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Kanye West continues to gripe about where his kids go to school -- publicly demanding his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, take them out ASAP ... and he's dog-whistling again.

The rapper/producer threw up a new IG post Wednesday night and he name-dropped Kim explicitly with a strong request ... namely, calling her out and telling her to take their 4 children out of the ritzy private school they all go to.

The image he posted read, "KIM TAKE MY KIDS OUT OF SIERRA CANYON NOW IT'S A FAKE SCHOOL FOR CELEBRITIES THAT ARE USED BY 'THE SYSTEM."

His caption was just as telling -- with Ye adding, "At this point everybody knows what "the system" is code word for 👀 I was removed from my dad by the system and the system removed me from my children."

KW continued ... "When the system drafts athletes they avoid working with those who have their father in their life because they are harder to manipulate. My two oldest know they daddy is."

Kanye sounded firm in his stance here, but like we said ... he quickly yanked this down -- probably after a call from Kim and her lawyers, we presume. Still, it's pretty obvious this is 100% how he feels ... and yes, he again seems to be leaning into antisemitism.

We know for a fact that Kanye has railed against "Jewish indoctrinated" schools... and we also know he's griped about his kids going to an institution he considers to be exactly this.

So, yeah -- his not-to-subtle reference to what he considers "the system" is beyond just coded language ... it's basically a bullhorn, and he's wearing his sentiments on his sleeve.

What's interesting here, though, is the fact that Ye is pinpointing two of his kids specifically and suggesting they love their dad ... namely, North West and Saint West. We've been seeing North hang out with her dad a lot lately -- and Saint pops up here and there too.

We don't normally see the 2 youngest children, Chicago and Psalm, with their dad these days -- and he's already admitted that Kim has their kids about 80% of the time regarding custody.

Sounds like Ye's grumbling about that, and perhaps feeling not as in control as he'd like.

One of the actors working the disastrous Willy Wonka attraction in the UK is spilling it all -- dishing the ins and outs of what went wrong, and how parents are making things right.

Paul Connell -- who played one of the Wonkas at the now-viral disaster -- tells TMZ cops were called after people began throwing things when the experience in Glasgow failed to impress, which seriously pissed off the families who paid good money to be entertained. He says ... "People were crying. People were shouting. It just turned into carnage, basically."

PC doesn't blame guests for their outrage either -- as he says there wasn't even chocolate offered at the attraction! Check out the interview he did with us ... he gets into the nitty gritty of it all, including what he says the attraction workers were instructed to give the kids.

Let's just say it was meager and meaningless ... and not very sweet.

ICYMI ... families say they were left feeling duped after being promised a whimsical adventure to a Willy Wonka walkthrough -- which basically turned out to be just a basic ass warehouse filled with half-hearted decorations and hardly any treats.

They reportedly paid $35 a ticket -- which was a pretty penny for this sad sight.

As we reported ... the event had a weird and slapped-together 13-page script -- which Paul says he had to ditch for good old-fashioned improv -- it was literally that bad.

BTW, some have claimed the Wonka script here might've been made with AI software.

What's worse -- Paul says this isn't the first time the company behind the exhibit has tried -- and failed -- to put on a themed event ... he claims they've attempted to pull this off in the past, but it sounds like those previous tries didn't go so well either.

Oh, and it's not just the attendees who are unhappy here -- as Paul alleges he hasn't been paid the 500 pounds (roughly $633) for his time and work. He tells TMZ ... "No one's contacted me at all. It's just been dead silence from them."

But much like the ending of Roald Dahl's children's classic ... there's a happy ending in the works -- at least that's what Paul says he's heard through the grapevine in the aftermath.

PC tells us that a group of parents who attended the event with their kids are actually planning to put on a new experience of their own -- and want him to participate. The new exhibit will be free -- as they're planning to have sponsors and plenty of donations lined up.

Kim Kardashian is lending her support to the family of Ivan Cantu after the death row inmate was executed in Texas.

KK posted a message to Instagram Wednesday night, informing her millions of followers that Cantu was "an innocent man" who had just been put to death by the Lone Star state.

The SKIMS mogul -- who doubles as a criminal justice advocate -- went on to send her "prayers" to Cantu's family and other loved ones.

On Monday, KK took to "X" and urged everyone to sign a petition asking Texas Governor Greg Abbott to grant a 30 day stay of the execution so new evidence could be reviewed in Cantu's case.

In late January, KK became interested in the case, writing in an X post that she was moved by Cantu's story, laying out the details of the crimes as she understood them.

