Dancing with the Stars

Nelly's custom-made dance shoes were all the rage on this season of "Dancing with the Stars," and now they're going to a great cause -- helping young women who are survivors of human trafficking.

As we told you ... the rapper wowed 'DWTS' fans and the judges with his slick moves and his hip hop-inspired footwear, but now that the dancing competition's wrapped up, he's sending his shoes to The Teen Project to be auctioned off.

Our sources say Yung Swivel's donating at least 10 pairs to the organization -- which also aids young women who've suffered trauma and homelessness -- and his entire collection is expected to fetch $50,000 ... if not more.

Nelly's been a major advocate of The Teen Project over the last few months, helping the org raise $820k overall in 2020 ... which is about $300k more than last year.

The rapper's been working to raise funds for Vera's Sanctuary, a rehab facility operated by The Teen Project for victims of sex trafficking. Our sources say the money raised by Nelly has already been used to send women who've been through Vera's to college.

"Dancing with the Stars" is looking more like musical chairs after Tyra Banks almost saved a couple that, based on votes, should've been on the chopping block ... and somewhere Steve Harvey's laughing.

During Monday night's week 4 elimination, the new 'DWTS' host read off 10 names of couples who were safe to move on -- but when it came time to name the bottom 2 pairs, Tyra flubbed it.

It was awkward ... Vernon Davis and Peta Murgatroyd, Anne Heche and Keo Motsepe and a third couple were all on stage as Tyra and co. realized the mistake simultaneously. Two of the couples on stage were actually safe, and they brought back "Cheer" star Monica Aldama and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy to get under the spotlight with Anne and Keo ... as the correct bottom 2 vote-getters.

Confusing? Yeah, just watch, and know Anne and Keo eventually got the boot. The real entertainment came from the blame game -- Tyra at first blamed an error in the control room, but then seemed to take the blame herself, saying she was just reading off her flashcards.

Bad as it was, it wasn't as colossal of a screw-up as when Steve botched the Miss Universe winner, or when the Academy gave Best Picture to the wrong movie in 2017 -- much bigger stages.

Tyra took to IG after the show to further explain, saying there was a technical difficulty and that the names on the cards she was reading were actually the wrong ones ... so not really her problem after all. She was graceful about it, though, adding they got past it as a team.

Carole Baskin's reality TV dreams are keeping her in Hollywood, but we're told her animal rescue center won't take a hit while she's on the other side of the country.

The 'Tiger King' star was booted from "Dancing with the Stars" Monday, and now she's setting her sights on shopping a new reality show about animal exploitation ... but fear not, our sources say Carole's Big Cat Rescue is in good hands.

Sources close to Carole tell TMZ ... her daughter, Jaime, runs the animal care part of BCR -- Carole's mainly been doing advocacy anyway -- so the exotic animals at the Tampa sanctuary won't suffer while Carole's away.

We're told Jaime's overseeing hundreds of volunteers at the sanctuary, and they handle the day-to-day animal care, so that essential function's not in peril.

The volunteers are super valuable right now ... our sources say Carole and her husband, Howard, were among the 10 staff members who were laid off at Big Cat Rescue when the pandemic hit, and the rescue still can't hire any more staff to help out.

Carole and Howard are still working full time advocating for Big Cat Rescue, we're told, but they aren't collecting a paycheck at this point.

Fact is ... Carole's got other revenue streams anyways. She had a busy stint on 'DWTS' and now she's producing and starring in a reality show she's actively shopping.

Our sources say the show is primarily about the work Carole and Howard have been undertaking for years -- tracking down animal abusers, exposing them and bringing them to justice through the legal system -- only now there's a film crew in tow.

A couple of Joe Exotic's former zookeepers are as loyal as ever -- recently getting together after years apart ... partly in the name of cheering Carole Baskin's reality TV demise.

Saff Saffery and John Reinke -- who starred in 'Tiger King' and used to care for the cats at Joe's GW Zoo -- met up for the first time in nearly 3 years out in Rockford, IL ... where they're set to star in an ad for Insurance King, opposite 'Diff'rent Strokes' actor Todd Bridges.

While hanging out Monday ahead of Tuesday's shoot, they happened to catch the results of this week's episode of 'Dancing with the Stars' ... including Carole's elimination after surviving a few weeks now. Check out how they reacted to the news -- old rivalries are alive and well!

