Reality TV

Ray J recently got some startling news -- he was on the brink of developing diabetes -- and needed to make serious life changes, fast ... so he turned to Jas Mathur to get back on track.

Ray reveals the scary diagnosis to our very own Raquel Harper on Tuesday's upcoming episode of "Raq Rants" on BET. The "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star says he went to Jas -- a life and fitness coach and one of Ray's best friends -- for advice on how to switch up his entire lifestyle for something more health-forward.

Jas is a walking success story -- having once weighed more than 450 lbs -- he's now down to around 210. Jas tells us the secret to helping Ray J starts with a positive mindset and the rest will follow.

As for his workout plan ... Jas says he's got Ray training in the gym 5 days a week and doing cardio 6 to 7 days a week. He's also had Ray J cut out most of his liquor, wine and junk food.

Safaree's finally getting cozy with someone post-Nicki Minaj ... the rapper was spotted out and holding hands with Erica Mena.

Sources close to the 'Love & Hip Hop' stars tell TMZ ... Safaree and Erica recently started dating and ... were seen walking hand-in-hand IN MATCHING FUR COATS at the Jazz-Nets game Wednesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

We're told there were immediate fireworks ... and while they're not officially boyfriend/girlfriend yet, they're well on their way to that status. Safaree had been hinting for a while now about finding love ... posting clues on his Instagram story he's riding with a new chick.

Erica also took to Twitter before the Nets game ... professing she's finally finding true love.

Our sources say Safaree and Erica's new connection will be featured on 'L&HH' at some point.

Clearly, these 2 kids seem to be riding high on Cloud 9 ... a far cry from their previous relationships. As you know ... Safaree's on-again, off-again relationship with Nicki Minaj ended terribly, to say the least. He most recently accused her of trying to kill him.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are handing over $25,000 to assist the family of Marcus Hyde, the couple's personal photographer who was horrifically injured in a car crash.

TMZ broke the story ... Marcus Hyde -- who has worked with Kim and Kanye around the world -- went plummeting over the side of a ravine in Malibu last month in his Mercedes. Hyde sustained serious head injuries, and has remained in a fight for his life ever since.

A GoFundMe was recently started for Hyde and his family to help with medical costs ... as the photog remains hospitalized.

On Wednesday, Kim and Kanye pledged $25k to the cause. We're told the couple chose to make their contribution public in hopes it will bring more attention to the page, and raise more money. The fundraiser originally had a goal of $10k ... so Kimye's donation will be a massive help.

Just before the crash, Hyde traveled with the family on their trip to Bali, shot pics of the Kardashian and Jenner sisters in their Victoria's Secret angel wings and was by Kanye's side during his album release in Wyoming.

Michael Blackson thinks Kim Kardashian should quit blaming ecstasy and spend way more time sucking up to Ray J for his sizable role in launching her celebrity.

We got the comedian at LAX Tuesday and asked him about Kim claiming she was high on ecstasy when she and Ray shot their infamous sex tape, and in a word ... he's disappointed.

Michael thinks it's wrong for her to make it seem like the drug is the only reason she banged Ray J on cam, because that doesn't give enough credit to Ray's family jewels.

As we first reported ... sources close to Ray J insist Kim never touched ecstasy during the taping of their sex tape. Michael thinks it's a bit fishy for Kim just now mentioning the drug ... so many years after doing the deed.

Pauly D is shining brighter than a summer day on the Jersey shore, now that he's immortalized his mug with an insane custom piece of jewelry.

We're told Pauly co-designed a custom DJ Pauly D face pendant with Avi, the owner of Pristine Jewelers in NYC ... and it took about 3 months to create!

Check out the gallery ... the 36-carat pendant is a direct copy of Pauly's famous look, complete with his blowout and diamond earrings! The face bling hangs on a tri-color Cuban link chain, dripping with more than 48 carats of rose, yellow and white diamonds.

Pauly didn't stop fist pumping there -- he also got a matching tri-color Cuban link bracelet, bringing the total value of his new accessories to $500,000.

4:05 PM PT -- Sources tell TMZ, doctors who performed the surgery discovered her throat cancer has returned. Doctors say it's too early to give a prognosis, but it's serious. They're currently evaluating treatment options.

2:01 PM PT -- A source tells us Beth's surgery has just ended, and she's now being taken into recovery. We're told her family will have a better idea of how the procedure went shortly.

Beth Chapman -- wife of Dog the Bounty Hunter -- has been rushed to surgery to remove a life-threatening blockage in her throat ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources tell us it became difficult for Beth to breathe overnight and she was rushed to Cedars-Senai Medical Center early Tuesday morning ... where doctors discovered a large mass in her throat.

Our sources say Beth was just put under anesthesia within the last 30 minutes and her emergency surgery is about to begin.