Kim said Cantu was convicted in 2001 and sentenced to death for fatally shooting his cousin, James Mosqueda, and Mosqueda’s fiancée, Amy Kitchen.

She said state witnesses had given false testimony at trial, which they later recanted. She also accused prosecutors of withholding evidence that would have bolstered Cantu's defense.

Cantu always maintained his innocence, insisting that Mosqueda was a drug dealer who owed a lot of money to a rival dealer. He said the rival committed the murders and framed Cantu.

Despite his claims, Cantu was executed by lethal injection at 6:47 PM Wednesday, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

He was 50.

Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner are once again trying to unload their Beverly Hills palace -- and this time, they've slashed the price big time ... which might tickle somebody's fancy.

The ex-couple's first property together -- which they purchased in 2018 for a steal at $13.4 million -- is back on the market anew ... only now, they're listing it for just under $18 million. The exact price is $17,995,000 ... for anyone who's a stickler the specifics.

Mind you ... this is quite the drop from what they were hoping for when they first tried selling this pad in 2022. At the time, their asking price was $21.9 million ... but they had no takers, so they dropped it down to $19.99 mil back in March of last year.

TS and KJ still weren't able to get rid of the pad -- and the listing ended up getting removed entirely around September ... but now, it's cropped up again, with a 10% markdown.

Whether it's $21M or $17M ... whoever ends up taking this off their hands is in for a whole lot of house -- it's got 7 bedrooms, 11 baths with over 9,000 square feet of living space.

In terms of perks, it's got a ton ... a private movie theater, a billiard room, a gym, a massage room, and, yes, a pool as well. Remember, this is Kylie and Travis' first home together -- but obviously, they're not together anymore ... so they don't really need this house in the mix.

Kylie's got several other properties in her portfolio ... Travis is doing just fine as well. 'Million Dollar Listing' stars Josh and Matt Altman of Douglas Elliman and Adam Rosenfeld of The Agency hold the listing.

Jon Stewart tugged at heartstrings when he tearfully talked about his dog dying, and folks opened up their wallets ... donating 5 figures to the animal shelter he shouted out during the emotional 'Daily Show' segment.

The comedian got emotional Monday, breaking down over the death of Dipper, his Brindle pit bull, and viewers were so moved they started sending money to Animal Haven, the NYC no-kill animal shelter where Jon first met the pup.

Tiffany Lacey, the shelter's executive director, tells TMZ ... Animal Haven has raised almost $25,000 in donations since Jon mentioned the shelter in his tribute to Dipper.

We're told the money's pouring in from more than 500 new donors ... and the funds will help the shelter pay for general care of their animals, plus operating support, vet care, food, staff time, and dog walks.

Remember ... Jon said he got Dipper from Animal Haven about 12 years ago when his kids were raising money for the shelter ... adopting the dog on the spot after being introduced. The pup was missing a leg after being hit by a car in Brooklyn.

Tiffany tells us the wave of donations is coming at just the right time for Animal Haven ... she says the shelter is at full capacity with more than 100 rescue animals in their care, including 3 dog moms who recently gave birth to 20 puppies.

In addition to financial commitments, we're told Jon's monologue has spurred some folks to inquire about adoptions ... and Animal Haven is so grateful for everyone reaching out.

Tiffany says Animal Haven's reached out to Jon too, thanking him and offering their sympathies and condolences as he grieves his beloved companion.

File this under ... ONLY IN FLORIDA!

A couple cruising in a golf cart was nearly bitten by an angry alligator earlier this month ... when the fearsome reptile charged them, and it was all captured on video.

The 'hell naw' moment occurred on February 16 in Ave Maria, FL ... about 35 miles northeast of Naples.

A woman named Denise Prues was hangin' around her pool when she spotted a gator slowly walking between her and her neighbor's property, toward a pond ... which was separated by an active golf cart path.

While the camera was rolling, a cart came by without issue. Then, a second came rolling through ... and the gator charged, attempting to take a bite out of the driver, who was clearly startled, as Prues freaked out.

"Oh my god!" she yelled.

FYI, it goes without saying, you don't want to get bitten by an alligator ... no matter how small. They can apply upwards of 2,000 PSI when they bite. Compare that to a lion ... with 600 lbs. of bite force. Humans output a measly 120-ish lbs.

Luckily, everybody, gator included, was okay.

Rajon Rondo is hoping he won't have to fight a criminal gun charge much longer ... TMZ Sports has learned he's just asked a judge to throw out the count he's facing.

