Hollywood Exes

Ben Affleck says his marriage to ex-wife Jennifer Garner helped kickstart his alcoholism -- claiming he turned to booze to cope with feeling "trapped."

The actor -- who's now with Jennifer Lopez -- didn't hold back while talking to Howard Stern about his drinking problem and his time with JG, which he made sound pretty damn miserable.

He says if they would've stayed together, they would've been "at each other's throats," and not just that -- but he even speculated if he was still married to her, he'd still be boozing.

Here's another telling quote from the Tuesday interview ... "Part of why I started drinking was because I was trapped." He adds, "I was like, 'I can't leave because of my kids, but I'm not happy, what do I do?' And what I did was like drink a bottle of scotch and fall asleep on the couch, which turned out not to be the solution."

On the surface, it's a pretty galling statement for Ben to make, considering how supportive Garner was through his bouts with the bottle. She famously took him to rehab in 2018, and remained a pillar for him.

Which is why Ben's comments are NOT being well-received online. A lot of people are slamming him for even trying to connect his personal demons to her individually, noting Jen has time and again been there for him when he's relapsed.

Ben added that despite their best efforts, they simply couldn't salvage their relationship and didn't want that to be the model of marriage for their children.

Ben also mentioned their kids while talking about rekindling things with J Lo, telling Stern he thought twice about getting back with her -- all because he feels his kids are his highest responsibility and was concerned about the inevitable headlines.

One last thing ... while it might sound like Ben totally trashed his ex-wife, he ended on somewhat of a sweet note, saying ... "We did our best. I knew she was a good mom, and I hoped she knew I was a good dad. I had to get sober, and I acknowledge that."

Anyway, as we said ... it sounds like he and his ex are on good terms now, and have been for a while. Even with J Lo around -- which she was for Halloween -- there doesn't seem to be much animosity there these days.

Kim Kardashian wants to move forward with her life as a legally single woman, and just filed docs to do so in her divorce with Ye ... TMZ has learned.

Kim filed legal docs Friday ... which if signed off by a judge, will make her officially single. She's essentially asking the judge to separate issues of child custody and property from marital status. Kim is also asking that her maiden name be restored ... aka, drop the "West."

It's interesting ... Kim's lawyer is disso queen Laura Wasser, who has frequently made similar moves with other celebrity clients, including Dr. Dre and Kelly Clarkson -- separating marital status from other issues. It allows people to get on with their lives ... settling other issues for a different day.

What's especially interesting ... just hours before Kim filed for a change in her marital status, Ye went on stage at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, and as he sang "Runaway" he ad-libbed over vocals at the end of the song to say, "Run back to me ... more specifically, Kimberly."

Kim attended the show, bringing the couple's kids North and Saint to watch dad do his thing and give some family support.

TMZ broke the story, Kim's already taken one big step in figuring out the property side of things -- buying Kanye out of their Hidden Hills Estate for $23 million. But, there are still other property issues that are outstanding. We're told there will not be any dispute over custody ... they will get joint custody and are committed to co-parenting.

One thing is for sure, divorce or not ... Kim and Kanye have, for the most part, remained a united front when it comes to their kids and emotional support. Just days ago they attended close friend Virgil Abloh's funeral together.

It wasn't the first time we'd seen Ye make a public play for his estranged wife, either. On Thanksgiving, he released a 5-minute-long video confessing to his issues with alcohol and times when he embarrassed Kim ... including wearing a MAGA hat.

Dr. Dre and Nicole Young have reached an agreement in principle to finally put their divorce to bed ... TMZ has learned.

The two had been at war over money for well over a year, Nicole wanted $2 million a month in temporary spousal support, and Dre ended up ponying a one-time check for $2 mil and $500k in attorney fees. A photo showing the producer and businessman with balloons that read "Divorced AF" started to make rounds on social media Friday.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us that no deal has yet been signed, and as one source put it, "This whole thing could blow up again."

Kim Kardashian took home the Fashion Award at the 2021 People's Choice Awards last night ... and she thanked her ex, Ye ... YAY!!!

Last year's winner, Tracee Ellis Ross, presented the award to KK, who wore a skin-tight black jumpsuit, gloves and sunglasses -- as she sauntered down a long runway to accept.

The Kardashian was full of gratitude and said she felt honored to receive the award from Tracee. But, the nod to her estranged husband, Kanye, was by far the most interesting moment.

