Dancing with the Stars

As Mel left her home, she was covered head to toe in a blanket -- and was led to her car by a male friend. Usually graceful on her toes, she wasn't having the easiest time waltzing from point A to point Mel B.

TMZ caught up with Helio at the airport in New York this afternoon, and he chatted up a storm! But when asked about getting dumped by his ex-fiancee and if he was more than dancing partners with Julianne Hough, the dancer-driver hit the brakes, saying only, "My personal life is my personal life." Julianne just giggled off all the rumors, hoarsely.

Meanwhile, Helio watched a fan mambo for him, and even got on the phone with the guy's mom -- but still, no dirt on the breakup.

Ooh, snap! The split between "Dancing With the Stars" champ Helio Castroramalamadingdong and ex-fiancee Aliette Vazquez is getting good!

Sources connected to the couple tell TMZ that the reason the duo split was simple -- Helio "went Hollywood!" We're told his newfound "fame" was too much for his longtime gal, who just couldn't deal. As his popularity grew, so did his ego! That's when Aliette alley-ooped and hit the road.

We're told she is much happier and "over him." Our spies saw her selling her jewelry line yesterday at the swank Biltmore Hotel in Miami.

While TMZ was breaking the news of the demise of his engagement to longtime fiancee Aliette Vazquez, Helio gave an interview to ABC News Radio saying that his fiancee can deal with his cozy relationship to dance partner Julianne Hough because, "We are professionals." Hmm mmm!

Helio may have waltzed into winning "Dancing With the Stars" by doing a Paso Doble ... but the Paso Uno is what he's doing now!

TMZ has confirmed business executive Aliette Vazquez has broken off her engagement to the "Dancing" winner. Vazquez and the race car driver had been dating for more than six years and have been engaged for a year. "There have been a lot of rumors and a lot of misinformation out there," Vazquez's rep Howard Bragman tells us, and she "wanted to set the record straight."

Bragman told us, "This is a personal decision and I ask the media to respect the privacy of Miss Vazquez and her family. She has no plans to talk to the media, but reserves that right if she needs to clarify misinformation or defend her reputation."

Let's get ready to Rumba!

They can move their hips -- but not their faces!

Our moles say Marie has a writer on set at all times, prompting her with witty conversation. One on-set source says he was in position when Marie went down -- and didn't miss a beat.

And get this -- Marie, we're told, is seriously on the hunt for a "successful guy." We're told she's asking some highfalutin people if they know someone who's available. Marie is divorcing hubby number two.

Marie's rep tells us that reports of a writer on set are "absolutely false." "There is no writer on set feeding her lines," she says, "Her manager is there and we (her publicists) are there but no one is feeding her lines." As for a fake faint? Her rep says that's "ridiculous. Why would anyone fake fainting on a live TV show? That show happened during the wildfires and Marie has allergies, there was smoke in the air which was extremely toxic. The trailers for the show are outside the stage and she was breathing the air. It's happened before." And lastly, the rep says Marie is NOT on the prowl. "She's going through a divorce," we're told, "She's not looking to meet someone now -- she wants to spend time with her kids. Dating is the last thing on her mind."

TMZ caught Derek breaking it down with a random Russian outside of Hyde last night -- when he dropped the news. Mrs. Brady gettin' her Cha-Cha on? Bring it!

TMZ caught a giggly Chmerkovskiy leaving Hyde after a night of partying with his cute younger bro, getting excited when telling photogs that a friend was his driver for the night. Cut to five minutes later -- Maksim is seen getting into the driver's seat -- with a bystander yelling, "Drive safe!" at the bird poop-covered car as it sped off.

What could possibly stand in her way?

Kristi says that her fear of being judged and live audiences "make her really nervous." Huh?! You'd think that someone who made a career performing live and being judged would have an edge up, but apparently for Kristi -- that's not the case.

Also out on the town: former Mess USA Tara Conner, sign-happy Jason Alexander, a solo Ron Jeremy, attention whore Michael Lohan and Hilary Duff, who was in NYC with boyfriend Mike Comrie.

The ex-"Dancing with the Stars" contestant tells TMZ he lost 30 lbs. since the beginning of the season.

Just last week Marie Osmond infamously fainted during a live broadcast, and today word came that she sadly lost her father, George Osmond, patriarch of the singing Osmond clan. And Jane Seymour's mother passed away last month.

Just last week Marie Osmond infamously fainted during a live broadcast last month, and today word came that she sadly lost her father, George Osmond, patriarch of the singing Osmond clan. And Jane Seymour's mother passed away last month.

These unfortunate incidents are just a few of the woes faced by these women since joining the show, Jane also had to skip an episode due to food poisoning and very nearly lost her home in the Malibu fires last month.

Marie and Jane haven't been the only ones to endure The Curse: Sara Evans left the show during a painful divorce, Stacy Keibler suffered a seizure while promoting the show and -- worst of all -- the unfortunate bout of tanorexia suffered by "Dancing" staple Cheryl Burke.

Make it stop, Tom Bergeron!

UPDATE: TMZ spoke to Star's manager who laid it out for us, on the record. According to her manager, this was a straightforward business agreement for Star to speak at the Health and Beauty Expo -- nothing more. The contract was breached, so Star did not appear. Had Star known she would be speaking for charity, her fee would have been substantially reduced or eliminated and she would have been there to speak.

Star Jones is giving the big girls she allegedly dissed in Detroit a big fat you-know-what, saying that they were the ones who breached the contract, not her. And yesterday, on her Court TV show, she called allegations that she bailed out of her appearance "a nasty shakedown."

In a lengthy dossier including her own blow-by-blow of what went down with Full and Fabulous, Star says that though she got $10,000 from the group before her scheduled performance, she never got $15K more that she was owed. What's more, Star claims that she didn't get "the level" hotel that she requested when she went to stay in Detroit, nor was any ground transportation provided.

Star says that she and husband Al Reynolds paid for their Super Bowl weekend "at our own expense" and that she's still never received any loot for the

appearance.

One kid sold him out, but another of Duane "Dog" Chapman's pups tells TMZ that the bounty hunter is not a racist.

TMZ got an exclusive interview with Dog's oldest son, Christopher -- one of Duane's litter of nine -- who defends his dad regardless of the hate-filled rant. Dog Chapman came under fire last week after an N-word tirade was leaked to the National Enquirer by another son, Tucker

-- who probably has a new first letter for his name.

For more of the interview with Christopher, watch TMZ TV tonight. Check local listings.

For once, the largest, roundest, protrusion on Jennifer Lopez's body isn't her ass!

Clad in a tent dress and looking mommalicious, the 38-year-old former Fly Girl revealed a glimpse of her growing wombmate at a Miami baseball game on Monday.

While everyone and their tour outfit designer has confirmed her pregnancy, Jennifer officially continues to keep mum on becoming a mom. But the muumuus don't lie!