Court documents we obtained show the former NBA star's lawyer filed a motion on Tuesday to dismiss the unlawful carrying of a handgun charge prosecutors hit Rondo with following his arrest late last month.

In the documents, Rondo's attorney argues the charge is unconstitutional ... saying the ex-Boston Celtics point guard is protected by the Second Amendment right to bear arms that gave him the right to have the handgun cops say they found on him during a Jan. 28 traffic stop in Indiana.

"The statute under which Rondo is charged fails to be consistent with the Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation," the docs state.

A judge has not yet made a ruling on the motion ... but there is a hearing on the docket scheduled for late March.

Rondo was first booked on the gun charge following allegations that a loaded, black, 9MM, Sig Sauer P365 was discovered under the cupholder of his car after cops pulled him over for not having plates on the back of his Tesla.

Cops said due to a previous case against Rondo, he was not allowed to have the firearm. In fact, in police documents, one officer wrote, "I asked Rondo Sr. if he was allowed to have a gun and Rondo Sr. said he was not allowed."

In addition to the gun charge, Rondo is also facing one count of possession of marijuana and one count of possession of paraphernalia in the case ... after cops said they found weed, THC gummies and a pipe with marijuana residue in his Tesla during the stop as well.

We're almost at the finish line at TMZ, but we're still at it on the topics for our TV shows!

Starting off on 'TMZ Live,' Harvey and Charles discussed this massive crack in the hillside that's formed right underneath Travis Scott's mansion in Brentwood, CA -- which is now starting to affect not only him ... but other neighbors and residents in the area.

Pretty scary stuff, obviously ... but for now, officials are shrugging their shoulders on this.

Heading on over to 'TMZ on TV,' the gang talked about a battle for the ages -- namely, one between the clothed and the unclothed ... like the one that went down at Venice Beach.

Some medieval weapons seem to have been used ... this is one to remember for sure.

Finally on 'TMZ Sports,' Babcock and Mojo talked Kirk Cousins and his new shiny teeth!

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

American actor Scott Bakula was in his mid-30s when he first started playing the leap lead Dr. Sam Beckett -- the smart scientist who travels through time as he's seeking self-reflection and knowledge -- on the science fiction TV series "Quantum Leap" back in 1989.

Other leaping stars joining Bakula included Dean Stockwell playing the former Naval fighter pilot and part of Project Quantum Leap who gave Sam insight on his life and identity, Albert Calavicci aka 'Al The Observer'.

And, in addition to playing the voice of Ziggy and narrating the series ... Deborah Pratt co-created, wrote and produced the show.

Scott's iconic performance landed him several Emmy noms and a Golden Globe win!

AMC Entertainment is giving Taylor Swift and Beyoncé a standing ovation ... the theater chain says their concert movies are behind "literally all" of its revenue to close 2023.

AMC just reported quarterly earnings to Wall Street, and the nationwide chain says Bey and Tay Tay helped boost their financials big time.

On the strength of "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" and "Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé," AMC raked in $1.1 billion in fourth-quarter revenue.

The massive figure is up from the $990.9 million in revenue AMC reported in the fourth quarter of 2022, a huge increase as far as AMC is concerned.

Taylor and Beyonce are getting their flowers, too -- AMC's CEO Adam Aron says "literally all" of the increased revenue is a result of the singers' concert movies.

Remember, AMC signed deals last year with Taylor and Beyonce to exclusively distribute their concert films, and it turned out to be a brilliant business move for all involved.

Adam adds ... "To that end, our praise for Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Knowles Carter has no limit."

Without the box office boost from Swifties and the Beyhive, things would probably look pretty bleak for AMC right now ... the company says it's still rebounding from last year's Hollywood strikes.

Overall, AMC still lost $182 million in the quarter, but that is way down from last year's $287.7 million loss ... hence the glee from AMC execs over Taylor and Beyonce.

Essentially, the theater chain's still hurting -- but the superstar singers helped bring the hemorrhaging down to a trickle.

Now, AMC is turning to a different celeb to get butts in theater seats ... AMC announced a trio of new, 30-second Nicole Kidman commercials -- y'know the ones about "making movies better" -- which will play in theater previews, starting Friday.

With Taylor and Beyonce changing the game here with their concert films, AMC says they'll have more concert movies in 2024 and 2025.

Aron says the company's phones are ringing off the hook with calls from different musicians.

Robert Downey Jr. is the front-runner to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor -- but one Academy member is openly admitting ... he's voting for him because he met him in person.

