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Kanye West says he never screwed his ex-business manager out of a payday in a new countersuit ... firing back with claims their arrangement came about when he was stressed out and in the middle of his divorce.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained docs filed by Kanye and his Yeezy brand ... where he claims the deal he struck with Thomas St. John isn't enforceable because he signed it without help from a lawyer when he was "sleep-deprived, stressed, anxious, and under duress."

According to the lawsuit, Ye says he met St. John around March 2022 -- and they sketched out a deal that would place him on a $300k monthly retainer.

Kanye admits the two met during one of his many social media meltdowns -- and St. John swooped in as a respected biz manager who could steer the ship back on course.

Although Ye admits to signing a document with St. John in May 2022 ... he claims he did so without the presence and counsel of his lawyers, and as his high-profile divorce with Kim Kardashian was taking a serious toll.

Ye also says the increased volume of paparazzi encounters amid the divorce was causing sleep deprivation, stress and anxiousness.

Ye is also complaining about a clause in the "barebones" agreement that prevented St. John from being terminated for at least the first 18 months ... essentially guaranteeing his bank account stayed stacked with Ye's funds.

Latto is coming clean about her experience with plastic surgery ... copping to getting "a little work" done after her recent bars made Coi Leray's body shape a trending topic.

The "Big Energy" rapper was discussing the downside of going under the knife on her '777 Radio' show on Apple Music, but says in her case, her procedures were done correctly as people often think she's au naturel.

However, Latto gave a stern warning to her cohost Brooklyn Nikole and all other young girls looking to fix "little tweaks" to find a healthy appreciation for their bodies because they'll end up obsessing over trips to the surgeon and can never please everyone.

Latto says her surgery still hasn't stopped her from editing pics or having wardrobe malfunctions but says being in the public eye since age 16 forced her hand.

Latto's recent Nicki Minaj diss "Put It On The Floor" angered Coi when she rapped that her blunts were bigger than the "Players" rapper, but the two have since made up ... with Coi apparently capitalizing on the moment.

Terrifying moment during an independent wrestling match last weekend ... a wrestler accidentally set himself on fire while trying to perform a stunt -- and suffered significant burns to his face and body in the process.

It all happened at XPW Wrestling's deathmatch event in Pomona, Calif. on April 22 ... when MASADA was attempting to blow a fireball at his opponent.

Video of the match -- a no-holds-barred contest where weapons are allowed -- shows MASADA grabbed a flaming torch, poured a substance in his mouth ... and then tried to blow the liquid and the ensuing flames at his counterpart.

The problem? The stunt somehow went awry ... and the fire went everywhere, swarming MASADA's entire upper body.

In footage of the match, you can see the flames engulfed the wrestler's face, chest and shoulders for several moments before they were mercifully extinguished.

Somehow, MASADA ended up finishing the contest ... but he raced to the hospital immediately afterward, and was diagnosed with first- and second-degree burns all over his body.

The 41-year-old told TMZ Sports on Friday he's still in the burn unit at a nearby medical facility recovering ... adding, "My face is healing up fast, just the rest is going to take a while."

As for what happened during the fire mishap, MASADA told us, "I've done that spot a lot when I wrestled in Japan, but it was rushed and I think being outside had something to do with it."

MASADA expects to be out of the squared circle for a bit ... but he said there are no plans to hang up his wrestling boots anytime soon despite it all.

Coach Monica Aldama, known from the hit Netflix series "Cheer," is pushing back on the claims and lawsuit against her ... saying in no way did she try to silence one of her cheerleader's claims of sexual assault.

Aldama tells TMZ ... she's "heartbroken by the false allegations" made against her by former Navarro College and cheer squad member Madi Lane -- adding the safety of her students is a top priority.

Aldama says she worked "year after year" to keep Navarro Cheer a safe space, adding she'd never remain silent about sexual assault claims "if I were aware that any sexual misconduct occurred in the Cheer program."

Navarro College, which is also getting sued by Lane, echoed Aldama's denial -- with a rep telling us it's prepared to "vigorously defend itself in court."

As we reported, Lane claims she was sexually assaulted by a fellow teammate in 2021 during her freshman year ... saying she brought it to Aldama's attention, but was allegedly told, "If you keep quiet, I’ll make sure you can cheer anywhere you want."

