NENE LEAKES 'RHOA' RETURN NOT HAPPENING ... Not in Season 16, Anyway!!!

NeNe Leakes fans' hopes of her making a big return to "Real Housewives of Atlanta" -- fully fueled by Porsha Williams going back -- are about to be dashed, because we've learned NeNe is not following in her BFF's footsteps.

Sources connected to the show tell TMZ ... NeNe isn't in any talks to join the upcoming season 16 -- and, in fact, we're told producers haven't even reached out to her to have any conversations about the possibility. So, bringing NL back just isn't in the cards.

For NeNe and 'RHOA' fans this isn't the news they want to hear with a NeNe-shaped hole in their lives, and storylines, ever since she parted ways with the show in 2020.

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All this is even more devastating for fans, given that they've long been campaigning for her comeback on social media.

Hopes were raised further when she followed Bravo on Instagram in Nov. 2023 ... suggesting she might be back on good terms with them after things soured when Leakes filed a 2022 lawsuit claiming the show's producers tolerate a toxic work environment filled with racism.

As of now, the only person making a grand return for 'RHOA' season 16 is Porsha, who initially exited the show in 2021 after 9 seasons on the show.

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Despite not coming back to our screens right now, NeNe's had a whole lot to say about 'RHOA,' especially about its low ratings ... telling us last month showrunners need to blow something up to bolster viewership.

NeNe also said it's about time for some fresh blood after 15 years of the same cast -- so it sounds like even she doesn't think it's a good idea to go back.

Bill Maher Shut Up Mindless Partisans!!!

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STOP THE SPIEL

Bill Maher is f***ing sick of Republicans and Democrats who reflexively villainize everyone with whom they disagree ... and he's got receipts of how stupid hard-core partisans have become.

For starters, the far right is trying to sell a story that Biden has destroyed America. Rep. Nancy Mace said since Joe Biden took office America has become a raging "s*** show." Bill concedes he wouldn't pick Joe as his "Squid Games" partner, but he says it's actually Nancy who's full of s*** when you look at the facts.

Fact is, the 'Real Time' host says Biden's not perfect by any stretch, but he's done a lot of good.

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TOUCHY TWOSOME

The funniest thing ... he points to Rep. Lauren Boebert who grouses we are now dependent on Saudi oil. Not true, BM says, and warns her not to jerk him off!

On the other side, people who don't like Ron DeSantis say he's worse than Donald Trump. Bill shows that just not true, even if you strongly disagree with his views.

The real point ... mindless partisanship. If you disagree with someone, then they're the worst people who ever lived. There's no good in them ... just evil. And that's why the largest voting block these days is independents, because they're sick of the tribalism.

And the media plays right into this. Cable networks find no good in the people with whom they disagree, and no bad in the people they embrace. And cable networks aren't alone.

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And don't get Bill started on people who say cancel culture was never a thing.

Kevin Costner Here's Why Ex Lost Big in Divorce ... Tried Milking 'Expenses'!!!

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GAMING THE SYSTEM
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Kevin Costner's ex-wife may have screwed herself in their epic divorce, all because she listed everything under the sun as an expense she'd need covered in almost a quarter of a million dollars in monthly child support ... even though her final amount ended up being far, far less.

TMZ has a new documentary about this uncoupling -- one of the most acrimonious we've seen in a long time here in Hollywood -- and a particular element about the proceeding that was fascinating is the fact that Christine shot for the moon in what she was seeking at first.

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ANOTHER DAY IN COURT
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Of course, we're referring to the $248k in monthly child support she wanted from Kevin -- an astronomical amount that she justified with an absurd list of expenses she said she needed.

Among those costs she said she needed covered ... cosmetic surgeries, and other luxuries -- like boutique shopping, massive ATM withdrawals, and sky-high attorney's fees.

In the end ... a judge gave her a fraction of what she wanted -- even though Kevin offered her more than she ended up getting.

We talked to lots of folks in the know about celebrity divorces to see why they thought Christine swung for the fences ... and we got some interesting insights. Turns out there's really no such thing as an iron-clad prenup.

The doc gets into all of this and more -- "TMZ Investigates: Kevin Costner's Divorce War" is a deep dive into the nasty split, examining how it devolved into a war over money, cheating allegations, and entitlement.

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It airs Monday night at 9/8c on FOX.

Donald Trump I'm No Fatso ... Those Golf Images Are A.I.!!!