The Hollywood Reporter did their annual writeup that polls anonymous AMPAS members to see what their thought process is going into the new Academy Awards -- which are a couple weeks away -- and one of them was candid on their thoughts about RDJ.

This member said they were voting for Bob ... but it sounds like it might have more to do with his personality than his actual performance -- which is a little disheartening to hear.

They say, "I was torn between Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr., and even though it’s cheesy I’ll be real with you: I met Downey at an awards season party, we had an interaction that I did not initiate, and it tipped the scales for me."

This anonymous voter adds ... "Campaigning matters! What’s really great about him as an actor, in this film and so many others, is his ability to be believable all the time. I loved watching him turn as the story turned on Strauss."

In other words ... they liked RDJ's work in "Oppenheimer," but a little schmoozing went a long way with this person when they met Rob in real life. So, no ... it's not all on merit, it seems.

The reason that kinda sucks ... well, in a perfect world -- you'd like to think people who vote at the Oscars are only looking at what they see on screen, and are judging off of that. But, as this person is confessing, there are some politics involved in this process.

This mystery Academy member calls it campaigning ... another word for it is, lobbying.

While Downey Jr. has been considered a shoo-in from the start -- yes, his performance is actually spectacular and worthy of recognition -- this is the type of stuff you don't really wanna hear if you're Ruffalo, Robert De Niro, Sterling K. Brown or Ryan Gosling.

Kristin Cavallari's wasted no time leaning into her new relationship with Mark Estes ... in fact, the lovebirds have already wrapped up their first getaway in Cabo together.

Check out these pics ... Kristin and her 24-year-old boo were spotted Wednesday rolling their suitcases to the American Airlines priority desk at the airport -- and the reality star was rocking a casual matching black set ... ME opted for a cozy hoodie.

They're not really flashing the biggest of smiles here -- if anything, you could say it's kinda the opposite -- but it's probably just the post-vacay blues kicking in ... Cabo can do that to ya. Plus, traveling tends to wear folks out ... so their mopey moods are nothing to fret.

While their vacay is over ... it seems Kristin and Mark are still very much in the honeymoon phase. In fact, on Tuesday, Kristin went full-on IG official with Mark, declaring how happy he makes her in a super cute selfie.

This came shortly after we got photos of them heading on down to Mexico together last Friday ... remember, this was supposed to be a business trip for Kristin, but Mark decided to tag along. So, a little work and play, it seems!

We've been told Kristin and Mark have been enjoying each other's company for about a month now -- and things are clearly moving along swimmingly between them.

Kristin definitely has a thing for those hot dude model types. She previously dated Tyler Cameron after her marriage to Jay Cutler ended.

Stacy Wakefield -- the widow of former Red Sox great Tim Wakefield -- has tragically passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer, the team announced Wednesday.

She was surrounded by her family, friends, caretakers and nurses at her home in Massachusetts.

The news comes less than five months after the longtime MLB pitcher died from brain cancer at 57 years old ... a loss that rocked the sports world.

The family released a statement on Stacy's passing ... saying, "Our hearts are beyond broken."

"We will remember Stacy as a strong, loving, thoughtful and kind person, who was as down-to-earth as they come. We feel so lucky to have had her in our lives, and we take comfort in the fact that she will be reunited with Tim, the love of her life."

The Wakefields also shined a light on those who took care of Stacy -- doctors, nurses and caretakers -- who were by her side since her diagnosis.

"We are eternally grateful for your unmatched care and support. And to all of you who have sent well wishes over these last several months, we truly appreciate your kindness."

Tim -- a two-time World Series champion and Red Sox Hall of Famer -- and Stacy got married in November 2002.

Diddy's attorney says a couple individuals who were identified as minors in the salacious lawsuit filed against the mogul are not minors at all ... they're fully grown women.

Shawn Holley tells TMZ ... two women have come forward to clear the air after they saw their images included in Rodney Jones' explosive legal claim from Monday -- where he alleged everything under the sun against Diddy, including claims of partying with underage girls.

There are photos included in Rodney's lawsuit that purport to show a party that Diddy threw last summer in L.A. ... and some of the images show Diddy and his son Justin around some women -- with captions characterizing them as minors.

The suit even blacks out their faces ... perhaps in an attempt to lend credence to the notion they're underage -- but Holley tells us two of the women depicted are anything but that.

For starters, she tells us the woman depicted in the screenshot of Diddy has actually come forward to her to set the record straight ... as she feels she's been grossly mislabeled, as have the circumstances under which she was in Diddy's company that night.

