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Turns out Kanye West and Candace Owens didn't just decide to wear their "White Lives Matter" shirts on a whim -- the two have been planning it for weeks -- with some of Kanye's former friends telling us she's acting as his chief advisor in his day-to-day life.

Sources close to Kanye tell us ... Candace has been reaching out to people on Kanye's behalf, working to set up calls, meetings and appearances.

We're told folks who were close to Kanye (many have distanced themselves after his recent attacks) believe he's in a bad space mentally, and anyone working to persuade him to do anything other than get help doesn't have his best interests at heart.

What's more ... Ye showed up to Candace's film premiere in Nashville Wednesday. Ray J was also in attendance, a reunion sources told us was coordinated by Owens in spite of Kim Kardashian.

Our sources say it's unclear if Candace is getting paid by Ye as an advisor, but one source says, "Anyone taking money from him is taking advantage of him." As far as Candace's involvement in Kanye's life, the same source said, "She's gonna run him into the ground."

Earlier this week, Candace leaked an old voicemail from Kim to Ray J in which Kim called Whitney Houston -- whom Ray was dating at the time -- an "Old hag."

Our Kanye sources say they believe Candace leaked the vm to show her allegiance to Kanye, especially against Kim, whom Kanye has accused of "kidnapping" the couple's kids.

One of the reasons Kanye's former allies believe Candace is in his ear ... until recently he was conciliatory with Kim, seemingly agreeing she would have the kids around 80% of the time, and he would have ongoing involvement in their lives.

As for his recent rants, a source tells us, "Kanye cannot get out of his own damn way, which is the root of every issue personally and professionally." The question ... is he getting advice?

We reached out to Candace ... so far, no word back.

Everyone onboard an American Airlines flight smelled it -- that much we know -- but the problem is they had no clue who or what dealt it, so the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.

The Wednesday night flight from Miami to Barbados was inundated by the pungent chemical odor -- and because the crew believed it was coming from a passenger's carry-on bag, you can imagine the panic that caused.

The pilot made the quick decision to head back to the MIA.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units met the plane once it landed, and all 172 passengers were quickly evacuated as firefighters investigated.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the smell was coming from a large, industrial-strength bottle of nail polish -- it somehow made it through TSA and spilled in the passenger's bag. We're told the woman isn't in any trouble.

50 Cent's son Marquise Jackson is ready and willing to mend their relationship -- yes, even if it means paying -- but he's clarifying ... it's not dear old Dad's money he wants.

Marquise tells TMZ Hip Hop he meant what he said, in a now-viral post, about putting up $6,700 -- Fiddy's monthly child support payment -- for the one-on-one, and says he'll actually pay more than that if necessary.

He says that's where the money talk ends, though. Now in his 20s, Marquise says he's matured and feels he and 50 should be able to agree or disagree about issues without going at each other's throats.

Marquise believes the biggest hurdle between them is the fact 50 Cent thinks his eldest son has grown up entitled ... after receiving $80k/year in child support.

Marquise says he doesn't know what to expect if and when they do have a sit-down, but hopes it would lead to better understanding for both of them -- as he told us ... not having his father in his life has left him with many unanswered questions.

To say he's got an uphill battle on his hands would be an understatement. So far, 50 Cent's only response has been to post the "Power" scene where his character kills his son.

A bizarre reunion just happened in Nashville, as Kanye West and Ray J came face-to-face at Candace Owens' film premiere.

Both men were in attendance Wednesday night for the premiere of "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold: George Floyd and the Rise of BLM." The event was held at the Woolworth Theater, and while arrivals were supposed to start around 6:30 PM local time, Ye didn't show for more than 2 hours after the scheduled slot ... posing for pics on the carpet with Ray and Kid Rock.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us it was Candace who worked to get both Kanye and Ray J there in an attempt to scorn Kim Kardashian.

It was earlier this week when Candace leaked an old voicemail from Kim to Ray J -- who was dating Whitney Houston at the time -- in which Kim called Whitney an "Old hag."

Kim has remained silent for weeks, even as Kanye wore his "White Lives Matter" shirt to both his Yeezy Show and North's basketball game. He's also had his social media accounts suspended for antisemitic remarks -- and JP Morgan Chase Bank has also allegedly cut ties with Ye's multi-billion-dollar Yeezy brand.

A longtime L.A. Kings fan and season-ticket holder got pucked up before opening night Tuesday ... when a slap shot cleared the boards and hit the guy square in the face, breaking his nose and cutting his forehead.

The fan, Jeremy Aaronson, attended the game at Crypto.com Arena with his 11-year-old son. Prior to the first period, Aaronson and his boy were standing by the glass, watching the Kings players warm up before the game with the Vegas Golden Knights.

That's when a Kings player took a shot that sailed ... hitting Jeremy in the nose, breaking it in the process. Medics treated Aaronson at the arena, but his injuries required care from a doctor at the hospital.

So, instead of watching opening night live and in person, Jeremy was forced to ride in the back of an ambulance, and follow the game on his phone.