Yeah, there's no love lost between these once feuding big cat caretakers -- John even sounds a little Joe-ish here by calling CB one of his former boss's fave catchphrases.

As for the commercial they're set to be in, unclear exactly what it'll entail -- but based on the on-camera convo they had with Todd ... sounds like it's written well and should be chock full of laughs. Apparently, Todd's worked with Insurance King before and vouches for 'em.

Carole Baskin is participating in jokes about Don Lewis' mysterious disappearance while she's on 'DWTS' ... at least according to Don's family, and now they're taking her to court.

Don's daughters Gale, Lynda and Donna, plus his former assistant, Anne McQueen are suing Carole for defamation, and they say Don's disappearance is no laughing matter.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Anne claims Carole was complicit with jokes about Don's death on "Dancing with the Stars," when judges brought up TikTok videos inspired by her storyline in 'Tiger King.'

You've probably seen the dance and lyrics, set to Megan Thee Stallion's "Savage" ... "Carole Baskin killed her husband, whacked him. Can't convince me that it didn't happen. Fed him to tigers, they snackin'. What's happening?"

In the docs, Don's former assistant says Carole should have spoken out against the jokes ... and she also says Carole should have put her foot down when a 'DWTS' judge said she "didn't quite kill the paso double, it was kind of sedated." Anne takes umbrage with the use of "kill" and "sedated."

Don's family is not only accusing Carole of being complicit with the Don quips on 'DWTS,' but also going along with the joke in an interview with "Good Morning America" when she promised to "really kill it next week" ... according to the suit.

Don's family attorney, John Phillips, says Carole and Anne went down this road back in 1998, when Carole settled a libel and slander from Anne for $50,000. The problem, they claim, is that Carole is now repeating some of those false statements on 'DWTS,' and while reading her journals on social media.

We reached out to Carole, who's always maintained her innocence in Don's case ... but so far, no word back.

Nelly's found the ultimate way to appease the judges on "Dancing with the Stars" who told him to ditch his sneakers for dancing shoes -- instead, he has the best of both worlds.

Despite wowing the crowd with his "Ride Wit Me" salsa dance on last week's show -- culminating with a backflip -- the rapper took some heat for wearing Jordans instead of traditional dance shoes.

Nelly insists the judges are just hating on hip-hop with their criticism, but instead of pushing back ... he got creative.

Check it out -- Nelly, aka Yung Swivel, might just have the dopest dancing shoes of all time on 'DWTS.' They look like Air Jordans on the upper with traditional ballroom dancing soles -- or as Nelly put it on IG ... "HIPHOP 4DA WIN!!!"

If you haven't been watching, Nelly's become an early fan favorite on season 29 of the reality dance competition ... because he looks like he's having the most fun.

The first elimination goes down Tuesday night, and though Carole Baskin received the lowest score during the premiere, she's not expected to go home.

Carole Baskin participating in "Dancing with the Stars" proves she doesn't give a rip about the animals in her care ... or so claims Doc Antle, who has some harsh thoughts.

The 'Tiger King' star tore into Carole in this exclusive clip, obtained by TMZ. In what's part of a new documentary Doc's heavily featured in, he openly wonders how Carole could be away for weeks of 'DWTS' ... IF she really cares for the animals at her sanctuary.

For him, it just doesn't add up ... and he essentially calls Carole a hypocrite for something she's previously said about her "best friends."

As we're told ... Carole's hubby, Howard, is handling the day-to-day operation of her Big Cat Rescue ... along with her daughter, Jamie. Our sources say they also have 100 volunteers helping out.

Still, Doc says that wouldn't fly at most reputable animal sanctuaries, and he thinks it reflects poorly on Carole.

As for how he thinks she's doing so far on the pasodoble front, Doc tells TMZ he thinks Carole's a "terrible dancer." Aside from that, he's digging the season thus far.

Carole Baskin says she's totally on board with the commercial seeking to find Don Lewis ... even though her missing husband's fam thinks she might have something to do with his disappearance.

We got Carole leaving rehearsals Wednesday for "Dancing With The Stars," and our photog asked her about the spot that aired during her 'DWTS' debut ... begging the public for help finding Don, and asking if Carole was involved.

Carole's answer is pretty interesting -- she told us it would be "wonderful" if the Don mystery was solved, especially if the clue came as a result of her being on 'Dancing.' In fact, she sees it as a "side benefit."

