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As far as Kanye West is concerned, Kim Kardashian is still his wife ... and while that might still be true legally, it doesn't seem like a long-term possibility.

Ye sat down with the guys on Revolt TV's "Drink Champs" Thursday in an interview that, based on Kanye's haircut, was recorded several weeks ago. Ye talked music, money, fashion and family ... but the part about his relationship with Kim seemed to cause the most buzz.

The former Mr. West says Kim is still his wife because there "ain't no paperwork" to say otherwise. Of course, the two have been going through a divorce -- which has remained very amicable -- for several months now ... it hasn't yet been finalized, so technically Kim and Kanye still are married.

We've seen both support each other in recent career endeavors -- Kim at Ye's "Donda" listening events and Kanye joining Kim in NYC when she hosted 'SNL.'

However, through all of those things -- the divorce was still moving forward -- and most recently, Kim bought the couple's Hidden Hills estate from Kanye for $23 million ... a sure sign the divorce won't be called off.

Of course, Kim has also been hanging with Pete Davidson in the last week ... first hitting Knott's Berry Farm in CA before joining him twice in NYC for dinner.

Lance Bass wants to see more of Britney Spears enjoying her life out in the public ... something he hopes will happen when, and if, her conservatorship is dissolved.

We got Lance and his husband, Michael Turchin, Thursday afternoon at Wally's in Bev Hills ... and asked about Britney venturing back into Hollywood for the Immersive Van Gogh Los Angeles exhibit. She went with her sons Wednesday night, and Lance is thinking it's a sign of things to come.

The *NSYNC singer says he misses seeing Britney going out to do fun things ... and he wants to see more of her in public. Of course, she has a huge court hearing next week, when the judge could rule on whether to end the conservatorship.

Perhaps in anticipation of that, Lance reveals that he's already reached out to Brit.

As you know, Lance and Britney go way back to the late '90s when their careers were launching, and they were labelmates at Jive Records.

Remember, sources close to Britney have told us she might never hit the stage again and performing is one of the last things on her mind ... but Lance says he's not giving up hope.

A memorial has been set up in Las Vegas for the victim in the Henry Ruggs accident ... at the spot where the former Raiders player slammed into the back of a RAV4, killing 23-year-old Tina Tintor -- and it's an incredibly sad display.

TMZ Sports has photos of the memorial -- complete with photographs, candles and flowers -- erected by family, friends and other people deeply touched by the tragic story just feet away from where the horrific crash occurred.

Maybe the most heartbreaking -- a pic of the 23-year-old with her beloved golden retriever ... who also died in the crash and subsequent fire. Both were trapped in the vehicle and unable to escape.

Police allege an intoxicated Ruggs was driving his Chevrolet Corvette at ridiculous speeds, hitting 156 MPH just 2.5 seconds before rear-ending the Toyota at 127 MPH, sending both vehicles skidding over 500 feet.

Officials say the 23-year-old and her dog were unable to escape ... and burned inside the car before help could save them.

22-year-old Ruggs, whose BAC was .161 at the hospital, has been charged with multiple felonies -- DUI resulting in death or serious injury and reckless driving -- and is facing 46 years in prison, according to the District Attorney.

On Thursday, we posted an emotional video from the scene ... showing Henry embracing his GF as they sat on the pavement, yelling and crying, just feet away from the burning car.

Ruggs -- who was released by the Raiders less than 24 hours after the accident -- posted $150K bond and is out of custody.

Meghan Markle should go by her U.S. family name the next time she decides to wade into U.S. politics by cold-calling members of Congress ... so says U.S. Rep. Jason Smith.

The Congressman from Missouri joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked what he made of Meghan dialing up Senators to lobby for paid family leave and introducing herself as the Duchess of Sussex.

Rep. Smith says he has no issues with her getting involved in American politics, seeing as she's an American citizen -- but he says she needs to leave her ties to the Royal Family out of it, for a few reasons.