We saw Dog and Beth leaving Craig's in West Hollywood Monday night -- both seemed to be in great spirits -- with an interesting take on Tekashi69's bail situation. Clearly, things took a turn for the worse once they got home.

Beth underwent surgery last year to remove a cancerous tumor in her throat, which seemed to work.

After her initial cancer diagnosis, Beth told RadarOnline.com, "I've stared down the devil more than once in my life but I've never faced a real life or death decision. My life has never been easy, and I surely don't expect it to start now. Still, I've never been a victim and I won't let cancer beat me."

The family's attorney, Andrew Brettler, tells us Beth's condition is serious and everyone is hoping for the best outcome.

We're told Dog is by Beth's side at the hospital, and more family is on the way.

Nev Schulman went fishing for a new "Catfish" co-host and turned up with a handful of celebs to help him ... including NBA star Nick Young.

Sources close to the production tell TMZ ... Swaggy P will be 1 of 8 guest co-hosts when the new season debuts Wednesday night. The other guests include model Slick Woods; Jane Carrey, Jim's daughter; Tallulah Willis, singer Elle King and former NFL star Rashad Jennings.

TMZ broke the story ... Nev's been searching for a new co-host since Max Joseph bounced earlier this year after 7 years on the job.

That set things in motion for MTV to begin its search. Nev himself had a list in mind and really swung for the fences ... 'cause he was down to bring Cardi B on board. No dice there, but he still got some entertaining guests.

Nick's no stranger to the spotlight. He once made out with a puppet and went on a bro date with Draymond Green but also nearly blew his hand off in this crazy 4th of July video.

Swaggy P's gonna have tough competition ... he's not the only guest co-host who knows how to grab headlines. Remember, Slick recently went into labor right after walking the runway at NYFW.

Kim Kardashian never touched ecstasy during the filming of her sex tape with Ray J ... so insist sources directly connected to the 'Love & Hip Hop' star.

Kim claimed she took ecstasy twice -- once when she married her first husband back in 2000 and again when she filmed the tape in 2003 -- and she says both experiences were bad for her.

Our Ray J sources say Kim took no hard drugs nor did she drink alcohol during the filming of the sex tape. They do say, however, she smoked pot around the time the tape was made ... and it was from a pipe shaped like a penis.

As for Kim saying her lip quivering was evidence she was on ecstasy, the Ray J sources fire back ... "her lip was quivering because she was getting ******."

Sources close to Kim tell us she stands by the claim she made on the show -- she did in fact take the drug before the tape was shot -- and she has nothing to gain from lying about it at this point in her life. We're told Kim is thankful to have learned early on from the experiences with drugs and attributes those lessons to her decision to not get heavily involved in drugs or alcohol through adulthood.

Our Ray J sources add he's offended that Kim would suggest she did the sex tape because she was in a significantly altered state. They say she was down with it from the beginning and all the way through.

Nikki Bella is NOT reuniting or reconciling when it comes to John Cena ... and there's a perfectly logical reason she posted a romantic pic of them, making fans think they're tapping in on their relationship.

Sources close to Nikki tell TMZ ... the WWE superstars are still very much single, despite Nikki posting a shot of her and John cuddling in a hot tub at sunset.

We're told Nikki was simply reminiscing over the past year and thinking back on what she was thankful for -- she posted several pics of other people in her life -- and John was a part of that. Even though they called off their relationship and stopped talking to each other.

Haters will say she was trolling ... but we're told it was just some Thanksgiving reflection.

And yeah, sounds like the sun really has set on their romance. At least they'll always have #TBT if you're jonesin' to see 'em together again.

Kendall Jenner is no fairweather girlfriend -- because after the 76ers lost to the putrid Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday ... she stuck by Ben Simmons at a French restaurant in Philly.

Here's the thing -- the Cavs are embarrassingly terrible. J.R. Smith recently quit the team after accusing them of tanking the season for a higher draft pick. It's bad.

But, after the 76ers took the "L" on Friday, Ben and Kendall went to Parc -- a French Bistro -- the very next day.

The comfort meal worked -- because the 76ers bounced back with a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Kendall was at the game -- and was pictured going crazy in the stands as she cheered on her man.

Still, there's an online petition to get Kendall banned from 76ers home games in fear of the "Kardashian Kurse."

We should note ... ever since the two got back together on Nov. 3, the team is 9-4 and overall looking pretty good. They're in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference.

Sooooo ... maybe she should KEEP coming to the games!

Blac Chyna's touting of a skin lightening beauty product is just a cash grab ... because she allegedly doesn't even use the stuff.

Sources close to Chyna tell TMZ ... despite her partnership with Whitenicious by Dencia to roll out her "Whitenicious X Blac Chyna Diamond Illuminating & Lightening Cream," she's never applied it to her own skin.