As we reported ... Don's daughters, former assistant and family attorney appeared in the commercial Monday, mentioning Carole by name, asking the public to send tips to their hotline and reiterating the $100,000 reward.

John Phillips, the Lewis family attorney, and law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... since the commercial aired, lots of people have called in to their tip line, but there's nothing solid yet.

As you know ... Carole, who has always maintained her innocence in Don's case, also told us someone made certain she knew about the spot 10 minutes before she hit the dance floor ... but she said the news didn't rattle her ballroom game.

We did ask her one question about her 'Tiger King' nemesis, Joe Exotic ... and  Donald Trump potentially pardoning him. You can guess her response, but ya gotta see how she expressed it.

The family of Don Lewis -- Carole Baskin's millionaire husband who went missing in 1997 -- is cutting in on Carole's first night of 'DWTS' ... asking the public for help finding him.

Don's family and attorney John Phillips bought time to air a commercial during Carole's "Dancing with the Stars" debut. We're told the spot will implore the public to send tips regarding his mysterious disappearance ... featured, of course, on 'Tiger King.'

We're told the spot will run during the first 'DWTS' commercial break of Monday night's premiere. It features Don's 3 daughters Gale, Lynda and Donna, plus his former assistant, Anne McQueen, and the family attorney ... who all allege Carole has something to do with Don's disappearance.

As you know ... Carole is getting ready for her big 'DTWS' debut ... and we're told Don's family feels her participation in the dance competition series undermines the ongoing investigation into his whereabouts and is a "grossly insensitive" decision by the show's producers.

Carole has always maintained her innocence in Don's case.

Carole Baskin's got the eye of the tiger as she prepares for her big "Dancing with the Stars" debut ... and she's practicing her moves in a way that would make Billy Idol proud.

Sources close to Carole tell TMZ ... she's been dancing with herself in her Los Angeles apartment during her downtime this week as she gets ready for her first 'DWTS' number.

Carole's gearing up for her first dance, which will be to "Eye of the Tiger," but we're told she's not practicing to any specific music ... just the music in her head.

With Carole only getting 3 to 4 hours a day of official 'DWTS' rehearsal, she's taking her work home ... we're told she feels she needs more practice and moved the furniture in her living room to create her own dance floor.

Carole's documenting her progress too ... we're told she's recording her practice dances on her phone so she can look back and see how far she's come.

Remember ... Carole studied hard and cheaply, before getting on the 'DWTS' set ... picking up her ballroom basics by watching video tutorials on YouTube.

With some rehearsals under her belt, we're told Carole is mostly focusing on dance steps and staying on tempo when she's home alone.

Carole's costume for her first number will have no feathers or fur, and our sources describe the outfit as a "sunset" with a lot of "cattitude" ... whatever that means.

We're told Carole instantly fell in love with the getup ... and she's already asked producers if she will be allowed to keep it or purchase it after the show, but producers haven't indicated a final decision.

A couple of new "Dancing with the Stars" contestants insist they have no advantage, despite having dance-ish backgrounds, so who do you believe less -- AJ McLean or Johnny Weir???

First up, the Backstreet Boys star, who we got outside the 'DWTS' rehearsal studio in L.A. and asked if his boy band choreography skills give him an immediate edge over the competition. He thinks it might be the exact opposite.

AJ tells us he's been trained to dance one way for 30 years, but now ... it's a whole new ballgame, so he's gotta reprogram. On top of that, the singer says he's been focused on his health and diet to prepare for the challenge ahead ... and so far he's "kicking ass."

As for what music he'll be dancing to on the show, he says some BB hits can definitely be expected ... but rules one of them out.

We also got figure skater Johnny Weir ... who agrees with AJ, telling us 'DWTS' requires a completely different skill set than any of his spinning and twirling on the ice could have prepared him for ... so he's on an even playing field.

Carole Baskin studied hard, and cheaply, before "Dancing With the Stars" ... picking up her ballroom basics by watching video tutorials online.

Sources close to Carole tell TMZ ... she immediately turned to YouTube for help after finding out she was going to be on the upcoming season of 'DWTS' -- and she started with the biggies: salsa, cha-cha and the Venezuelan waltz.

We're told she also enlisted the help of a cool cat ... or kitten -- one of her Big Cat Rescue members teaches dance, and gave Carole some tips.