Kim said she felt inspired by so many people. But, she made sure to give her ex all his flowers ... "To Kanye," she said, "for really introducing me to the fashion world"

Kim explained she started off as a closet organizer and a stylist, so getting the honor felt like a "pinch-me moment" ... "I fell in love with fashion and I'm so inspired by so many people but again, this is like a dream that I get to wake up and wear these amazing clothes and try new things and take a risk."

It's pretty amazing ... Kim went from working behind the counter at the Dash store to launching her shapewear brand, Skims, which was valued at over $1 billion. And, of course, there's her beauty brands -- KKW BEAUTY and KKW Fragrance.

Balenciaga is clearly her thing ... you'll recall her all-black jumpsuit, gloves, and long pleated train that covered her from head to toe at the MET Gala -- yes, even her face.

Scott Disick knows how to get over the Kourtney Kardashian/Travis Barker engagement and the Amelia Hamlin breakup ... and he executed his plan brilliantly Saturday night in Miami.

Scott partied with a very attractive woman at Alec Monopoly's Art Basel party. We don't know who she is or whether this was fleeting flirting or something more ... but he sure seems back in the game.

The Lord's had a rough time this year ... first, watching the mother of his children strike up a relationship with Travis which blossomed into an engagement. He was dragged for grousing to Kourtney's ex, Younes Bendjima, that it was unseemly for Kourtney and Travis to show PDA. Younes schooled him for sure.

And then there's Amelia ... Scott claimed he broke up with her, but evidence points to the contrary.

Elon Musk may have just gotten Swifted, because his ex has just released a song trashing him as a BF.

Grimes' song, "Player of Games," doesn't mention Elon by name, but you don't have to be a rocket scientist like him to figure it out.

The song references gaming -- something Elon apparently loves. The lyrics go ... "I'm in love with the greatest gamer, but he'll always love the game, more than he loves me."

Their 3-year relationship ended back in September -- and she goes on ... "Sail away, to the cold expanse of space. Even love couldn't keep you in your place."  Seems like that's the giveaway!

Elon didn't call it a clean breakup ... he said they have "semi-separated." They did attend the Met Gala back in September, but it's unclear if this was before or after the breakup.

They both seem committed to co-parenting their 1-year-old son, X Æ A-Xii Musk.

A rare piece of memorabilia is hitting the auction block -- a concert ad signed by both Marilyn Monroe AND Joe DiMaggio ... and the item could sell for some serious coin!!!

Here's the backstory -- TMZ Sports is told an 11-year-old girl saw the couple having dinner at The Beverly Hills Hotel in 1952 ... and approached the Yankees legend for an autograph.

Shockingly, the girl had no idea who Monroe was ... so Joe asked if she wanted the model's Hancock as well.

Both Joe and Marilyn signed the inside of a folded concert advertisement that was on their dining table ... scribbling the words, "Warmest Regards, Marilyn Monroe" and "Best Wishes, Joe DiMaggio."

As for the ad, it's for Eddie Bergman and his orchestra at the hotel's Palm Terrace (we're assuming the dude had bangers).

Get this -- there are 9 holes in the old flyer, which came after the girl used a tack to pin her prized possession on her corkboard in her room!

Now, she's ready to part ways with the item -- it's hitting the market Dec. 11 ... and there's a chance it sells for a fortune!!!

A massive amount is not unusual for the celebrity couple ... just this summer, an autographed baseball by Monroe and DiMaggio sold for $384k.

DiMaggio was one of the greatest MLB players ever ... some of his accolades during his 13-year career with the Yanks include winning 9 World Series, 3-time AL MVP and 2-time AL batting champion.

Ye is in the giving spirit -- and also hopeful for his future with estranged wife Kim Kardashian -- saying God will bring them back together, and inspire millions of families to do the same.

The man formerly known as Kanye West stopped at the L.A. Mission Wednesday to drop off 1,000 meals for skid row. Before his visit was over, Kanye grabbed the mic and shared words of wisdom and faith with the crowd ... including a message about the collapse of his marriage.

During his speech, Ye says he's done things in public that were "not acceptable as a husband," but believes "The Kingdom" aka God will help to repair things with Kim.

Ye believes if they reconcile, millions of families coping with divorce or separation could be inspired to do the same thing. He got big applause for that message.

He also mentioned his kids, saying he needs to be with them as much as possible and if he can't be "in the house" he'll get a house right next door.