Donald Trump is taking a swing at social media users with his nine iron for posting "fake" A.I. pics of him with a massive beer gut on the golf course.

On Friday, the 45th U.S. President posted a message on Truth Social, blasting everyone who uploaded to their accounts what he claims are Artificial Intelligence-generated photos portraying him as a fatso as he hits a golf ball on the links.

The pic, BTW, appears to be a photoshopped version of golfer John Daly.

Regardless, an infuriated DT wrote, "The Fake News used Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to create the picture. These are despicable people, but everyone knows that."

He continued, "The other pictures are me hitting Golf balls today to show the difference. Sadly, in our Country, Fake News is all you get!"

Alongside his bloated "A.I." image, DT posted three snaps of a skinnier version of himself supposedly playing golf Friday afternoon.

As you know, the insult could not have come on a worse day for Trump as a New York judge ordered him to pay $355 million in fines after he was found liable in his civil business fraud trial.

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Tough day for DT. No doubt about that.

Victoria Beckham Smacked With Granny Question ... Gives Blown-Away Response

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Grandma Who??

Victoria Beckham had a very spicy reaction when she was confronted with the prospect of becoming a grandmother during a recent Vogue interview.

The former "Spice Girls" pop star sat down Friday with 'The Run Through' co-host Chloe Malle and was totally gob-smacked when she was hit with the "Gramma" question from the Vogue contributing editor.

Here's how it unfolded ... Halfway through their chat, Malle brought up Victoria's son, Brooklyn, and his 2022 marriage to wife Nicola Peltz.

Malle asked Victoria if she had any relationship advice for the young couple who has no children ... yet. Victoria replied that she'll always offer them support, but she's not down with giving advice.

Then Malle smacked Victoria -- AKA "Posh Spice" -- right across the face with the geriatric stuff, asking, "Are you excited to be a grandmother?"

Check out the video ... Victoria was absolutely floored by the suggestion Brooklyn was having a baby with Nicola -- and she delivered an extremely animated response, "Oh. Jesus. What? Woo. Hang on."

The fashion designer even used her hand to fan her face before turning to the audience and insisting, "I don't think it's happening just yet unless you guys know something I don't."

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Victoria finally regained her composure and, on a more serious note, stated, "If I am blessed, then that would be wonderful."

Then she returned to her funny routine, fanning her face again and reiterating that "we are not there yet."

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True, but Brooklyn has made no secret of the fact that he wants to start a family with Nicola, posting about it on Instagram.

Just sayin', Victoria.

Eli Manning Hits Craps Table For Hours In FL ... Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!?!

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WINNING BIG!!!
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Tom Brady and a craps table in Florida apparently have something in common ... neither stands a chance against Eli Manning!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the New York Giants legend rolled dice at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL for hours on Thursday night -- and he appeared to win BIG.

One witness tells us ... Manning showed up before 9:30 PM and stayed past 2:30 AM -- albeit with a short break for food at some point -- seemingly raking in cash throughout the evening.

In fact, in video we obtained, you can see that after one run in particular ... he celebrated like a madman, high-fiving his tablemates before sharing a huge embrace with one of his pals.

We're told Eli seemed to have around $40,000 in chips in front of him ... while some of the guys he was playing with had over $100K.

Of course, it ain't like Eli exactly needs the dough ... after all, the former signal-caller made over $250 MILLION in his NFL career alone.

But, hey, the guy beat Brady twice in Super Bowls -- he clearly can't help but win when he gets the chance!

Zak Bagans Cursed Jewelry Box Going on Display ... From Dead Model's Home

Zak Bagans has a new cursed item going on display at his museum, one with a connection to recently deceased Playboy model Masuimi Max ... TMZ has learned.

The paranormal investigator tells us ... Charles Max, Masuimi's brother, met him at his museum in Las Vegas and was totally rattled by an innocuous-looking jewelry box he said once belonged to MM's mom.

After their mother died, Charles told Zak their father kept the jewelry box ... an odd move, because Charles says Korean people generally burn a loved one's possessions after they die.

Charles ended up taking the box, and quickly wished he hadn't -- he told Zak the box gives people amnesia, and detailed several other terrifying experiences with the creepy artifact.

For example ... Zak says Charles told him several mirrors in his house cracked when he put the box next to them, cold spots cropped up in different places in the home where Charles said he could see his own breath.

