Ariana Madix Filming New 'Vanderpump Rules' Season ... Raquel Still MIA

Ariana Madix is back in front of the cameras once again ...spotted for the first time filming for the latest season of "Vanderpump Rules."

AM was out in Los Angeles Wednesday as 'VPR' began shooting for season 11, shooting a scene with Katie Maloney as they shopped at BTS Thrift Store.

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ARIANA ON SET
Splash/BACKGRID

Sources connected to the show tell TMZ ... they filmed for about 3-4 hours, browsing for some items to put in their new sandwich shop, Something About Her in West Hollywood, which we're told will be a big part of their storyline this season.

Our sources say while filming, they picked up some fine china, glassware, and other cute knickknacks for the shop.

Hours later, we're told Lisa Vanderpump, her husband Ken Todd, Tom Schwartz and James Kennedy filmed late in the evening at TomTom in West Hollywood.

TMZ broke the story, there's still no word on if Raquel Leviss, who Tom Sandoval cheated on Ariana with, will be coming back to the show. Sources tell us production and Raquel's team are working on getting her back to the show and filming, but she's still at a mental health facility.

Regardless, it's obvious Scandoval will still be a hot topic on the show -- with or without her.

Matt Damon Bros Out With Chris & Liam Hemsworth ... It's All Greek To Us!!!

Matt Damon is going international for his bromance with Chris and Liam Hemsworth ... living it up over in Greece and enjoying the hell out of their summer vacation.

Ya gotta see these pics of the actors enjoying a day party on the famous Greek island of Mykonos ... Matt's got a cold beer in his hand and looks super animated, definitely having fun.

Matt, Chris and Liam posed for a ton of pics with their group taking snaps on smartphones ... mugging for the cameras and even flipping the bird at times. Yeah, it's a party.

It's not just the Hollywood hunk on the trip, either ... Matt's dancing with his wife Luciana Barroso, Liam's traveling with his model girlfriend, Gabriella Brooks, and there's some other ladies in the group.

Matt and Chris go way back ... they've been close friends for over a decade and have worked on a handful of movies together during their careers.

Opa!!!

Madonna Fought Fever For a Month Before Hospitalization

Madonna battled a low-grade fever for a month before her body could no longer take it, collapsing and needing serious medical care ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ, Madonna mostly ignored her symptoms and never got checked out by a doctor because she was laser focused on rehearsing for her upcoming tour ... working her butt off to get ready to perform.

Our sources confirm the Page Six report Madonna collapsed before she was rushed to the hospital Saturday, where she ended up spending days in the intensive care unit. We're told her doctors believe the unreported fever was a sign of the infection, which worsened because it was left untreated.

While our sources say Madonna is doing better and is expected to recover from the non-life-threatening illness ... there's still concern for the "Vogue" singer.

We're told Madonna's doctors, and those around her, are worried she's going to go against doctor's orders and push to start her world tour ASAP ... even though she's going to be required to rest up and recover for a while.

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MAKEOUT MADNESS

Our sources feel Madonna is going to want to get back to work too soon and go on tour, which could cause more health issues. We've confirmed Madonna is back home after being released from the hospital ... she was discharged Wednesday night and is recovering at her New York City residence.

Madonna's longtime talent manager Guy Oseary says her health is improving, but we're told the infection is more serious than is being let on and it got worse because of her nonstop work schedule.

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ROAD TO RECOVERY

Our sources say it's too early to tell if the infection will affect Madonna's performances once she gets on tour ... and right now it's still a waiting game.

David Corenswet Total Package as Superman!!!

David Corenswet has been anointed the new Superman, and judging from these pics, he's got more than just bulging biceps.

Folks on the bird app are goin' gaga over the new man of steel ... DC is now dubbed, "Big D*** Superman."

The pics were shot last October in San Pedro, CA. when David was filming the upcoming flick, "The Greatest Hits," with Lucy Boynton.

What's really impressive ... in October the water's really cold, so ....

TITANIC WRECKAGE Presumed Human Remains Discovered ... Near Sub Implosion Site

There's been a grisly discovery among the wreckage of the doomed Titan submersible recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean -- presumed human remains.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Wednesday the remains were found in the debris field from the submersible's catastrophic implosion, only 1600 feet from the bow of the infamous Titanic shipwreck.

Now, the presumed human remains will be transported to the U.S. for analysis ... as part of an international investigation into the OceanGate sub tragedy.

As we reported ... the sub wreckage is now back on land, several pieces of the Titan were unloaded Wednesday in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada from the Horizon Arctic ship.