The big beef Rep. Smith has is the Royal Family is traditionally neutral when it comes to politics across the pond ... so Meghan using a royal title to wield influence in America doesn't sit right with him.

While some think Meghan is just using her celebrity to lobby for something she believes in ... Rep. Smith says that's fine, as long as she uses the thing she was known for before marrying Prince Harry and having children.

"Former 'Suits' star Meghan Markle" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Plus, the Congressman did admit he has a slight royal bias.

Tina Tintor, the woman Henry Ruggs killed in a horrific crash worked as an employee at Target ... and the store is helping her co-workers deal with the grief of losing a friend.

Tintor, a Vegas resident, worked at a Target location close to her home and the crash site. Tina's former boss and store director, Travis Winston, tells us, "We’re deeply saddened by the death of our former team member, Tina Tintor. We extend our sympathies to her family and friends, and to all those impacted by this tragedy."

Winston also says Target is providing Tina's former coworkers with support, including access to onsite counselors.

As we reported, Tina was trapped inside her Toyota after Ruggs hit her from behind, traveling at an estimated 156 mph. The car burst into flames, and onlookers tried to free Tina, but the heat and smoke were too strong. The 23-year-old and her dog died inside the vehicle.

TMZ Sports obtained video from the scene, showing Ruggs sobbing and cussing just minutes after the accident.

The former Las Vegas Raider made his first appearance in court Wednesday, wearing a neck brace and sitting in a wheelchair. He's been charged with DUI resulting in death and reckless driving ... both felonies.

William Lucking, who starred as one of the staple characters in "Sons of Anarchy" has died at the age of 80.

Lucking, who played biker Piney Winston on the show died last month at home in Las Vegas. An obituary for the actor, written by his wife of 25 years, Sigrid, called Lucking a "giant of a man with the soul of a poet."

It's currently unclear how Lucking died, but "SoA" fans will remember his character, Piney, as the biker club's oldest member and most senior adviser. Piney carried an oxygen tank on the show, and had seemingly slowed down a bit as the series started.

Lucking's career started back in the late '60s, spanning both TV and film ... with roles alongside Faye Dunaway in "Oklahoma Crude" to the original Colonel in NBC's The A-Team in the 1980's.

Lucking leaves behind his wife, two daughters, grandkids and a sister.

His obituary requests fans "toast to his memory and celebrate his legacy."

Phoenix Suns co-owner Robert Sarver is being accused of using the N-word on multiple occasions over the course of his 17 years with the team ... but he's denying all but one claim made against him.

ESPN just released a lengthy report on Sarver's tenure with the Suns organization ... with several sources accusing the 60-year-old of racism, sexism and misogyny.

Earl Watson -- who was head coach of the Suns from 2016-17 -- claims Sarver hurled the slur multiple times after a game against the Golden State Warriors ... saying, "You know, why does Draymond Green get to run up the court and say [N-word]?"

The ex-NBAer says he fired back at Sarver by explaining he's not allowed to use the word ... to which Sarver replied, "Why? Draymond Green says [N-word]."

While Watson claims he said the word, Sarver says he actually used the phrase "N-word."

Sarver adamantly denies calling or referring to anyone as the racial slur ... saying, "It is abhorrent and ugly and denigrating and against everything I believe in."

Sarver -- who also co-owns the Phoenix Mercury -- does admit using the word "many years ago" ... claiming he was responding to a player while discussing team chemistry.

"An assistant coach approached me a short time after and told me that I shouldn't say the word, even if I were quoting someone else," Sarver told the outlet.

In a 2004 meeting that included Steve Nash, Amar'e Stoudemire, agents and other staffers, Sarver allegedly said the term "black guy" loosely, which employees believed came off as racially insensitive.

6 other staffers claim Sarver also used the N-word when sharing stories relayed by a black player.

There's more -- an executive claims Sarver explained his decision to hire Lindsey Hunter as head coach over Dan Majerle back in 2013 by saying, "The N-words need an N-word."