He even claims he would feel paralyzed at times, describing it as being grabbed by an unseen force.

Ultimately, Charles told Zak he gave the box to one of his sisters -- NOT Masuimi -- who swears she never gave it to Masuimi.

While the paranormal experiences stopped haunting Charles, the whole family has no explanation for how the box ended up in Masuimi's possession.

We broke the story ... Masuimi died last month at her Las Vegas-area home. Cops said no foul play was suspected at the time though her cause of death is still unclear. She was only 45.

On the same day she passed, Charles and his other sister went to her house, and found the jewelry box on the floor near the door -- again, shocking 'cause this other sister says she didn't give it to Masuimi.

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Charles swears Masuimi would never have wanted the box -- she didn't have a good relationship with their mother, so there's no reason she'd covet it.

One more creepy fact/coincidence ... Masuimi died on the same date as her mother.

Zak says the only thing in the jewelry box is a broken necklace. You can check it out for yourself at the Zak Bagans' Haunted Museum in Las Vegas ... if you're brave enough to get that close.

What's The Big Frigin' Difference?!

"There must be some Clovers hotties in the atmosphere" during New York Fashion Week 2024 ... and those hotties are none other than Gabrielle Union and Nina Dobrev! Put down your pom poms, and see if you can BRING ON the minor changes in these two shots!

Legs for days ... the duo dressed like a sweet half-moon cookie earlier this week and delivered detail -- decked out in lace -- for the Michael Kors runway show! Both ladies looked ab-shoe-lutely stunning!

C'mon now, get those changes secured in the bag!

**HINT: There are THREE differences in the above Gabrielle Union and Nina Dobrev photos!**

TMZ TV Recap KC Shooting Fallout ... Kim Looks for Love, Jayden Daniels

We finished the week strong at TMZ -- and the same goes for the topics we covered on TV.

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CHARGED IN KC
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Starting out with 'TMZ Live,' Harvey and Charles continued to discuss the fallout from the Kansas City shooting at the victory rally Wednesday ... particularly as it pertains to Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, who've been catching some flak for what they did afterward.

Of course, we're referring to the dinner party they attended hours after the shooting -- which we're learning more about even now ... and yes, it did look quite celebratory in nature.

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LOOKIN' FOR LOVE
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On 'TMZ on TV,' the gang dove into Kim K's new list of qualifications for a potential long-term partner -- and from the sounds of it, pearly whites (among other things) are pretty important.

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SAFE WITH MOM
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Finally, on 'TMZ Sports' ... Mike and Mojo discussed Jayden Daniels and where his Heisman currently is.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Celebs Vacaying In Aspen ... Say It Ain't Snow!

It's vacay season year-round when you're a Hollywood big-shot, and this year's Winter hotspot definitely comes with a price tag: ASPEN ... known for its bougie boutiques, fancy schmancy restaurants and posh people hittin' the slopes HARD! Come get lost in these thaw-dropping shots!

Billionaire Kim Kardashian and sis Kendall Jenner know what's up -- blowing kisses to their snowman in the fluffy powpow, while Aspen home-owner, Mauricio Umansky, shredded some gnar shirtless and Lele Pons and Anitta skied and sipped on some bubbly in terry cloth towels ... Pinkies up!

Plow into our gallery of celebs livin' the good life and havin' snow much fun in Aspen!

Travis Kelce Gives $100K To Kids Injured In Shooting

Travis Kelce followed his girlfriend's lead in the donation department -- he just donated the exact same amount Taylor Swift gave to victims of the Kansas City shooting.

The Chiefs tight end shelled out $100,000 to two children who were shot during Wednesday's incident -- specifically, two young daughters of the Reyes family ... who'd started a GoFundMe of their own in recent days to help cover costs for their severe injuries.

He made the donations very similarly to how Taylor did it ... two different installments of $50k, which came from his charity, 87 and Running.

The two girls -- whose identities haven't been publicly revealed -- were shot in the legs ... and they're still recovering in the hospital. Their family set a goal of $100,000 -- which they said would go toward their medical costs, plus future college tuition -- and TK helped them reach that and beyond. With his $100k donation ... the family is now at more than $175k.

Travis' donation -- which was first reported by Page Six -- matches Taylor's own $100k contribution to the family of the lone woman who died after Wednesday's shooting ... and, of course, it comes on the heels of Patrick Mahomes donating earlier in the day as well.

