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American TV personality and realtor Jeana Keough was 50 years old when she made her debut on Bravo's first 'Housewives' franchise, "The Real Housewives of Orange County" back in 2006.

Joining Jeana in the dramatic series included her neighbor and friend Vicki Gunvalson as the insurance company owner and queen of "whoopin' it up," Tamra Judge as the fitness queen and Vicki's partner in crime, Lynne Curtin as the jewelry designer and Tammy Knickerbocker as Jeana's bestie.

Jeana was the recipient of Tamra's iconic wine slap during the 2011 season 6 finale.

Tamika Mallory says there's an underlying problem that explains why PnB Rock was murdered in cold blood -- and, to her, it all has to do with economics.

We got the activist in NYC Tuesday at the Helen Mill Theatre for a screening of VH1's My True Crime Story: Aron. She gave us her take on Rock's killing ... and she's pretty passionate about her position. Essentially, she says we as a society -- but especially our government -- have to examine what circumstances led to PnB being robbed in the first place.

From her perspective, she thinks it all boils down to poverty and folks being in dire straits to make ends meet -- and by extension, desperate as well ... a longstanding issue in underserved communities, which Tamika says has only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Tamika says it's dangerous for Black men to simply exist, seeing how they're so often the victims of crime ... famous or not. While PnB Rock was the latest example, TM says this issue finally has to be addressed by America as a whole -- because it's gonna keep happening if not.

Beyond just tackling people's money woes and lack of opportunities, Tamika says mental health is a key part of this conversation too. Lots of roots to this problem, no doubt ... and it's time to start ripping out the weeds to fix it once and for all -- so says Tamika.

The tabloid owner who claims Thomas Markle is out to kill him just got two years of court-ordered protection from Meghan Markle's father.

According to new legal docs, obtained TMZ, a judge granted Jeff Rayner a restraining order against Thomas, who did not show up for Tuesday's court hearing.

The protective order will be in place for the next two years ... and even though TM didn't show up for the hearing, the court says Thomas was served with legal papers.

TMZ broke the story ... Jeff, the co-owner of tabloid and news agency Coleman-Rayner, claimed he was scared of what Thomas might do to him after Meghan's pops allegedly threatened Jeff in a book.

Remember ... Rayner claimed Markle vowed to kill him in an excerpt from Tom Boyer's book, "Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between The Windsors" ... wondering if Thomas might use a gun to get revenge in a longstanding beef, and claiming the alleged threat was causing stress and anxiety.

Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles finds itself in a tough spot 24 hours after PnB Rock's murder -- it's a crisis many businesses are facing amid a violent crime wave -- when and how to resume normal operations.

The South L.A. location where the rapper was killed is open for business Tuesday, and these pics from inside show some employees working, clearing empty plates from tables. We're told the restaurant was fully functioning and had been cleaned after Monday's shooting, but understandably, there aren't many customers sitting down to eat.

What's more, we're told employees who were working during the shooting were given the day off.

TMZ broke the story, PnB was eating inside the restaurant with his girlfriend, Steph Sibounheuang, when the suspect entered, targeting the rapper for his jewelry and opening fire.

Prior to the shooting, PnB's girlfriend posted a photo of the couple's meal with their location ... and earlier in the day, PnB posted a video of himself wearing the jewelry.

PnB was rushed to a local hospital, but died from his injuries. There has not yet been an arrest made in the case and cops continue to chase down leads.

Britney Spears' ex-husband, Jason Alexander, just can't seem to stay out of trouble with the law -- because now he's wanted by the cops again ... this after missing a court date.

Alexander was due to appear before a judge Tuesday in Napa County, where he's facing 2 felony counts of grand theft and buying/receiving stolen property. The charges involve a woman who claims he stole some expensive jewelry from her back in 2015.

You'll recall ... Jason hadn't dealt with the case for years, and then he got arrested a few months ago here in SoCal for crashing Britney's wedding to Sam Asghari.

When he got arrested by Ventura County officials, the warrant for the Napa case also popped up. The dude was extradited to face the charges after he completed a 60-day sentence in jail. After his Napa arraignment, he was cut loose and told to come back on Sep. 13.

A court clerk tells TMZ Jason never made it ... and now, a new warrant for his arrest has been issued.

