'The Bachelor' Hailey Merkt Dead At 31
Former "Bachelor" contestant Hailey Merkt has lost her battle with cancer.
Hailey’s death was announced Tuesday on her Instagram page following her battle with leukemia -- a cancerous disease of the body’s blood forming tissues -- which she publicly revealed she had in 2023.
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In the IG post, her loved ones first talked about how they were broken hearted to see her leave them after a courageous fight.
Offset Cheating Denial Sparks Cardi Pregnant Rumor ... But Pump the Brakes
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Offset's latest public denial of cheating on Cardi B is setting off a ton of speculation about whether his wife is expecting -- because he refers to an 8-months pregnant woman -- but Cardi's camp is clearing it all up.
Here's where the trouble started -- The Neighborhood Talk posted a pic Tuesday night of Offset chilling at a casino with a woman it claimed was an ex-GF. Offset actually hopped in the comments to deny any dirty dealings, but his choice of words sparked serious confusion.
Offset angrily shot back, "People really need to do the research...I'm at a public place gambling at a casino with a married 8 month pregnant women wtf I look like being outside publicly cheating SMD!!!
Ben Affleck Happy Bday, J Lo ... I Bought A House to Celebrate!!!
Ben Affleck secured his new digs at the same time Jennifer Lopez celebrated a milestone ... 'cause he officially snatched up his lavish mansion while J Lo blew out her candles.
TMZ has confirmed Ben received his own little present on the same day Lopez turned 55 -- closing escrow on his $20 million Los Angeles mansion.
Worth noting ... Jennifer made her own real estate move on her bday too, finalizing the sale of her NYC condo on the same day -- selling her four-bedroom, 7.5-bath duplex in the Big Apple for $23 million after years of searching for a buyer.
Patrick Warburton Ellen DeGeneres Blacklisted Me From Talk Show!!!
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Patrick Warburton is getting honest about his less-than-friendly encounter with Ellen DeGeneres ... which he says was caused when he rejected the comedian.
The actor swung by SiriusXM's "The Spotlight with Jessica Shaw," where he reflected on his guest role stint on Ellen's self-titled sitcom from the '90s. As he put it ... Ellen and her team were eager to have Patrick on for more episodes, but he turned down the gig ... as he was ready to "move on."
To Patrick's credit, he merely was done with guest starring roles ... so, he told Ellen and co. he had a conflict.
'Top Chef' Shirley Chung Fighting to Retain Tongue After Cancer Diagnosis
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Former "Top Chef" finalist Shirley Chung says she was diagnosed with tongue cancer after suffering serious dental issues.
Chung posted a message on Instagram detailing her painful journey that began with her biting her tongue and shattering her tooth, which had to be replaced with an implant.
She said at first she thought her ailments were due to her teeth grinding, but, by May, she had ulcers in her mouth and her oral surgeon found a tumor under her tongue. This turned out to be stage 4 cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes.
SELENA GOMEZ I WAS DEPRESSED IN MY 'IT GIRL' BIEBER ERA!!
Selena Gomez is totally over her "It Girl" days ... spilling that the 2010s were her lowest point -- right when she was with Justin Bieber.
The actress dropped the bombshell when a fan posted a throwback TikTok video of her, backed by Bieber's "Company" ... captioning it, "I know and so do you that at the time she would never have gotten engaged to Benny [Blanco], she was in her IT GIRL era.."
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Just FYI, Selena ain't engaged to Benny ... but she ignored that part to make it clear appearances could be deceiving ... commenting underneath, "Kinda makes me laugh because I was so depressed back then lol."
Bianca Censori Cover Up at Target!!!
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Bianca Censori is trading in her racy signature, pretty-much-naked style for a more conservative look ... at least when it comes to running errands with hubby Kanye West's kids.
Check it out ... the Yeezy architect hit up Target in Bev Hills with Ye and his kids ... and wore a cream-colored poncho, sorta kinda ... a striking contrast to her usual nearly-nudie getups.
Bianca opted for a more subtle, conservative ensemble ... wearing her dark hair in a messy, low bun and letting her lengthy poncho/dress hang loose -- sorry, no curves this day.
Megan Thee Stallion Rocks House At Kamala's ATL Rally ... Quavo Shows Love Too
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Megan Thee Stallion is riding for Kamala Harris as the Veep eyes a promotion ... bringing the juice to the presidential candidate's big campaign event in Georgia.
The "Hot Girl" rapper performed Tuesday at Kamala's rally at the Georgia State University's Convocation Center in Atlanta ... playing some of her hits.