Watson also says Sarver mentioned race while asking him to cut ties with Rich Paul's Klutch Sports amid contract negotiations with player Eric Bledsoe ... claiming he said, "Yeah, I understand what race you two are. So I'm asking you, How bad do you want your job?"

Watson claims to have responded -- "You can do whatever you want. You own this team, but my culture is not for sale. And, I'm not for sale."

As for Sarver, he says his issues with Klutch were due to a conflict of interest and not race. Watson was later fired 3 games into the 2017-18 season.

The report claims Sarver told a pregnant employee in 2008 she would not be able to do her job because she would be at home breastfeeding all day ... but Suns management rebuked Sarver's wishes and did not fire the woman due to fear of discrimination.

Sarver is also accused of showing employees pictures of his wife in a bikini ... which he claims was meant to show off team-branded swimsuits that were recently approved for sale.

There's more -- Sarver is admitting to pulling down an accounting exec's pants in front of fellow employees during an ALS Ice Bucket Challenge back in 2014, which he regrets.

Sarver also allegedly made comments to staffers about shaving their private parts, NBA players getting strippers pregnant and female employees crying too much.

Others claim Sarver discussed receiving oral sex from his wife, needing to wear extra-sized condoms, and asking players about their sex lives ... which he's denied.

As one employee put the working environment under Sarver ... "If the commissioner comes in and investigates to see what the f*** is going on in Phoenix, [he] would be appalled."

Britney Spears ventured into Hollywood Wednesday night for a little culture -- an exhibit that's the talk of the town.

Britney hit up Immersive Van Gogh Los Angeles in the heart of Hollywood. She tooled up in her G-Wagon as her driver entered the parking lot at the intersection of Cahuenga and Sunset Blvd. Her fiance, Sam Asghari, wasn't there.

The exhibit features 20,000 square feet of awesome Van Gogh works, splashed on 2-story screens. It's a 360-degree experience and pretty incredible.

The exhibit is sold out, but not to worry. It closed early Wednesday night at 7, which is when Britney went for a private showing. She was there a little under an hour before leaving.

As we reported, Britney went off on her mom, Lynne Spears ... saying she engineered the conservatorship that made her life miserable. It doesn't seem like a coincidence Britney posted her feelings hours after Lynne filed legal docs asking the conservatorship to pay $600,000 that she incurred in legal bills.

The judge in the conservatorship case could decide to pull the plug next Friday. What's unclear ... will the judge order a mental evaluation, something Britney does not want.

Henry Ruggs sat near a sidewalk just feet away from the Toyota engulfed in flames -- which killed a woman and her dog -- and he and his girlfriend swore and sobbed ... in this new video, obtained by TMZ Sports.

Just seconds after the former Raiders star slammed his Corvette into the back of a Rav4 at around 3:40 AM in Las Vegas ... footage shows Ruggs and Kiara Washington locked in a hug on the ground. In the clip, you can hear parts of their emotional conversation.

"OK. OK, here," she told Ruggs as she grabbed his face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

He responded, "F***!!! Stop yelling!!!"

Video later shows one witness, who had arrived just minutes after the crash, telling an officer, "That's Henry Ruggs right here. That's Henry Ruggs right here. He plays for the Raiders."

The woman holding Ruggs then was sent into a panic -- as Ruggs appeared to drift in and out of consciousness in her arms.

"Can we get help?!?" the woman yelled. "Can you please help him!?!" He is knocked unconscious!"

Ruggs then seemed to come to -- and you can hear in the video, he began crying and sobbing as his girlfriend still held his head.

As we previously reported, cops say Ruggs showed signs of impairment at the scene when they interrogated him -- and, after being checked out at a local hospital, he was arrested and booked on charges of DUI and reckless driving.

In police documents, cops say he was going 156 MPH just before the crash ... and ultimately hit the Toyota at 127 MPH. Prosecutors later said bloodwork showed he had a BAC of .161 -- more than two times the legal limit of .08.