Ken Starr, famous for leading the investigation that led to former President Bill Clinton's impeachment, has died.

Starr died Tuesday at Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center in Houston, Texas ... the result of complications from a recent surgical procedure ... according to his family.

Starr is best known for heading the expansive Whitewater investigation into the Clintons back in the '90s ... a probe that began with the Clintons' real estate investments before expanding to include the infamous Monica Lewinsky sex scandal.

Starr had a decorated legal career ... he was nominated by former President Ronald Reagan to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington D.C. and later served under former President George H.W. Bush as U.S. Solicitor General.

Starr argued 36 cases before SCOTUS and also served as United States Circuit Judge for D.C. He was the chief of staff for former U.S. Attorney General William French Smith and clerked for Justice Warren E. Burger.

He was heavily involved in higher education ... teaching constitutional law for 25 years between NYU, George Mason, Pepperdine, Chapman and Baylor. In addition, Starr was Dean of the Pepperdine School of Law before going to Baylor to be the University's President and Chancellor.

Starr was later removed as president after an external investigation into the school's response to sexual and physical assault allegations made by 17 women against 19 football players ... and resigned from his role as chancellor days later.

Starr was born in Texas and grew up in San Antonio, graduating from Sam Houston High School and earning his B.A. from George Washington University. He had a master's in political science from Brown University and a JD from Duke University law school.

Ken is survived by his wife of 52 years, Alice Mendell Starr, and their three children, Randall, Carolyn and Cynthia.

Starr's son says the family is "deeply saddened with the loss of our dear and loving Father and Grandfather, whom we admired for his prodigious work ethic, but who always put his family first. The love, energy, endearing sense of humor, and fun-loving interest Dad exhibited to each of us was truly special, and we cherish the many wonderful memories we were able to experience with him."

He'll be buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, with a visitation scheduled for Sept. 23 in Waco.

Starr was 76.

PnB Rock's cold-blooded murder isn't sitting well with the hip-hop community -- just ask DJ Drama, who's especially feeling the pain, because he worked with his fellow Philly rap native as he was on the come-up.

The 'Gangsta Grillz' creator's dropping a PSA, of sorts, about the ongoing debate about PnB's girlfriend -- and mother of his 2 children -- being culpable for his robbery and murder.

As we first reported ... the "Selfish" rapper was eating inside a Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles in South L.A. when Steph Sibounheuang posted a pic with their location -- but Drama says that's irrelevant at this point in time.

Police sources tell TMZ there's no evidence the shooting was prompted by a social media post, and Drama tells TMZ Hip Hop ... everyone reacting to PnB's murder shouldn't be making Steph feel any worse than she already is, and instead, should try to uplift her.

Drama points to the wavering economy, and what it means for Black people's financial opportunities -- he believes that's one of the many reasons the cycle of violence continues.

He says cities like Atlanta, New York and Chicago are just as crime-ridden as L.A. ... and rappers with something to lose should start traveling with more vigilance.

Upon their first meeting, Drama says he and PnB immediately made a musical connection through their mutual partnerships at Atlantic Records and their Philly upbringing.

They both linked with Fetty Wap for the 2016 mixtape "Money Hoes and Flows," and Drama recruited PnB once again for his 2019 single "Nasty" ... along with Moneybagg Yo.

Cardi B really believes in public education ... because she went back to her old middle school in New York for a surprise visit, and even whipped out her checkbook.

The Bronx-born MC hit up I.S. 232 Tuesday morning in NYC's Morris Heights neighborhood. Cardi did 3 years there -- 6th grade through 8th -- and we're told her visit came as a complete surprise to the students and principal.

The unannounced drop-in included Cardi having an open conversation with students about their favorite part of school, favorite teacher and some sage life advice.

Cardi also answered a couple of the students' questions ... and at the end of her visit, she presented I.S. 232 with a $100,000 donation which she wants to see go towards after-school programs, including tutoring and music/dance.

The students let out a huge cheer when Cardi announced the donation, while teachers and administrators almost started crying.

Not even a romantic vacation in Italy can stop LeBron James from prepping for his 20th NBA season -- the Lakers star was spotted shirtless on a yacht Tuesday pumpin' iron ... and he looked GOOD.

LBJ has been over in Portofino this month with his wife, Savannah, getting in some much-needed R&R -- but he's clearly carved out time to make sure he's still getting ready for the Lakers' upcoming slate of games.