We're told BC was presented with a business opportunity and offered good money to promote the cream -- which goes for $250 per Swarovski crystals-studded jar -- so she said yes ... simple as that.

It's interesting, because while Chyna's reps told us she's been using Whitenicious dark spot corrector products for a few years to deal with her hyperpigmentation ... they didn't say she used the lightening cream.

Still, it was implied.

This isn't the first time BC's been accused of misleading marketing. Last year she was criticized for pushing another controversial item -- a detox tea for a flat tummy -- amid rumors she had plastic surgery to appear more fit.

Jill Zarin's return to "The Real Housewives of New York City" will touch on the new man in her life and her relationships with other cast members ... but her story's only getting part-time shine.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Jill's role on the upcoming season of 'RHONY' that of contributor -- not a regular -- as a "friend" to full-time 'housewives' like Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan and Tinsley Mortimer.

We're told Jill's filmed episodes for Season 11 in which she divulges details about how she's found happiness with her new boyfriend, Gary Brody, following the death of her husband Bobby earlier this year after a long battle with cancer. Jill appeared briefly in Season 10 when the cast attended the funeral.

Our sources say it's unclear how much the show will touch on Jill's life in the aftermath of Bobby's death or her new rug line business, Jill Zarin Rugs Collection, but will definitely cover her relationship with Brody ... who she started dating a couple months ago.

We're told the 2 have known each other longer, but bonded over tennis and things got serious quickly -- they're already living together in Manhattan.

As for Zarin's "friend" status with the cast ... we're told it doesn't apply to Bethenny Frankel, with whom she had a notorious falling out years ago. Our sources say the women are cordial, though still not close enough to hang out.

As we reported, Frankel dealt with a tragic loss of her own recently ... when her boyfriend died of a suspected OD. It's highly likely 'RHONY' will cover that incident.

The new season is expected to premiere in Spring 2019. We reached out to Bravo ... so far, no word back.

Kanye West is making a gigantic contribution toward relief for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to battle the California wildfires.

Audience sources tell us Kim Kardashian will appear on 'Ellen' Wednesday and drop a massive surprise c/o her hubby. We're told during the show, Kim and Ellen shift their focus from Kim's new Glam Bible -- from her cosmetics company -- to the devastation of the wildfires.

Our sources say Kim revealed she and Kanye had a serious discussion on how they could ease the burden on those tasked with battling the inferno, and Kanye put an immediate plan into action.

We're told Kim tells Ellen that Kanye went to adidas and his Yeezy brand to drum up relief funds, and they were quick to raise $500,000.

During Wednesday's episode of 'Ellen' ... Kim will present a $200,000 check to the California Community Foundation's Wildfire Relief Fund and a $200,000 check to the California Fire Foundation.

On top of that ... we're told she'll present a $100k check to a firefighter and his wife who are also on 'Ellen' Wednesday. Michael Williams lost his own home, but continued to battle the fires and saved many of his neighbors' homes.

Grab your tissues.

Brandi Glanville caught a dude red-handed ... allegedly breaking into her Range Rover, and the whole incident was caught on camera -- including a foot chase to nab the suspect.

It all went down Sunday afternoon on Ventura Blvd. in the San Fernando Valley -- Brandi was walking up to her whip just as the alleged thief was going to work. He tried to flee the scene, but another guy -- possibly Brandi's friend -- gave chase on foot.

A photog who happened to be shooting the former 'Real Housewives' star captured the crazy scene, and even followed the action down the road ... as Brandi's friend pinned the suspect down until police arrived to arrest him.

Blac Chyna is cashing in on a beauty product -- a controversial one -- she says she's been using for skin care ... TMZ has learned.

BC is partnering with Whitenicious by Dencia to roll out something called "Whitenicious X Blac Chyna Diamond Illuminating & Lightening Cream." It goes for $250 per jar, and the jar is studded with Swarovski crystals ... so ya know it's fancy.

The cream is being marketed to men and women of all skin types. Blac Chyna's reps tell TMZ ... BC's been using Whitenicious dark spot corrector for a few years to deal with her hyperpigmentation.

We're told Chyna felt this was a good deal for her because a lot of women of color suffer from skin issues. True enough, however, skin lightening products have also come under fire from critics who think they feed into a European beauty standard ... aka "the lighter the better."

Think baseball great Sammy Sosa.

Pictures don't lie ... and now it's clear how Kim Kardashian and Kanye West saved their neighborhood by hiring a private team of firefighters.

Kimye's home in Hidden Hills stands intact and unscathed from the disastrous Woolsey fire ... but only by feet. The torched field is a testament to the proximity of the fire.

As we first reported ... Kim and Kanye hired a team of private firefighters to battle the blaze after the fire started to creep up on their pad. The house sits at the end of a cul-de-sac ... if their place went up in flames, it would have started a devastating domino effect on the rest of the neighborhood.