They added the 22-year-old also had a gun in the Corvette.

Ruggs -- who was released by the Raiders after the wreck -- showed up for a hearing on the matter in court on Wednesday in a neck brace and a wheelchair ... and later posted $150,000 bond.

Zayn Malik's confrontation with Yolanda Hadid -- the one that ended with Zayn pleading no contest to 4 criminal charges -- was all about boundaries ... boundaries he says she violated.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Zayn was at Gigi's home Sept. 29, where he was staying because he wanted to be close to his daughter. Our sources say on that day Yolanda "barged" into the house, without calling beforehand or even knocking at the door.

We're told this was an ongoing source of conflict ... Zayn felt Yolanda was acting like the house was hers and ignoring his position as the boyfriend of Gigi and father of their little girl. Our sources say Zayn made his feelings known once she entered, but Yolanda wasn't having it.

We're told Zayn typically works nights on his music and sleeps for part of the day, and Yolanda regularly disrupted his life by coming over as if she owned the place.

There were other sources of tension as well ... notably, Yolanda was posting photos of the baby, which pissed off Zayn because he felt privacy was vital.

TMZ broke the story ... Zayn was charged with 4 counts of harassment for allegedly berating Yolanda and pushing her into a dresser -- something he denies. He was also charged with harassing Gigi, who was in Paris at the time of the incident. And, he was charged with harassing the security guard, whom Zayn allegedly challenged to a fight. Zayn pled no contest, received a small fine and was ordered to take anger management courses.

Chris Rock's making it clear where he stands in the vaxx/anti-vaxx debate by taking a big swipe at Kyrie Irving ... and he did it in a prime location.

Chris was onstage Wednesday night in Brooklyn along with a bunch of bands and comedians performing at an NFT Week event when he hyped up the crowd by calling out anti-vaxxers. He eased into it with a joke about wearing face masks at concerts, and then simply asked, "Where's my anti-vaxxers at?"

Oddly, the question actually drew some cheers -- NYC requires vaccinations to attend shows like this -- and then Rock hit 'em with ... "You dumb, Kyrie motherf******!!!"

Chris was just a few miles away from Barclays Center, where Kyrie will NOT be playing this season for his Brooklyn Nets -- but his joke still scored laughs from the hometown crowd. Remember, Chris is from Brooklyn ... but he's still a diehard Knicks fan.

Lil Baby, Questlove, Aziz Ansari, and Rich the Kid were some of the other performers -- and after Chris took his shot at Kyrie Irving, he introduced The Strokes.

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson very much appear to be an item ... well, maybe something more flingy than that ... the two just met up for the second night in a row.

K&P joined a group of friends for dinner at Zero Bond in NYC. The pair arrived separately, Pete first and then Kim -- dressed in Balenciaga sunglasses and a black dress -- about 10 minutes later. If the two grabbing dinner sounds familiar, it should ... Pete and Kim chowed down at Campania in Staten Island Tuesday night after they were escorted through a back entrance and treated to a very private meal.

This time, things weren't as intimate -- with others breaking bread with them -- but to hang out 3x in less than a week, not to mention cross-country ... well, it's starting to sound like a thing. According to Page Six, who was first to report the story, Pete wore a green plaid shirt, jeans and sneakers to the meetup.

As for why Kim's in town, it wasn't solely to see Pete ... she was honored Monday at Wall Street Journal Magazine's 2021 Innovator Awards for her SKIMS line. Always a savvy businesswoman, Kim wore brown leather with SKIMS during her acceptance speech.

It was only a few days ago when we got Kim, Pete and friends in the OC during a trip to Knott's Berry Farm. The two rode a rollercoaster together, and at one point held hands ... onlookers told us they looked like a "thing."

Welp, forget any chances of Erika Jayne and Sutton Stracke settling their nearly season-long beef ... the two faced off during last night's 'RHOBH' reunion with insults that pushed the envelope even for a Bravo show.