James -- wearing nothing more than a pair of tights -- was seen grabbing dumbbells and going to work on the boat ... getting in squats, rows and more.

James looked chiseled, with his abs popping in the Italian sun -- and he seemed to be loving his sweat sesh too, grooving to music while working on his bod.

Unclear how long James is intending to be overseas -- but he'll have to make his way back fairly soon ... the Lakers open preseason play in just a couple weeks on Oct. 3.

"Slutty Vegan" founder Pinky Cole is serious about giving Black people, and all people in underdeveloped communities, better access to healthy food ... which is why folks are lining up for her very unique dining experience.

The restaurant owner joined "TMZ Live" ahead of her plant-based burger joint's grand opening in Brooklyn, NY -- which will be her 7th location, after launching with a single food truck in Atlanta.

Pinky tells us, she went vegan back in 2014, and noticed it got even more trendy once Beyoncé opened up about temporarily turning away from meat. Her business model? Make vegan food more enjoyable -- adding an experience to the nutritional value.

The name itself shows the creativity and inclination to attract all kinds of folks ... she merged two pleasurable things: sex and food!

Now, Pinky says she's expanding -- even more than the Brooklyn location -- and focusing on Black and brown communities ... sometimes right in the middle of gentrified neighborhoods.

Her main goal is to show folks how to reimagine food and eat healthy ... while giving access to great options.

Pinky seems super hopeful her restaurant will be the perfect way to help folks live healthier. She says 90% of the customers aren't vegan ... they're meat-eaters who simply want to get their grub on.

Kim Kardashian and Ray J's sex tape was a success right out of the gate, making more than a million bucks in the first 6 weeks after its release ... and according to an email sent to them, they were both making serious bank.

We've obtained an email from Vivid Entertainment honcho Steve Hirsch dated May 1, 2007, in which he informs Kim the tape made $1,424,636.63 in revenue, including the majority, $1,255,578.50, coming from DVD sales.

It's interesting ... the tape was released on March 14, 2007. Kim filed a lawsuit on February 21, 2007, against Vivid, claiming she didn't authorize the release of the tape. That case was dismissed -- presumably, it was settled -- April 27, 2007. Just 4 days later, Kim got the email from Vivid on sales numbers.

Ray J said over the weekend, Kim actually signed on from the get-go, and even produced his contract with a list of the sex tapes ... saying Kim wrote the inventory list. He also produced a letter from her and says it's the exact same handwriting.

Hirsch has openly talked about the deal in the past, calling it a "difficult deal to get done" because he says Kim truly did not want the tape out.

Ray J says their deal was that each would receive $400,000 plus 12.5% of the profits. Those figures are reflected in Hirsch's email to Kim and Ray J.

Ray also claims Kris Jenner actually looked at both sex tapes and chose the one where Kim looked the best. BTW ... we're told Kris' signature is not in the contract. Hirsch has also maintained Kris had no role in selling the tape.

As for the 2 sex tapes, Ray J says one was shot in Cabo and the other in Santa Barbara. The Santa Barbara tape has never been released.

Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney are giving their marriage another shot, because they're backing off their divorce, at least for now ... to try to work things out.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Michelle and Patrick are pressing pause on their divorce for at least 6 months, during which time they will try to reconcile.

After the cooling-off period, the singer and The Black Keys drummer will then decide if they want to dismiss their divorce entirely or move forward with the split.

The docs say, during the reconciliation effort, Michelle and Patrick may resume living together as husband and wife and participate in counseling sessions to help their marriage.

It's quite the turn of events for Michelle and Patrick -- she filed for divorce last month, on the heels of her arrest for domestic assault and allegations of infidelity on Patrick's part.

Michelle and Patrick have 2 young kids together and they've been married for more than 3 years.

MB cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for divorce ... but now it looks like they think there's at least a chance they might be able to iron out those differences.

Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver was just hit with a massive penalty after an extensive investigation into alleged workplace misconduct ... getting banned from the league for one season and forced to pay a $10 million fine.

The NBA released the findings of its investigation after interviewing 320 current and former Suns employees ... and determined Sarver said the n-word at least five times "when recounting the statements of others."

It's worth noting -- the league says Sarver's use of the n-word was not motivated by racial hate or prejudice.