Let's be real, she needs all the help she can get ... other than her infamous dance clip submission for the Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande music video, we're told Carole has zero dance experience.

Our sources say Carole also signed up for a virtual training app in June, with the music-based training helping her get used to being on tempo. Turns out that's important for dancing.

Carole's looking slim at 'DWTS' rehearsals ... our sources say she lost 20 lbs since shooting 'Tiger King' and is down to 165.

We're told Carole has been on a vegan diet and only eats 2 meals a day. She's also riding her bike 10 miles a day, 7 days a week, and doing a lot of squats, lunges and leaps ... and seeing results.

Nikki Bella has found her forever dance partner ... 'cause the ex-WWE superstar and Artem Chigvintsev are getting HITCHED!!!

The couple broke the news on Friday, saying they got engaged a few months ago after a romantic trip to France ... but just now decided to take it public.

"I said yes in France in November!" Bella said on social media. "We have been trying to keep it a secret but really wanted to share our excitement for the New Year!"

Of course, Bella was famously engaged to John Cena ... and they were together for 6 years before a very public breakup in 2018.

Cena tried like hell to win Nikki back shortly after the fallout ... but she slammed the door on that relationship and began dating Chigvintsev in 2019.

Bella and the "Dancing with the Stars" pro were paired up on the show back in 2017 ... before they were eventually eliminated in the 7th show of the season.

Artem also posted about the engagement ... saying, "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me . So excited for what’s to come I love you more then anything and thank you for saying Yes."

As for Cena, don't feel too bad -- he's moved on too with Shay Shariatzadeh ... and they've been spotted making out with each other all over the place, including airports!

UFC heavyweight Junior Dos Santos' dancing career just took a KO shot to the face -- Cigano has been eliminated from the Brazil version of "Dancing With The Stars."

The 35-year-old ex-champ showed off his moves one final time on "Dança dos Famosos,” on Sunday ... but was ultimately voted off the show after receiving the fewest votes.

It was a great effort from the #4 ranked heavyweight and his partner, Ana Paula Guedes ... the dude danced his ass off to hits like "What Is Love" by Haddaway while wearing pants that would make MC Hammer proud.

Cigano left the show due to an injury back in October -- which also kept him out of UFC Moscow in November --  but was able to come back to be the last athlete standing (the rest of the dancers are actors/actresses).

Dos Santos really made his presence known on the dance floor -- his dances scored among the highest each week until his elimination.

Sean Spicer finally got the boot from "Dancing with the Stars" ... this after weeks of low scores, though you'd never know it from President Trump's tweets.

POTUS' former White House Press Secretary was eliminated Monday night during the Boy Band & Girl Group Night episode, which was the quarterfinals. The elimination round came down between Sean and fellow contestant Lauren Alaina.

The writing had been on the wall for weeks now as Spicer's performances continually kept earning low scores from the judges ... but fan votes kept him alive. Until they didn't.

Trump, as he's done pretty much all season, took to Twitter and urged his base to vote for Sean. But then, oddly, Trump deleted the tweet after Spicer's elimination.

POTUS followed up with a new tweet saying, "A great try by @seanspicer. We are all proud of you!"

Spicer had been dancing with fill-in partner Jenna Johnson after his partner, Lindsay Arnold, was forced to miss the last couple of weeks due to the passing of her mother-in-law.

Kate Flannery realizes she probably brought a knife to a gun fight as far as challenging Sean Spicer on "Dancing with the Stars," but says all his Presidential support might alienate core 'DWTS' fans.

We spoke to the 'Office' star Wednesday on "TMZ Live" on the heels of her elimination, and asked why she thinks Spicer keeps getting through ... despite the judges giving him incredibly low scores.

Kate -- who had to bow out after dancing a jive - says Sean's obviously got the backing of President Trump ... which goes a long way in this country. Whether he deserves to be there or not is almost irrelevant --  as she notes, it's really a popularity contest.

She rightfully points out that she's got her own fanatic base herself, especially after her old 'Office' costar, Steve Carell, gave her a shout-out -- and adds that 'Office' fans have been more than supportive in her 'DWTS' bid.

But, when push came to shove ... the power of Trump was too great to overcome for Dunder Mifflinites. And, that's a shame for dance fans, according to Kate ... who says a bad dancer like Spicer winning, purely on fan votes, would hurt the show.