There were 5 people on the Titan, which imploded during its journey to the Titanic shipwreck ... OceanGate CEO and sub pilot Stockton Rush, French researcher/diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman.

Kevin Costner My Estranged Wife's Using Plastic Surgery Expenses ... To Justify $248,000 in Child Support

Kevin Costner says his estranged wife is living in outer space thinking she's entitled to $248,000 a month in child support, because some of her alleged "expenses" include her own plastic surgery ... according to court docs filed by Kevin.

Kevin's forensic accountant says in the new divorce docs, the expenses Christine Baumgartner uses to justify a quarter-mil a month are outrageous. One of the expenses Christine lists includes more than $100,000 in cosmetic surgery -- her own. There's also thousands of dollars in boutique shopping, huge ATM withdrawals and other expenses Kevin's people say have nothing to do with child support.

A lot of what Christine lists as expenses are on credit card bills ... including her own attorney's fees.

And, Costner's accountant says there are one-time expenses that have nothing to do with child support, such as construction loans.

According to the docs, Kevin has been paying all the expenses for the kids, and will continue to do so. He says the reasonable amount -- the amount he is currently paying ... $51,940 a month.

As we reported, Christine has now agreed to leave the family house and get a place of her own by the end of August. His lawyer, Laura Wasser, will appear in court on July 5 to make sure Christine is ordered out by the end of August, if not before. At that hearing, we're told Christine will contest the validity of the prenup, and Wasser will argue it's rock solid.

We covered the messy divorce on a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Vanna White I'm Worth at Least Half of Sajak's Salary ... If You Want Me to Keep Spinning the Wheel

Vanna White has got Sony spinning these days because she won't continue on "Wheel of Fortune" unless she makes at least half of what Pat Sajak has been making ... sources tell TMZ.

Sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations say Vanna is clear -- she's the cohost of the long-running show, so the pay disparity between her and Pat needs to be squarely addressed. Point of fact ... they're introduced this way on 'Wheel' -- "Here are the stars of our show, Pat Sajak and Vanna White."

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COSTARS ALL THE WAY
ABC

So they're introduced as equals, but their salaries are anything but. We've confirmed Vanna's salary -- $3 million a year. And get this -- we've confirmed that's what she's made for the last 18 YEARS. She has not gotten a single pay increase in all that time.

Pat reportedly makes around $15 million a year. Vanna isn't asking for that, but we're told her lawyer, Bryan Freedman, is demanding half the amount Pat makes.

Vanna White Should Make ...

One source connected to Vanna put it this way ... "After 41 years as a model employee and more the face of that show than him [Pat], asking for 50% of what he makes seems like a no-brainer."

Sony, we're told, is not on board, at least not yet. One source with direct knowledge described the negotiations as "very difficult."

Our sources also say Vanna feels like the issue is bigger than her. As one source says, "She feels like it's a statement for all women."

We're told Vanna wants to stay on the show, but if she doesn't get what she believes is "a minimum of what is fair," that's a real possibility.

Sony may be in a tough spot here because Vanna provides continuity when Ryan Seacrest takes over for Pat a year from September. It's pretty clear ... they don't want to lose Pat and Vanna at the same time.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Richard Branson Virgin Galactic Commercial Space Launch A Big Success!!!

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VIRGIN VOYAGE
Virgin Galactic
UPDATE

8:58 AM PT -- Virgin Galactic's first commercial space flight has been deemed a success -- and footage from inside the aircraft shows the passengers having a fantastic time as they experience zero-Gs!

UPDATE

While experiments were being done during their quick trip above the globe, everyone seemed to be smiling from ear to ear ... even holding up an Italian flag ahead of the descent!

UPDATE

A huge accomplishment for Branson and co. -- move over Musk and Bezos!

Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic is gunning to accomplish an incredible feat in the world of commercial space travel -- and if successful, puts him on a short list with the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

Branson's company is having its first commercial launch Thursday, dubbed Galactic 01. The VSS Unity is taking off from New Mexico attached to a carrier plane, eventually detaching and soaring about 3 times the speed of sound above the earth before coming back down.

Despite the commercial aspect, the trip is more about business than pleasure -- the space vessel will carry members of the Italian Air Force and a research engineer, collecting data while airborne.

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BRANSON BREAKS BARRIERS
Virgin Galactic

As we reported, the VSS Unity turned Branson into the first billionaire in space in 2021 when he and a handful of others went into sub-orbital space ... paving the way for Thursday's big milestone.

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TIME TO LET GO
Virgin Galactic

The view inside the vessel was almost as cool as what they were seeing on the outside -- especially the look on Branson's face when the Unity shot toward space!