And, let there be no doubt, Ye clearly still has issues with the Kardashian family living on reality TV -- he insisted he'll be the one to write his family's history, not a streaming service like Hulu, Disney or E!

Of course, the words come just days after Kim was spotted grabbing dinner with Pete Davidson in Santa Monica. They had a private table, and it appeared Davidson was sporting a hickey on his neck.

Valerie Bertinelli is calling it quits on her second marriage, filing for legal separation from her husband, Tom Vitale.

Bertinelli filed docs in L.A. Wednesday asking a judge to end things between her and Tom. They got hitched back on New Year's Day in 2011, and though it's unclear what led to their split, she lists "irreconcilable differences."

Vitale works as a financial planner and entrepreneur, he is the CEO of Veebow -- an e-commerce company. He and Valerie don't have any kids together, and she's asking the court for neither to get spousal support.

According to the docs, they have a prenuptial agreement to handle the split of all assets.

Tom was Valerie's second husband ... she was very famously married to Eddie Van Halen from 1981 to 2007. Valerie and Eddie had one kid, their son, Wolfgang, who played bass in Dad's band.

Eddie died of cancer in October of 2020 -- and Valerie posted a touching tribute -- revealing she was there in his final moments.

Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello are no longer a couple ... they just announced their breakup.

The singers made a coordinated announcement Wednesday on their Instagram stories ... saying they have "decided to end our romantic relationship."

Camila and Shawn add ... "Our love for another as humans is stronger than ever ❤️ we started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends."

So it sounds like it's just the end of the road romantically because they say ... "we so appreciate your support from the beginning and moving forward ❤️❤️❤️."

We got Camila out earlier in the day at LA Horse Rentals and our photog asked how things were going with Shawn ... but she didn't feel like talking ... and now it's no wonder why.

As you know ... Camila and Shawn started dating back in July 2019, right around the time they dropped the music video for their song together, "Señorita."

Kim Kardashian knows a thing or two about marriage -- but not necessarily a successful one ... which made her wedding advice at a pal's rehearsal dinner all the more hilarious.

During entertainment executive Simon Huck's pre-nuptial feast Friday night, he and his hubby-to-be, Phil Riportella, invited KK to get on the mic and deliver a few words of encouragement. She took 'em up on it ... but noted she might not be the best one to give guidance here.

Check out her jokes ... Kim talks about her 3 failed marriages, and how she hasn't really figured out this "marriage thing" herself.

She even makes some cracks at her own expense -- as well as some at her ex-husbands ... including Kris Humphries, to whom she was married for just 72 days. That said, Kim offers them tips on the actual ceremony itself ... touching on how to get the best "first kiss" shot.

Kim ends by saying she can recognize true love when she sees it, and thinks Simon and Phil will go the distance. Sure enough, she got a big round of applause.

It's interesting ... even though Kim is smackdab in the middle of her own divorce right now, she's very much in wedding mode -- attending Paris Hilton's ceremony, and now Simon's.

Kanye West thinks "Saturday Night Live" forced Kim Kardashian to talk about her divorcing him on TV -- but he's sorely mistaken, 'cause she came to the show armed with the joke ... TMZ has learned.

Show sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Kanye's gripe from last week during his appearance on the "Drinks Champs" podcast is completely unfounded. We're told most of Kim's 'SNL' monologue was written ahead of time, and that included the line about their divorce.

ICYMI ... Ye complained the media was spinning a certain narrative about his relationship with Kim, something he apparently thinks still has a chance at being revived. He also called out 'SNL' specifically, saying they might've forced Kim to talk about their split.

That's simply not true, as we're being told the monologue was mostly unchanged from what Kim came in with ... and she only got a few suggestions from writers for the show.

In other words, the divorce crack was something Kim -- and her comedian pals -- wrote and wanted in the monologue. And, to further that point, our sources say Kim might acknowledge she's technically married to Ye -- but, frankly, they're not together anymore ... which is why Pete Davidson is happening.

There's also this ... Ye claimed there was no "paperwork" he'd seen to prove a divorce was even happening, but our sources say that's BS and he's fully apprised of what's happening here. As we've reported, the divorce is moving forward, full steam ... and he even signed off on Kim buying the former family home from him for $23 million.

Nick Lachey says he's not the least bit curious about what his ex-wife, Jessica Simpson's written about their time together -- but hints her memory of it is far different from his.