Thankfully, Jeremy's son was able to stay and watch the game with friends who happened to be at the arena.

As for his condition, Jeremy tells us he saw a specialist on Wednesday, and the doc told him his nose was broken. Aaronson will require further treatment from the nose doc once the swelling subsides.

Jeremy's forehead was also cut by the puck.

As for the team, we're told they reached out to Jeremy on social media the morning after the game ... and linked up with Jeremy on the phone later in the day.

Kanye West is gonna need to find a new bank to house his multi-billion Yeezy brand 'cause he got the boot from the bank that stored all his cash.

Candace Owens — the controversial conservative figure who sported a "White Lives Matter" shirt with Ye — took to Twitter Wednesday to share what she calls an official notice from JPMorgan Chase Bank ... saying they’re cutting ties with Ye.

She wrote, "I was told there was no official reason given, but they sent this letter as well to confirm that he has until late November to find another place for the Yeezy empire to bank."

The letter itself suggests the decision was a done deal, and that Kanye would have until exactly November 21 to transfer his business to another bank.

Of course, this all comes as Kanye is in some pretty hot water. You'll recall, he's come under fire for recent antisemitic remarks ... amongst other comments he's said in interviews and on social media.

As you know, he's also gotten a ton of backlash for the "White Lives Matter" shirt he's worn to both his Yeezy Show and his daughter’s basketball game. Despite that, Candace Owens seems to be one of the few people to jump on that train and defend Kanye.

Before this cool kid turned into an absolute star, was dropping #1 albums and was touring all across the world, he was just owning the hockey rink ... showing off his skating skills and teaching himself dance moves in Canada.

This guy definitely puts purpose behind every note he hits, and he definitely knows how to own the stage. When he's not in the recording studio, you can find him on his Instagram repping his clothing line ... always with a smiling face.

Need one more hint? He joined Ariana Grande on the Coachella stage back in 2019.

Gisele Bündchen may have just dropped a massive hint about what led to the breaking down of her relationship with Tom Brady and what appears to be the end of their marriage.

Gisele was on Instagram Wednesday when she commented '🙏🏽' in response to a post that read, "You can't be in a committed relationship with someone who is inconsistent with you. Read that again."

The message is certainly interesting -- especially because many feel the beginning of the end of the couple's marriage was when Tom un-retired.

Of course, it's possible Gisele felt Tom was "inconsistent" in his commitment to his family ... first saying he was stepping away from football, only to announce he was going to play again.

TMZ broke the story -- both Tom and Gisele had been searching for divorce attorneys for weeks before reports surfaced they'd hired someone. At this time, we're told the marriage appears to be beyond repair.

The 2 men who seemingly won a fishing contest by stuffing their catch with weights encased in fish filets have been hooked by a grand jury, that just nailed them with multiple felonies.

Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominski were just indicted for attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools ... both felonies. They've also been charged with the misdemeanor of unlawfully owning wild animals.

It's a crazy story ... the 2 guys were in a competition on Lake Erie at the Walleye Trail tourney when they allegedly hooked what seemed to be 2, 7-pound walleyes. Apparently, some of the honchos were suspicious, cut the fish open and found the weights and filets. The fish actually weighed around 4-5 lbs.

Had they been declared the winners, they would have pocketed $28,760.

These guys have been under suspicion for cheating in other tournaments. They were investigated by cops for similar types of cheating, but there wasn't enough evidence to charge them.

Alex Jones has been NAILED for perpetuating a lie about the Sandy Hook massacre, and some of the families of the children who were murdered have just gotten word from the jury ... that Jones must ante up nearly $1 billion.

The Connecticut jury just hit Jones between the eyes ... finding the emotional distress and trauma he caused by his campaign was so enormous ... justice required an enormous damage award.

The total verdict -- divided among the 8 families and 1 first responder -- adds up to $965M.

The families' lawyer, Chris Mattei, told jurors in last week's closing arguments that Jones lies to generate revenue for his site, while the parents in mourning received death threats and harassment from his fans.

Jones was on the air on his radio show when the verdict was read ... telling his listeners, "This must be what hell is like -- they just read out the damages, even though you don't got the money." Jones also said the case was a joke and asked his listeners for donations.

The legal battle started way back in 2018, when the families went after Jones and his company, Free Speech Systems.

Japanese manga artist Kazuki Takahashi -- best known as the creator of "Yu-Gi-Oh!" -- died while trying to rescue people from drowning, witnesses claim.

A report from Stars and Stripes -- the military's newspaper -- revealed the tragic details of how Takahashi lost his life as three strangers were engulfed in a strong current.

According to people at the scene, Kazuki -- the eventual inspiration for the "Yu-Gi-Oh!" trading card game -- dove into a riptide in hopes of bringing a woman and her 11-year-old daughter back to shore on July 4.

Major Robert Bourgeau, a 49-year-old U.S. Army officer and scuba diving instructor, also took action ... and while he personally did not encounter Takahashi during the rescue mission, multiple people say they saw the artist attempting to assist.