Originally Published-- 8:34 AM PT

Madonna Returns Home From Hospital After Serious Bacterial Infection

Madonna is back home and recovering after a serious bacterial infection sent her to an ICU, but there's still a large looming question as to when her highly anticipated tour will kick off.

The "Vogue" singer is reportedly on the mend and feeling better after her recent health issue ... reports Thursday from both BBC and CNN site a source saying Madonna is "in the clear."

As we reported ... Madonna's longtime manager Guy Oseary announced Wednesday she had been hospitalized in the ICU over the weekend after developing a serious bacterial infection.

Madonna's manager says her health is improving and a full recovery is expected.

However, Madonna's "Celebration" world tour is being postponed ... she was supposed to kick off the tour July 15 in Vancouver, but now it's in a holding pattern with a new start date and rescheduled concerts to be announced.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

U.S. Supreme Court STRIKES DOWN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Universities Can’t Consider Race in Admissions

The Supreme Court just ruled that affirmative action in university admission violates the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution.

All six Republican-appointed justices voted to strike down affirmative action. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority decision.

The impact of the decision is enormous ... no longer can private or public universities in the United States expressly consider race as a factor in admissions. Many supporters of affirmative action fear that higher education in America will now significantly favor white and Asian students, and largely exclude other minority groups.

The Court did say, however, that schools may still consider non-race-based factors such as socio-economic diversity and diversity of experiences, so it is unlikely universities will return to the days of old when they were the exclusive bastion of rich, white kids.

The ruling today effectively overturns one of the most significant cases in Supreme Court history – University of California v. Bakke – in which the Court said that racial diversity among a university’s student body is such a compelling public good, that it justifies admissions systems that favor underrepresented minorities.

Kim Kardashian Breaks Down Over Ye's Antisemitism ... I Miss The Old Kanye

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CRYING OVER KANYE
Hulu

Kanye West's behavior, both publicly and behind the scenes clearly tore his estranged wife, Kim Kardashian, and their family apart ... as evidenced in scenes recorded right around the time of his antisemitic attacks.

In a preview for next week's episode of "The Kardashians" Kim sobs in Khloe Kardashian's arms -- explaining the Kanye of today is not the one she married back in 2014 -- and she'd do anything to try and get the old version of Kanye back.

While the preview doesn't specify exactly which Kanye incident led to Kim's breakdown, the timing of other events in the episode line up with when Kanye launched his online attacks, including a tweet where he claimed he was going "death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."

It was also in the middle of Kanye's attack on Jewish people that their divorce, which she filed in February 2021, was finalized ... so there's also a chance she's sobbing over the weight of the entire situation.

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NOT SORRY, NO REGRETS
TalkTV

Remember, Kanye faced a TON of hate after his comments about the Jewish community -- after his shocking tweet, he tried clarifying, telling Piers Morgan he only wished harm on Jewish people that did him dirty in the music industry ... which really didn't help.

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FROM THE MOUTH OF KANYE
InfoWars

He went on to deny parts of the Holocaust on Alex Jones' "Infowars," bizarrely claiming to love Hitler -- digging the hole even deeper.

What was most frightening about the whole thing was the minority of people who supported Ye in the wake of his comments, including a group of people over an L.A. freeway performing a Nazi salute and hanging a banner reading, "Kanye is right about the Jews."

Ye was dropped from brands left and right -- including millions in losses from Adidas -- and was even named "Antisemite of the Year" by watchdog group StopAntisemitism ... so it's easy to see the pain and frustration Kim was facing during the downfall.

DC Young Fly Of Course I'm 💔 Over Jacky Oh! ... But God's Keeping Me Positive!!!

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CAN'T BREAK ME
TMZ.com

DC Young Fly is staying strong with the support of God and his children following the sudden death of his partner Jacky Oh! ... telling us it's important to stay positive, even when things get tough behind the scenes.

DC was back to work in NYC Wednesday, sharing he's understandably broken up over Jacky's death. DC admits his wounds are still raw, and he still cries over her loss ... but he's not someone who will post his emotional heartache online.

Overall, DC says his new mission is to continue to inspire people who may also be down after a significant loss.

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DC and Jacky have three beautiful kids -- ages 6, 2 and 10 months -- and admits the conversations with his young ones have been tough. Admittedly, DC says you really truly understand what those emotions are like until you experience a personal tragedy.

Jacky died on May 31 after undergoing some sort of medical procedure, shedding light on a larger conversation about cosmetic surgery.

DC acknowledges her death may go on to provide a teachable moment for some ... and wants everyone to make the best decision for their family and own personal energy.