Patrick and Brittany even visited one of the hospitals to meet with some of the young victims who are still recuperating.

It goes without saying ... the charitable moves by Travis and Patrick also follow some backlash they faced this week after it was revealed they went out to continue celebrating after the shooting ... hitting up a restaurant and keeping the good time going.

Some have said they're being unfairly criticized -- but others say ... the optics weren't great.

In any case ... the donations are obviously a great thing -- something we're sure the victims appreciate.

C.J. Stroud & Amber Rose Leave Charity Softball Game Together ... Ya'll Dating?!?

C.J. Stroud had a notable passenger riding shotgun with him on Thursday night -- Amber Rose -- and it's got many wonderin' ... are the two an item?!?

The superstar quarterback and the model competed in the 2024 Cactus Jack Foundation HBCU Celebrity Softball Classic at Minute Maid Park ... and shortly after it ended, they were seen walking toward the same car together.

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more than friends ???
Infamous Tex of 97.9 The Box

There were no signs of PDA as they made their way through a gaggle of photogs and fans ... but they sure didn't seem awkward around each other -- sparking dating rumors all over the internet.

Our sources tell us Rose -- who's dated Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa in the past -- is not formally seeing anyone at the moment ... and Stroud is reportedly single too -- so it's all entirely possible.

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The one potential hang-up, though ... Rose is 40 years old, and C.J. is just 22 -- but if you've ever seen him play in an NFL game, he's shown plenty of signs that he's mature beyond his years.

Neither, of course, has said anything publicly about it ... so stay tuned.

D.L. Hughley Stands By Mo'Nique Comments ... Sit-Down Not Happening

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NOTHING TO SAY TO HER
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D.L. Hughley's moving on from his feud with Mo'Nique ... saying he's a grown-ass man who doesn't think every argument needs a resolution, and this one definitely will NOT!

We got the comedian/actor out in New York City, where we asked about his very public beef with the Oscar winner ... and wondered if he'd be interested in a sit down with her on Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast.

You gotta see how D.L. immediately shot down any notion of that happening ... because it sounds like he's not too thrilled with Shannon, either.

Hughley said he'd never go on "Club Shay Shay," and he's definitely not reaching out to Mo'Nique 'cause he's convinced they've both said all they need to say.

Remember ... Mo'Nique went after a bunch of entertainment industry folks on Sharpe's podcast, and specifically said D.L. offended her on his radio show during an interview.

She demanded the segment not air -- a request D.L. said he agreed to in the same social media rant where he called her a "liar" earlier this month.

D.L. told us he's not backing down on a single word he said about Mo'Nique ... saying he's got zero regrets and doesn't need to reconcile with her because they're both adults who said what they said.

Basically, Hughley says they "don't have to be in the same space," and he adds, it's a "fallacy" to believe folks who don't see eye to eye have to reconcile.

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MO'NIQUE WHO?
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BTW ... this isn't the first time Hughley and Mo'Nique have had beef. Back in 2022, a contract dispute over who was supposed to headline a comedy show resulted in Mo'Nique calling out D.L. for saying he didn't believe his daughter at first when she said she was sexually assaulted.

Mo'Nique apologized for bringing up his daughter, but Hughley told us at the time arguments like the one with her just weren't worth his time -- pretty much exactly how he still feels today.

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Seems D.L.'s puttin' this feud in his rearview too ... but, we'll have to wait and see if Mo'Nique's gonna let it slip that easily.

Tiger Woods Withdraws From Big Tournament ... Suffering From Illness

UPDATE

4:02 PM PT -- Tiger Woods' manager just told reporters at the event that the golfer began suffering from flu-like symptoms Thursday night, but decided to try to push through it all on Friday.

However, he became dizzy on the course ... and withdrew from the event.

Woods' manager, though, said that after an IV, the 48-year-old is now feeling "much, much better."

Tiger Woods' return to the PGA Tour was shortlived ... he just withdrew from The Genesis Invitational after suffering from an illness.

The Big Cat -- who shot a 1-over 73 at the tourney on Thursday in his first action since last April -- made it through six holes on Friday afternoon ... before he decided he just couldn't go anymore.

The golfing legend hit his tee shot on hole No. 7, then hopped in a cart and headed back to the clubhouse.

It's unclear the severity of his ailment ... although fans in attendance at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles have grown concerned for the 48-year-old after an ambulance showed up at the venue a short time after he officially called it quits.