Last night's fourth and final installment of the sit-down with the cast members was again mostly centered around Erika, but it was when they rehashed a dinner fight that happened between EJ and Sutton that things got really nasty.

Sutton revealed she had to hire a full-time security team after Erika threatened her and her family. The two traded jabs during the reunion, before Erika dropped a hammer, saying at the time of the dinner fight, Sutton was being a "bitchy f****** c***."

During the reunion, Erika also mentioned how her estranged husband, Tom Girardi, still calls her several times a day, getting emotional and revealing she blames him for putting her in such a tough position.

As we reported, EJ is currently in the middle of a legal battle -- accused of taking $25 million from Tom's former law firm to fund her ritzy lifestyle.

Meghan Markle is lobbying hard for paid paternity leave -- an issue that could be a deal-breaker in the impending infrastructure vote on Capitol Hill -- and she's been cold-calling U.S. Senators ... but oddly, using her royal title.

Apparently, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand gave Markle the cell phone numbers of 2 key Senators -- Susan Collins and Shelley Moore Capito, both Republicans. Markle followed through with a phone call, which showed up as a blocked number.

Moore Capito told Politico, "I'm in my car. I'm driving. It says caller ID blocked. Honestly, I thought it was Senator Manchin, his calls come in blocked."

Moore Capito says she answered and the caller then ID'd herself ... "And she goes, 'Senator Capito?' I said, 'Yes.' She said, "This is Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex."

A similar call was made to Collins, who also answered. Collins said, "I was happy to talk with her, but I'm more interested in what people from Maine are telling me about paid leave."

Markle has been active behind the scenes, writing both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to push for passage of the bill. She wrote, "I'm writing to you at this deeply important time -- as a mom -- to advocate for paid leave ... on behalf of my family, Archie and Lili and Harry."

Aaron Carter is about to be a first-time father -- a baby that’s due any day now, and the kid's name will honor Aaron's relationship with Michael Jackson.

The singer tells TMZ ... his fiancée, Melanie Martin, has been expecting a baby boy for quite some time now. Her due date is Nov. 18, but he says they're ready for her to pop anytime between now and then.

Aaron says they've already decided the kid's name will be Prince Lyric Carter, which is a nod to MJ.

As you probably know, Aaron and Michael were close ... and he tells us the King of Pop -- who he considered a friend and mentor -- used to call him the Prince of Pop. Sooo, there ya go.

Anyhow, the young Prince-to-be might be arriving via c-section because of some high-risk factors for Melanie. We're told she has anemia and ulcerative colitis, plus the baby was in breech position -- feet first -- for the first 6 months of the pregnancy ... but he's back in a normal position now.

The couple says they're nervous, but mostly thrilled for Prince's arrival ... especially after Melanie suffered a miscarriage last year.

If Hollywood memorabilia's your thing -- don't miss this chance to bid on relics from 'Anchorman,' 'Friends' and a George Clooney watch ... all in the name of helping vets.

Indeed, the cause is a great one. A nonprofit called Homes for Our Troops is holding its 5th annual Veteran's Day Celebrity Auction starting Nov. 4 and running through the 14th ... and they've got some neat stuff on the table here, which can technically be yours.

Among some of the coolest items ... Jockey briefs as seen on the set of "Anchorman 2," which are autographed by the great Will Ferrell himself. If you're not quite brave enough for that -- there's also something for 'Friends' lovers, especially fans of Rachel Green.

'Friends' autographed clothing from Jennifer Aniston's personal collection are also on the auction block.

There's more than just attire here though for bidding purposes ... other items that HFOT has in its collection this year include a "Suicide Squad" script signed by the cast, a special Snoopy watch from George Clooney's own collection, a guitar with Jon Bon Jovi's John Hancock on it ... and a WHOLE lot more.

All in all, we're talking upwards of 130 personalized items and experiences that can be yours to claim -- and of course, the money's going toward putting our brave men and women who've served and returned injured into specially adapted custom homes.