Nicki Minaj Bad News, My Album's Delayed ... Good News, It's 'Pink Friday 2'!!!

Nicki Minaj is pushing back the release date of her next album ... but as consolation for the fans, she officially revealed the project to be a sequel to her debut "Pink Friday."

The megastar rapper addressed her Barbz fanbase Thursday, assuring them the "Pink Friday 2" date switch from October 20 to November 17 won't be so bad, and thanked them for the years of undying devotion.

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Nicki also promised a tour sometime in the first quarter of 2024 and promised to make another announcement where she'll unveil the "Pink Friday 2" album cover art.

There's no telling what songs will appear on the album Nicki's been dropping singles for the better part of the year. She's also got the lead single on the upcoming "Barbie" film with Ice Spice.

The first "Pink Friday" dropped in 2010 on Lil Wayne's Young Money Records ... instantly making her a household name, and going 3x Platinum.

Nicki's 2nd album was also a big hit but was named "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded." So you gotta imagine the next version will have fans going wild.

Pat Sajak Peeps Air Supply in Hawaii ... Even the Nights Are Better, Now That I'm Retiring!!!

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PAT'S GOOD FORTUNE
TMZ.com

Pat Sajak is easing into retirement in Hawaii by rocking out -- but that's not really the takeaway from this musical outing of his. The real question is why is Air Supply -- which is an AWESOME band -- is playing in a joint in Hawaii and not Vegas?

This clip of the "Wheel of Fortune" host catching the 1980s soft rock group at a jazz club in Honolulu Wednesday is something to behold -- 'cause it's absolutely freaking hilarious.

Check out the footage, obtained by TMZ, which shows PJ sitting front row at the Blue Note alongside his family -- where none other than Graham Russell and co. were up on stage, jamming out to a relatively small crowd. Hey, a gig's a gig.

As you can see, the Supply boys were doing their thing -- but it seems like they may have lost Pat's interest at one point, 'cause the dude was totally zoning out and picking at his fingernail.

Now, as for Pat ... this little vacay comes on the heels of his recent bombshell ... namely, he's retiring from hosting 'Wheel' after this upcoming season and hanging it up after more than four decades on the TV game show.

BTW, Pat's sitting next to his daughter, Maggie, who's occasionally stepped in for Vanna White when she was on vacation. There were reports Maggie was angling for the big job that's now going to Ryan Seacrest. Speaking of Vanna, we've learned she's holding out for at least half the amount Pat makes, or else.

Anyhoo, while Pat may have nodded off during one section of their show ... the dude gave them their props a little bit later -- cheering with the rest of the crowd who gave them a round of applause.

In any case, the dude appears to be ready for life post-'Wheel.' He just might need to find some other entertainment on the island.

We gotta say ... Hawaii's not a bad place to sail off into the sunset.

50 Cent Ja Rule's Stage Stunt Is as 'Stupid' As They Come!!!

50 Cent rarely misses the chance to have a laugh at Ja Rule's expense ... and laugh he did at Ja's recent performance stunt that involved paramedics and a stretcher.

On Thursday, 50 called the Murder Inc. rapper a "stupid ninja" after Ja entered his performance on a stretcher before rising up and rocking the mic.

Fans apparently weren't fooled by the charade, and 50 piling on the "😂" emojis only added insult to the non-injury.

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Ja was one of the featured acts at Nelly's 'Hot in Herre' music festival in Toronto last Saturday, and many fans online pointed out his bit was possibly bitten from one of Ginuwine's famous performances.

The "Pony" singer won over audiences on 106 & Park back in the day with the doctor routine ... an era that Ja also ruled in. Sometimes it's best to leave the original untouched!!!

NYC Mayor Adams Goes Off on Woman at City Meeting ... Don't Treat Me Like You Own a Plantation!!!

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TREAT ME WITH RESPECT

NYC Mayor Eric Adams is raising some eyebrows after comparing a citizen at a community meeting to a plantation owner ... this after the woman got aggressive in addressing Adams over recent rent hikes.

Mayor Adams and company were at Gregorio Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics in Washington Heights Wednesday fielding questions on a broad array of topics.

Everything was cordial until one woman interrupted Adams, calling him out for raising the rent. Adams informed the woman he doesn't control the Rent Guidelines Board, but she continued to attack -- pointing her finger at the Mayor several times while addressing him.

Adams clearly had enough -- telling the woman she needed to show him some respect as the Mayor of NYC -- before saying, "I'm speaking to you as an adult. Don’t stand in front like you treated someone that’s on the plantation that you own."

The statement drew applause from the room as the woman sat down ... and the rest of the meeting seemed to go on without issue.