It seems, however, a bug is going around the course ... as fellow PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth is reportedly dealing with some uneasy symptoms too.

This weekend's rounds were the first PGA Tour ones Woods has logged since he underwent surgery on his ankle following the 2023 Masters. He looked solid throughout Thursday -- although he did have one shank on the 18th hole that went viral.

Following the round, he seemed normal ... though he did tell Golf Channel he had "some treatment ahead of" him to get ready for Friday's 18.

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Originally Published -- 2:50 PM PT

Jason Kelce Contacts Luchador Mask Kid's Family ... Getting It Back To Elijah!!!

Jason Kelce is serious about getting a Chiefs luchador mask back to the Texas teenager who let him borrow it at the Super Bowl ... because he reached out to the teen's family.

As many people saw during the SB celebrations ... Jason famously wore a Chiefs luchador mask to Super Bowl LVIII after-parties in Las Vegas after his brother Travis Kelce won the big game.

As it turns out ... the mask actually belongs to Elijah Smith, an 8th grader from Dallas who gave Jason the mask for a photo op -- but who never got it back amid all the post-game chaos. JK himself had recently said he found it on the floor ... in any case, it's the kid's.

Anyway ... Jason had already pledged to get Elijah his mask back in a social media post Friday morning, and we've since learned the NFL player has contacted Elijah's parents.

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ROMANCE ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Sarah Smith, Elijah's mom, tells TMZ … Jason personally reached out to them Friday while Elijah was at school, and he plans on calling back so he can talk to Elijah on the phone later at some point this weekend.

The Smiths tell us Jason came off as very thoughtful, kind, and apologetic ... and they told him there was no rush in returning the luchador mask, especially given the Super Bowl parade shooting tragedy in Kansas City.

Sarah explains that Elijah's a pretty superstitious teen -- as lots of sports fans are -- and believes the mask is a lucky charm of sorts, which is why he wants it back.

In his post on X, Jason agreed ... "Your mask indeed brings great fortune, I owe you big time, sorry it was commandeered."

Worth noting -- the family isn't upset Jason got to wear it after the Super Bowl instead of Elijah ... they say all the videos and photos of Jason in Vegas with the mask are absolutely "epic." Once Jason returns the mask, Elijah's mom predicts her son will wear it to Chiefs games next season ... unless he frames it, of course.

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All's well that ends well ... and this story's getting a leap-off-the-ropes finale.

Sharon Stone Ex-LAPD Officers Don't Buy O.J. Tale

Sharon Stone claims LAPD officers came to her home during the O.J. Simpson chase and whisked her away -- but cops who were on the force back then don't have any such memory.

David Gascon -- who was a commander at the LAPD's Media Relations department during the O.J. years -- tells TMZ ... he's never heard of cops showing up to Sharon's crib on June 17, 1994, when officers were in hot pursuit of Simpson during that infamous televised low-speed chase.

Not only is Gascon personally unaware of it happening ... he says he'd never heard a single report of Sharon's involvement, at least not until she talked about it this past week.

Ditto for Tom Lange ... the lead LAPD detective on the O.J. case tells us he hadn't heard a peep about Sharon's claim cops ushered her to a hotel for safety reasons. In fact, Lange asks the obvious question ... why would O.J. go after Sharon at the time?

Lange insists, if Sharon's Simpson saga happened, he would've heard of it. As for Sharon's M.O. in telling it ... he suspects it might have to do with the 30th anniversary coming up in June.

Last, but not least, we spoke to a retired former LAPD officer -- who worked in the South L.A. division back in 1994 -- and he also says any Sharon-O.J. connection is news to him!

This retired officer questions how or why O.J. would have any reason to go to Sharon's house at the time ... especially with 20 patrol cars chasing him down the freeway.

The way Sharon put it in her new interview, her "Basic Instinct" fame from '92 is what supposedly spurred a bunch of officers to show up to her house to hide her at a hotel. Although, as many here have noted, she had no apparent connection to O.J. in those days.

Sharon has previously talked about how crazy it was for her in the '90s after her then-viral movie skyrocketed her to A-list status ... not to mention making her a bona fide sex symbol.

Again, the fact these former officers are taking her story with a grain of salt does not mean what Sharon is saying didn't occur -- but as far as they're concerned, it was never on their radar.

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Guess there's no one else to have weigh-in at this point besides O.J. himself ... kidding.