The league also concluded Sarver did not treat female employees equally and made inappropriate comments about their appearance.

The NBA also states Sarver engaged in inappropriate physical conduct toward male employees.

"The statements and conduct described in the findings of the independent investigation are troubling and disappointing," NBA commish Adam Silver said in a statement. "We believe the outcome is the right one, taking into account all the facts, circumstances and context brought to light by the comprehensive investigation of this 18-year period and our commitment to upholding proper standards in NBA workplaces."

"I am hopeful that the NBA community will use this opportunity to reflect on what this great game means to people everywhere and the values of equality, respect and inclusion that it strives to represent. Regardless of position, power or intent, we all need to recognize the corrosive and hurtful impact of racially insensitive and demeaning language and behavior."

"On behalf of the entire NBA, I apologize to all of those impacted by the misconduct outlined in the investigators’ report. We must do better."

During Sarver's suspension, he must complete a workplace conduct course. He will not have any access to the team or its facilities during the ban.

FYI -- the $10 million fine is the absolute most the NBA is allowed to hand down.

The Suns will now have to hire an outside firm to advise on issues like workplace training, hiring and compensation.

Steph Pappas' father was killed by a suspected drunk driver in Ohio this weekend -- and her mother was also injured ... this according to law enforcement.

John Pappas was pronounced dead on the scene Sunday night in Stark County after he and his wife, Kristine -- both parents to the 22-year-old YouTube star -- were struck by a driver traveling westbound ... who cops say veered into the Pappas' vehicle.

Jackson Township PD tells TMZ ... the driver is believed to have sideswiped the Pappas' car after veering off the centerline, and that there was heavy damage to the driver's side door.

First responders rushed to the scene, but officials from the Coroner's Office found John had succumbed to his injuries. Kristine was rushed to the hospital -- her condition is unknown.

Cops are saying drugs and/or alcohol are believed to be a contributing factor to the crash, however ... no arrests have been made yet. Jackson Township won't tell us what obvious signs of impairment they observed, but they do say they're investigating and collecting samples to present to prosecutors ... which they believe will lead to criminal charges.

Steph has a massive following as an up-and-coming influencer -- she has 1.4 million subscribers and hundreds of thousands of IG followers as well. She's acknowledged her father's passing online, saying she "wants my dad back."

Other influencers, like Shane Dawson, have sent their condolences.

John was 53.

Jimmy Kimmel has come under some serious fire online after many believe a skit he and Will Arnett performed as presenters stole the spotlight from winner Quinta Brunson.

Arnett and Kimmel presented the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at Monday night's Emmy Awards. Arnett dragged a "passed out" Kimmel onto the stage and laid his body out next to the microphone stand while he explained the late night host had too many margaritas backstage.

Once Arnett called Brunson's name as the winner, and she came to the stage, Kimmel continued to carry on with the gag -- even after Brunson jokingly exclaimed, "Jimmy, wake up. I won."

Jimmy laid super close to Brunson as she gave her speech, making it nearly impossible for the show's directors to get a shot of her without him in it.

Twitter exploded after the moment, with users pointing out how disrespectful Kimmel's decision came across, including, "Jimmy Kimmel owes Quinta an apology but the messed up part is every image of her accepting her award has his ass in it. White men really are insufferable."

Another said, "White male privilege is laying on the ground & expecting a Black woman to just step around you while she accepts her hard-earned award."

Cassadee Dunlap's father was shot this week ... this after there was reportedly a mix-up on whose home he was in.

The Netflix star -- who appeared on the second season of "Cheer" -- hasn't publicly addressed the incident, but we've learned the man identified by authorities after Saturday's shooting, Ronald Dunlap, is in fact Cassadee's dad.

According to reports, cops say he's in critical condition after he somehow made his way into someone's apartment in Little Rock, seemingly by mistake, in the middle of the night ... and was shot by the homeowner.

It's unclear how or why this unfolded the way it did, but the person who shot Dunlap told authorities they heard someone banging at their door around 3 AM and then -- thinking there was a stranger in their kitchen -- fired several rounds, striking Dunlap.

Dunlap's brother, David, says he's still in the hospital and fighting for his life.

A neighbor's door was apparently also hit by bullets, but no other injuries have been reported. It does not appear any charges have been filed thus far either.