Holley tells us the woman's name is Chelsea, a 33-year-old ... who has a child. We're told Chelsea does not want to publicly reveal her full identity -- hoping to maintain her and her family's privacy amid this whole mess -- but we're told she insists that's 100% her in the pic.

More importantly ... we've been provided with a photo of Chelsea, which we're told shows her in the same bodysuit outfit she was apparently wearing in the photo included in Rodney's suit.

We've blurred her face in the photo -- out of respect for her privacy -- but the bottom line here is ... Chelsea is saying she's in that picture with Diddy, and she is most definitely NOT a minor.

There's another photo of Justin in this lawsuit that purports to show him partying/hanging around underage girls at the same party -- but Holley tells us ... that, too, is false ... as the woman whose face is blacked out in the pic is actually Justin's 32-year-old girlfriend.

We've obtained what we're told is an unredacted version of the photo in Rodney's lawsuit -- and sure enough, it appears to be Justin's significant other, Stephanie Rao.

There's another photo of Justin and Stephanie from the same night -- but a different angle -- that appears to back up that it's her.

Holley points to this as evidence that Rodney and his attorneys were, at a minimum, careless in putting together the complaint here.

Last but not least ... we've gotten some clarification on Rodney's claim that Diddy and Justin were somehow involved in a shooting that left a man injured at a recording studio here in Hollywood -- something Rodney alleged in his complaint was covered up by Diddy himself.

But, our law enforcement sources tell us ... the story that was told to cops that night -- namely, that the victim was robbed at gunpoint and shot by unknown assailants outside -- ended up leading to arrests in the case, and those suspects are currently awaiting trial.

We're told cops think the gunshot victim stepped outside of the studio around 3:30 AM and was accosted by two individuals ... at which point they tried to rob him. Our sources say the man suffered a gunshot wound ... and when officers arrived, there was no sign of Diddy at all.

The alleged culprits are Rudolph Flowers and Laron Bundley -- and we're told they're suspected in other crimes in and around Los Angeles ... including follow-home robberies.

Long story short ... Holley thinks this is just another one of the dominoes that'll start to fall as the details of Rodney's suit get picked apart.

It appears Cam Newton and the rest of the combatants involved in the brawl at a youth football tournament last weekend will not be facing jail time for their roles in the scuffle ... 'cause cops say none of the participants want to pursue criminal charges against one another.

According to police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the fight erupted at around 2 PM on Sunday during a 7-on-7 event in Atlanta.

Officers at the scene wrote in the docs they don't know why it all started ... but at least one cop recognized right away that Newton was involved due to "his hat and hairstyle."

Another officer stated in the docs he saw two males "grabbing and pushing" Newton ... and he raced over to break things up.

However, once the dust settled ... the officer wrote that nobody asked for medical assistance -- and furthermore, no one wanted to see anyone go to jail.

"Neither Mr. Newton or any of the other involved persons who remained on scene indicated that they required medical attention or wished to pursue criminal charges," the Atlanta Police Department said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

"The responding officers completed an information only incident report to document what had occurred. At this time, it is unknown how or why the scuffle occurred."

As we reported ... two men who say they were involved in the tiff told Fox News Digital they believe Newton started it all with a whole lot of trash talk.

Richard Lewis, famous from "Curb Your Enthusiasm," has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The comedian and actor -- who starred opposite Larry David on his hit HBO show -- passed away Tuesday night ... with Bette Midler being one of the first people who noted it Wednesday. She didn't provide much detail, simply writing, "On a sad note, the great Richard Lewis has died."

According to his rep -- he died from a heart attack at his home in L.A.

It's a shocking turn of events for fans of the beloved 'Curb' star -- as he'd been publicly battling with Parkinson's disease lately ... which he announced he'd been diagnosed with last year.

In his announcement, Richard noted that he'd actually planned on retiring from comedy a few years ago due to a number of health issues -- which all culminated with his Parkinson's diagnosis. He said at the time he was okay and was taking the right medication to manage it.

He appeared relatively okay health-wise despite his Parkinson's diagnosis. The disease hadn't reached a point where it was visibly hindering him or his ability to perform, including his recurring role as his fictional self on 'CYE.' It's unclear if his diagnosis played any part in his passing.

Richard was a regular on the long-running series since the beginning ... playing Larry's best friend, with whom he'd often squabble. Of course, Richard was also a decorated comic.

The last time Richard was seen out in public was actually alongside his wife, Joyce Lapinsky. She appeared to be helping him walk -- as they were out and about in Beverly Hills.

He's survived by his wife. Richard was 76.