Nick seems to be warning readers of Jessica's "Open Book" that the chapters about their marriage -- and subsequent divorce -- might not be accurate ... in his eyes, at least. Nick was on Andy Cohen's SiriusXM show when Andy asked if he's read the book, which was released earlier this year.

The 98 Degrees singer says it's a hard pass for him, dawg. As Nick put it, "I lived the book. I know what the truth is, so I don't need to read someone's version of it in a story."

Jessica and Nick were married from 2002 to 2006, but based on the book ... she took it pretty hard when -- less than a year after their split -- he started dating Vanessa Lachey, who he later married. Jess wrote, "So, Nick, you're with another already? Seems that you forgot the love you spoke to me."

She added, "I'm saddened beyond belief. Alone in the dark, with no one to call my own."

Of course, Nick says he didn't read it, so we don't know specifically which part he isn't buying.

Anyway, Jessica's busy celebrating a personal milestone. On Monday, she posted a pic from Nov 1, 2017 with no makeup, and looking pretty hungover. She says that was the morning she realized she needed to stop drinking.

Scott Disick is processing Kourtney Kardashian's engagement with a little QT with his eldest son -- and also by navigating choppy waters at ludicrous speed... literally.

Papa bear was out with his kid, Mason, Monday in Miami -- and at some point he went cruising in a vessel out in the ocean blue. It's unclear if Mason was onboard, but what's clear is ... SD put the pedal to the metal!!!

By that, we mean the guy was going super fast -- upwards of 115 MPH, which you can see in a video Scott posted with the caption, "115 with room to go," later adding ... "Gotta love Miami." It appears Scott's pal, graffiti artist Alec Monopoly, was the one recording the video.

Scott and Mason were later seen on land, with the former wrapping his arm around his boy and looking caj. Ditto for Mason, who had his hands in pockets as he stood by his old man.

This may well just be some good old-fashioned father-son bonding -- but it could also be a good way to get his mind off of his baby mama's recent news - namely, that she's set to marry Travis Barker ... something she was never willing to do with the Lord.

Ben Affleck's worlds are colliding, especially as it relates to the Jennifers in his life ... and it all came together on Halloween.

Ben and J Lo were trick or treating with their kids Sunday in the private, gated Malibu colony ... where her son, Max, and his son, Samuel, were decked out in costumes. We're told Max is the one in black, and Sam is the one in the blonde wig.

Unclear if their other children were present, but one person we know was in the same vicinity was BA's ex-wife, Jennifer Garner -- so presumably, the other kids were around as well ... as this appears to have been a private Halloween event in that community.

The photo agency that obtained these pics says both parties "bumped into" each other ... but they were never actually photographed together.

It is interesting though -- ya gotta figure there was some pre-Halloween planning between the co-parenting exes ... which means, Jen (Garner) and Jen (Lopez) are cool with sharing the same space. Oh, and Ben too.

Lala Kent and Randall Emmett are officially over -- and this time, it looks like the break is gonna stick ... because the engagement has been called off on both sides.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the "Vaderpump Rules" stars are going their separate ways, this after much speculation that they'd been in choppy waters of late. We're told Lala has completely moved out of their home ... and there's no hope of reconciliation.

Our sources tell us Randall's focus is now on caring for their daughter, Ocean, who was born earlier this year ... as well as his other two children.

TMZ broke the story ... Randall and Lala were working on saving their engagement after rumors and accusations of cheating (on Randall's part). It's clear those efforts went unrealized -- which Lala herself seemed to signal when we recently got her out and about in public.

She wasn't wearing her engagement ring at the time ... and wasn't all that chatty either. If they were indeed working it out -- she sure didn't look like someone who was in on the matter.

Anyway, it's a sad end to their relationship -- they've been together for several years now ... and fiances for 3 of them. He popped the question in 2018 to much fanfare -- asking for her hand in marriage in a club, no less. Their relationship was extensively covered on the show.

Had they actually gotten hitched ... it would've been Randall's second marriage, and Lala's first. He was previously married to Ambyr Childers, whom he divorced from in 2017.

Speaking of Childers, there's a report out claiming Randall's seeking to lower his child support to her -- and that he wants an order requiring he maintain a $50k minimum balance nixed. Randall's attorney tells TMZ ... it's not that he wants child support decreased, but that Childers asked for it to be increased ... which is what was recently denied by a judge.