way too high, Putin’s got to die, put a bullet in Putin’s head."

The council members weren't exactly feeling it -- not a single head was bobbing, but Alex persisted for more than 2 minutes.

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TAKE HIM OUT
Fox News

Alex wrapped up by thanking the council, and shouting out Sen. Lindsey Graham for calling on the Russian people to assassinate Putin.

As Graham put it earlier this month, "The only way this ends is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out. You would be doing your country and the world a great service."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

This isn't Alex's first time making public meetings uncomfortable ... the jokester has jumped onto countless Zoom meetings for schools and local governments, trolling with a new scenario each time.

Rep. Mike Quigley Putin Underrated Zelensky ... This Man's No Weakling!!!

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UNEXPECTED HERO
TMZ.com

Congressman Mike Quigley is applauding President Volodymyr Zelensky for standing up to Vladimir Putin, and says the Russians -- and maybe the world -- seriously underestimated Ukraine's leader.

The U.S. Rep from Illinois joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" after he'd witnessed Zelensky state his case to Congress for more military assistance to defend his country from Putin's invasion ... and came away impressed.

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YOU UNDERSTAND OUR STRUGGLE
C-SPAN

Rep. Quigley says Zelensky's courage has managed to unite NATO in only a few weeks, despite the fact Ukraine is not even a member nation, and he's proving Putin made a huge miscalculation by taking him lightly.

As we reported ... Zelensky made an impassioned speech to Quigley and hundreds of his fellow colleagues in Congress, pleading for the U.S. and NATO to help to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine in hopes of stopping the Russians from bombing civilians.

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ZELENSKY'S WAR VIDEO TO CONGRESS
C-SPAN

Rep. Quigley's Chicago constituents include a neighborhood known as Ukrainian Village, and he's had conversations with Zelensky prior to today's speech.

It's clear from the convo we had with him that the congressman wants the U.S. to do more to help Ukraine ... and he was particularly moved by the heartbreaking war video Zelensky presented during Wednesday's speech.