Former President Obama's living his best life, as they say ... not just flying to Spain for a Bruce Springsteen concert, but also enjoying a night out with the Boss and Steven Spielberg.

Barack and former First Lady Michelle Obama had a celeb-packed dining experience Thursday night at a restaurant called Amar in Barcelona ... where they're all gathered for Bruce's big stadium show.

The crew all looked pretty chummy stepping out of the restaurant ... Michelle chatted with Bruce's wife, Patti, and, of course, there's a ton of security in tow everywhere the group goes.

Barack's about as "in with the band" as you can get -- he and Bruce co-hosted a podcast called "Renegades: Born in the USA" -- and Spielberg and Springsteen have been tight for years ... often vacationing together.

Bruce is set to take the stage Friday night with his E Street Band in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium Spain ... a place he hasn't played since 2016.

FYI -- the crew at Michelin-rated Amar couldn't help but take a pic with the gang as they dined out. Yes, even super fancy restaurant staff gets star-struck.

Jerry Springer and his family chose to keep his cancer battle hidden from the public so his health struggle wouldn't become a burden to many of those who cared so deeply about him ... TMZ has learned.

Jene Galvin, a rep for the Springer family, tells us Jerry was sick for months, running through a series of tests, but only recently found out just how dire his pancreatic cancer diagnosis actually was.

Galvin says Jerry's always been a fairly private person, but he and his family thought it was especially important to keep his cancer private, as they didn't want to worry other people. Instead, Jerry's family shifted their entire focus to aiding with his care, which became extremely time-consuming.

We're told Jerry knew his time was limited -- given the severity and type of cancer -- so he made a point to spend as much time with his loved ones as possible.

Jene says there was only a small circle of people outside of family -- including Jene and Jerry's friend Louis Beck -- who knew about the cancer.

As we first told you, Jerry's longtime friend and partner on TV, Steve Wilkos, told us he and Jerry shared a cigar and some memories about a month ago. Steve says he had no idea Jerry was sick, but looking back on the moment -- he believes it was Jerry's way of saying goodbye.

While Jene tells us Jerry had not designated a specific organization he wanted fans to donate to after his death, he believes a place like The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is doing good work toward finding a cure.

Post Malone is tired of people tying his recent weight loss to the result of drug use ... instead, attributing his new svelte look to performing and choosing a healthier lifestyle amid his "dad-life."

The rapper took to Instagram to address the issue Thursday while on tour in Europe, assuring his concerned fans that he's NOT hooked on narcotics.

Post wrote, "I’m having a lot of fun performing, and have never felt healthier. i guess dad life kicked in and i decided to kick soda, and start eating better so i can be around for a long time for this little angel."

He continued, "Next up is smokes and brews, but i like to consider myself a patient man… lol!"

Of course, Post was responding to rumors on social media suggesting he was taking illegal substances. One Twitter user stated that Post "doesn't look well" and thought that drugs might be "taking a toll on him."

Another person tweeted, "Is Post Malone on drugs? How did he lose all that weight? I’m worried."

This isn't the first time Post addressed his noticeable weight loss. You might recall back in February, we reported that Post insisted his slender figure was due to a happy and healthy lifestyle.

In his IG message, Post also said he's been in the studio working on new music that he's excited to release to his fans and thanking them for their support.

James Harden didn't exactly use at least one of his days off between NBA playoff series for relaxation ... TMZ Sports has learned the 76ers star was involved in a dispute with a man outside of a Las Vegas hotel and casino earlier this week.

According to video we obtained, Harden was at an entrance to the Flamingo on the Strip at around 1:25 AM on Monday -- just two days after Philadelphia won its opening-round playoff series over the Nets in Brooklyn -- when he got into an argument.

The footage shows the Sixers point guard yelled at the man ... before he tapped the guy's chest and smacked his face.

Our sources tell us the man in the video is a member of Harden's crew ... and after the exchange, the two went about their night as if nothing happened.

It's unclear what all kick-started the confrontation -- but witnesses told us once Harden noticed people were watching nearby ... the basketball player and the man he was quarreling with headed inside of the building together.

A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. spokesperson tells us officers were not called to the scene ... saying on Wednesday, "We have had no incidents involving James Harden reported to the LVMPD."

Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News, and now another conservative news outlet, Newsmax, wants him to be more than just the face of the network, and it's putting on a full-court press to land him.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the news channel is doing everything it can to sweeten the deal for Tucker to come on board -- including floating the idea of letting him program the whole channel, not just his own show.

That would be a pretty enticing deal point ... in addition to having his own primetime show, Tucker would have a say over what shows lead into and out of his show, which can be key in achieving bigger TV ratings.

While our sources stress Newsmax hasn't formally offered Tucker a job -- he can't have formal discussions due to his current Fox News contract -- we're told the network execs have made it clear to people around him, they would basically give him a big say in rebranding their channel.

Newsmax has some competition for Tucker ... as we first reported, NewsNation is showing early interest as well.

Our sources acknowledge it's too early to know for sure where Tucker will pop up next, and it might not even be at a TV network ... but we're told whatever he does, it's going to be big, disruptive, and will create a seismic shift in the conservative media landscape.

Dylan Mulvaney has finally come back to social media after facing serious outrage online for her partnership with Bud Light ... saying she's still standing strong despite all the noise, adding the hatred being spewed at her is a real full-circle moment.

The transgender TikTok personality jumped back on Instagram Thursday, addressing her 1.8M followers with a "long time, no talk" convo ... first saying she took a step back once the controversy started in order to "let them tucker themselves out."

She never mentions Bud Light by name, but she's absolutely referring to the anger that was around her recent collab -- reassuring fans she's doing alright, but being called names or "too feminine" really took her back to when she was a kid.

What's different this time around is this isn't playground talk -- it's adults coming after her for being herself ... adding "Dehumanization has never fixed anything in history." Dylan says she's always trying to love everyone, including those that are against her.

She finishes by joking that something good came out of all of this, apart from the trans representation in ads -- saying the people pleaser in her has died because she's accepted the fact that she can't win them all.

As you know, Bud Light came under fire -- literally -- at the beginning of April after partnering up with Dylan ... and many people, including Kid Rock, decided to show their lack of support by destroying the beer cans they'd already purchased.

James Corden's run on the 'Late Late Show' has officially come to an end, after a week of special moments and tributes to the show's 8-year run on CBS.

An emotional Corden teared up Thursday night as he signed off for the final time from behind a piano, a fitting end as music was such an integral part of his show for so many years -- from "Carpool Karaoke" to surprise musical guests.

Speaking of surprise guests -- President Biden made an appearance on the show with a special message to the host congratulating him on an incredible run.

Will Ferrell was there too, providing some hilarious comedic relief when he took a sledgehammer to Corden's desk ... smashing it to pieces as James and Harry Styles looked on from only feet away.

Ferrell and Styles also played the show's last round of the popular segment "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts" -- with foods like bull penis and salmon, clam juice and wasabi.

As for Styles, One Direction fans were likely glad to hear him talk a bit about his former boy band during the segment. When asked about a possible reunion, Styles told the host, "I think I would never say never to that. If there was a time when we wanted to do it, I don’t see why we wouldn’t.”

First released earlier this week, James also played his final "Carpool Karaoke" segment with Adele.

While it may be the end of an era for Corden and late-night TV, there's plenty of buzz he'll be just fine moving forward.

Imagine if jury duty always included a live performance from Ed Sheeran -- that's what jurors got during his trial for allegedly ripping off Marvin Gaye's classic, "Let's Get It On."

Ed took the stand Thursday in a Manhattan federal courtroom, and at one point had his guitar with him to show the jury exactly how he writes songs, in general, and in particular ... his 2014 smash hit, "Thinking Out Loud."

He strummed the song's chords and sang the opening line ... "When your legs don't work like they used to before," and then testified he and co-writer Amy Wadge had nothing like Marvin's sexy times tune in mind when they wrote 'Thinking Out Loud.' Instead, he said their song was about maintaining love into old age.

He also explained, "When I write vocal melodies, it’s like phonetics." For instance, he says he first sang the song's hook as, "I'm singing out now" ... before it later became, "I'm thinking out loud."

The fact Sheeran was allowed to sit on the stand and give a live, although brief, performance could go a long way in swaying the jury. They're only human, so there's always potential for a "star-struck" factor -- and, sadly, Marvin Gaye isn't alive to sing in support of the plaintiffs.