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MTS grabbed the mic and was accompanied by some backup dancers ... they were decked out in blue as she performed "Girls in the Hood" and "Savage."
Terrell Davis Plane Incident Flight Attendant Fired By United
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The flight attendant who accused Terrell Davis of hitting him during a plane ride earlier this month has been fired by United, TMZ Sports has learned.
A spokesperson for the airline tells us the steward -- who the NFL Hall of Famer says embellished allegations against him during a July 13 trip from Denver to Orange County -- was canned a short time after the incident took place.
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Initially, the company had said the employee was being temporarily taken off duty pending a further review into the matter.
TMZ STUDIOS 'STRANGE & SUSPICIOUS' Moon Landing Footage Fake?!?
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Arguably the biggest accomplishment in United States history is now the subject of a popular conspiracy ... with lotsa folks convinced NASA never really went to the moon.
TMZ Studios' new series, "Strange & Suspicious," examines weird and unexplained stories ... and here we're taking a look at the possibility the 1969 moon landing footage was shot in a movie studio as opposed to the actual lunar surface.
Conspiracy theorists love to point to the famous photo of Buzz Aldrin standing next to the U.S.A. flag after planting it on the moon ... the flag is crinkled and looks to be waving, and folks say there's just no wind in space.
TMZ TV Hot Takes John Legend Booked For DNC ... Phaedra Parks, Simone Biles
John Legend has a big gig coming up, Phaedra Parks is making a big comeback and Simone Biles is celebrating another big win ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.
TMZ Live
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First up on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles have all the details on John's upcoming appearance at the Democratic National Convention.
Guess Which Olympian This Sweet Baby Turned Into!
Before this beautiful baby girl in her sweet little dress turned into a world class athlete, she was just growing up in Houston, Texas with her siblings and german shepherd pups ... dreaming of grabbing Gold!
She first popped up on the podium at the 2013 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, and from there it was total domination! You may recall the viral bumble bee moment standing on the podium next to fellow Olympian Kyla Ross.
Hands down, she's the GOAT and will continue to run on 'em in the sport of Gymnastics.
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Ryan Garcia Ex Gets Restraining Order Over Alleged Threats ... Says She'll Likely Ask Judge To Dismiss
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Ryan Garcia's ex was granted a restraining order in L.A. after accusing the star boxer of threatening her family ... though the former couple tells TMZ Sports they've talked and are committed to peacefully fixing their issues.
Ryan's estranged wife, Andrea Celina Velarde, beelined it to court last week, requesting a TRO ... accusing her superstar ex of being increasingly out of control and erratic.
In the docs, Andrea claims Ryan showed up to a restaurant where she was dining with her sibling on July 19 and caused a scene, threatening her brother and causing them to leave. She says he followed her home and sat outside in his car for 10 minutes.
JAX TAYLOR SEEKING IN-PATIENT TREATMENT FOR MENTAL HEALTH
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Jax Taylor is taking time for himself and seeking in-patient treatment for mental health struggles -- this amid his ongoing split from his wife Brittany Cartwright ... TMZ has learned.
A rep for "The Valley" star and "Vanderpump Rules" alum tells us … "Jax has always been candid about his mental health struggles, especially during the past few months on his podcast."
They add ... "He has made the decision to seek in-patient treatment. This is a particularly sensitive time for him and his family. They ask for privacy and respect until he is ready to speak more on this matter."
Kanye West Bye, Bye Malibu!!! Gutted Mansion in Escrow
The champagne is on ice for Kanye West ... because he's finally found someone willing to plunk down a fortune for the Malibu estate he completely gutted.
Kanye's place on the beach in the 'Bu went into escrow last Thursday ... according to online records.
Ye's been trying to unload the place for a minute now, and it got to the point in April that he chopped $14 million off the original $53 million price tag from January ... dropping the asking price down to $39 million. We don't know how much the buyer agreed to pay.
J.D. Vance Called For 'War' on Feminists' Anti-Child Ideology In Resurfaced Interview
J.D. Vance is bound to catch flak for his latest resurfaced interview -- as he once again went after childless people ... making a wild pitch on how to combat their "anti-child" POV.
Donald Trump's vice presidential pick sat down for an interview with The Federalist way back in 2021 -- which, of course, is surfacing anew right now -- and he shared his thoughts on folks choosing to not have kids ... and what conservatives can do to change their minds.
As Vance put it ... Republicans need "to go to war against the anti-child ideology that exists in our country," and from the sounds of it -- his words may have been geared toward women ... that's certainly how many are taking it anyway.