Bourgeau managed to save the 11-year-old girl and the mother ... but when he went to help a 39-year-old U.S. soldier who was also struggling in the water, he feared he would lose his life if he went on any longer.

Thankfully, Bourgeau was able to help yell orders to help the soldier navigate out of the rough waters.

Kazuki's body was found about 1,000 feet offshore two days later.

Bourgeau called Takahashi a "hero" ... saying, "He died trying to save someone else."

Cher's massive Malibu mansion, a place she's called home for decades, is hitting the market ... at a price fitting for one of music's all-timers.

The Wall Street Journal reports the pop icon listed the stunning home for a whopping $85M, an incredible bump from the $2.95M she bought the place for back in 1989. The Italy-inspired home took five years to build, and it's a true beauty ... with just about all the amenities you can imagine.

The home sits on about 1.7 acres, and opens with 40 Palm trees complete with a courtyard and a fountain. The main residence has 7 bedrooms, a primary suite with a meditation room and two closets, an indoor/outdoor, gym and a home theater.

Apparently, there's also a climate-controlled wig room with up to 100 hairpieces. Not to mention, the whole thing overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Victor Steeman -- a professional motorcycle rider -- has died after a violent crash in a championship race on Saturday. He was only 22.

The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme confirmed the sad news on Tuesday ... saying Steeman passed away after suffering severe injuries from a multi-rider incident at Turn 14 of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship’s Race 1 in Portugal.

"Medical personnel and vehicles arrived at the site immediately and the rider was attended to trackside and at the circuit medical centre before being transferred by helicopter to Faro Hospital," FIM said.

"Despite the best efforts of the circuit’s medical staff, marshals and hospital staff, Steeman has sadly succumbed to his injuries."

Steeman -- who rode for the MTM Kawasaki team -- began his career in World Supersport 300 full-time in 2019 ... and racked up four wins, five podiums, and three pole positions this season.

In fact, the Dutch rider made history with the most pole positions in the World Supersport 300 class at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Steeman's family said they feared for Victor's life when he joined the sport ... saying, "Something you have always been afraid of as a parent of a motorcycle racer has now happened."

"Our Victor could not win this last race."

His family says Steeman is a true hero through his passing ... as he was able to save five lives by donating his organs.

"We would like to thank everyone for the way you have lived with us over the past few days. We will miss our Victor enormously.”

Singer Brandy is recovering in an L.A. hospital after possibly suffering a seizure ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they got an EMS call to Brandy's home at noon Tuesday. Sources with direct knowledge tell us it's believed Brandy suffered a seizure, and she was taken to a local hospital.

At this time, we're told Brandy is still in the hospital -- her parents have been there with her -- and it appears she will recover.

We don't know what led up to the seizure or if there were other health issues as a result of the incident.

It was earlier this year when Brandy blew the crowd away at the NFL's NFC Championship game with her rendition of the National Anthem.

We've reached out to a rep for Brandy ... so far, no word back.

YK Osiris made a potentially poor choice to engage in a fight with a man looking to knock his head off, but his security guards realized that probably wasn't a great idea.

The "Worth It" singer left Cardi B's star-studded party Tuesday night in WeHo and got in his ride, but a clearly irate man walked over to the Lamborghini Urus, and started screaming all sorts of obscenities at YK. Something about cats ... you get it.

That's when YK opted to hop out and confront the guy! We'll say this ... the security team and had one job, and did it well. They immediately pushed the pissed-off man to the sidewalk, and put YK back in his vehicle.

It's unclear what the argument was about ... the man quickly turned his fury towards YK's security, flying off the handle about going to war, but cooler heads eventually prevailed and everyone went their separate ways.

Someone off-camera commended YK for stepping up to fight -- him being a trained boxer and all, but we're pretty sure his security did the right thing.

L.A.'s been a dangerous place for artists this year -- back in February, Kodak Black was shot a couple of blocks from where Cardi's party went down, and the sad fact is ... YK's shiny necklace could've made him a target.

We recently spoke to DJ Envy about artists traveling and maneuvering smartly in the grim aftermath of PnB Rock's murder in Los Angeles.

Envy says artists should go the distance in protecting their bling with security ... and not run into a lion's den.

"American Idol" runner-up Willie Spence has died in a car crash ... a relative confirms to TMZ.

The singer was in Tennessee Tuesday when the crash took place ... although specifics of the accident have yet to be released.

Willie posted a video just hours before the crash ... doing what he does best -- singing his heart out. Douglas Now was first to report the story.

Fans of the show remember Willie blowing the judges away in season 19, and making it all the way to the finale ... singing hits like "A Change is Gonna Come" and "Georgia on My Mind." He ended up coming in 2nd place behind Chayce Beckham.

There's been an outpouring of love for Willie since his passing ... Katharine McPhee of 'AI' fame expressed her heartbreak -- saying, "God rest your soul Willie. It was a pleasure to sing with you and to know you."

The 2 performed a duet together during his time on season 19.

Producer Randall Emmett also left a message for Willie, writing "I was lucky to have him sing for me live at my home and other events, I will miss you my friend. I know you touched so many of us."

He was 23.

RIP