As we reported, the estate of Ed Townsend -- co-writer of "Let's Get It On" -- is suing Sheeran, claiming his song copies the melody, harmony and other elements of Marvin's 1973 #1 hit.

During his testimony, Sheeran admitted he doesn't pour a heck of a lot of time into writing any of his songs ... saying he draws inspiration from whatever's happening in his life, and rarely takes more than one day to complete a song.

Lamar Odom is reaching out his hand to Bam Margera in the midst of all his substance abuse and legal problems, saying he's more than happy to help, free of charge, if the reality star allows it.

We caught up with the former NBA star in Manhattan Beach, CA and he offered some advice for the former "Jackass" star ... hours after Bam turned himself in to PA cops for allegedly assaulting his brother.

Lamar says, his first piece of advice is for Bam to lean into religion -- if it's something in his life -- to help him during his troubles. LO also personally invited BM to one of the 3 wellness centers he co-owns and operates, called Odom Wellness Treatment Centers, to address substance and drug abuse problems ... reminding us, he's been through it too.

As we reported, Bam surrendered Thursday to face charges in Pennsylvania for allegedly attacking his brother, Jess, last weekend. Cops say he threatened to put a bullet in Jess' head before going on the run. Bam denies that's how the story unfolded.

Regardless, he's been dealing with a ton of issues lately -- most of them seemingly tied to his addiction and mental health issues.

As we reported, the 2-time NBA champ acquired 3 rehab centers in Southern California and is now on a mission to help others in need. You'll recall, LO overdosed at a Nevada brothel in 2015 and suffered kidney failure, heart attacks, and several strokes ... but he's been able to turn his life around.

Lamar says he's welcoming Bam with open arms if, and only if, he wants the help. He left off with a simple message to BM ... "I love him and just stay strong."

Katy Perry hit the stage for a surprise performance at a star-studded NYC event on Thursday night ... and she pretty much blew the roof off the place.

The singing sensation was all glammed up in a ruffled cream gown and bejeweled heels as she arrived to celebrate the reopening of the Tiffany and Co. flagship store in Manhattan.

Katy was followed inside the iconic Fifth Avenue building by a bevy of bold-faced names. Among them were Hailey Bieber, Blake Lively, Florence Pugh, Zoe Kravitz, Tiffany Haddish, Mark Wahlberg, Gayle King, Pharrell Williams, Gabrielle Union and her hubby Dwyane Wade.

Everyone was having a great time, chatting and mingling around ... but the real fun started once Katy changed into a sheer gray dress and took the stage for her unexpected show. We're told Katy played 4 songs, including "Firework," "Dark Horse" and "Teenage Dream."

Check out video, obtained by TMZ, showing Katy belting out "Dark Horse" while doing a sexy dance knee-deep in a dense fog from smoke machines. As you can hear, the crowd ate it all up, begging Katy for more.

After Katy was done dazzling on stage, she posed for some selfies with fans.

Before this cool kid rockin' a "Mork & Mindy" tee was drumming beats and touring all over the world, he was grabbing his drumsticks at just 4 years old, sticking his tongue out for the camera, and growing up in Fontana, California.

Before he joined one of the most iconic bands of all time, he was a trashman in Laguna Beach, CA. This talented musician has produced tunes for some of Hollywood's hottest stars such as Avril Lavigne and Machine Gun Kelly.

Need one more hint? He's got tats for days!

Bonnie Chapman, the biological daughter of Dog the Bounty Hunter and the late Beth Chapman, is going through another tragedy ... she just lost her home in a fire.

Bonnie tells TMZ ... she and her boyfriend Ismael were at work Tuesday when they got a call that their rental house in Fishersville, Virginia was burning down.

She says she rushed home, hoping the information was wrong ... but when she got there the house was up in flames.

Bonnie says she lost just about everything in the blaze at the home ... including 3 cats, a dog, a gecko and a pet snake. The animals died from smoke inhalation.

Some possessions were salvaged ... Bonnie says Beth's ashes survived, and that was one thing she was terrified to lose.

As for the cause of the inferno ... the fire department believes an electrical issue ignited the blaze.