Reality TV

Scary moment in "The Situation" household ... as a Ring camera shows Mike Sorrentino's son choking on his favorite pasta.

The "Jersey Shore" mainstay shared the clip via social media on Saturday ... documenting a nice family dinner Thursday night that quickly evolved into a nightmare scenario.

A family meal starts out innocently enough ... with Mike sitting at the table and his 2-year-old son Romeo sitting in the chair beside him. The little guy puts a bit of pasta pesto gnocchi in his mouth -- and that's when things take a turn.

Romeo's almost immediately in distress ... coughing and starting to cry -- and Papa Mike's on his feet within seconds, checking in on his eldest child before Romeo collapses into a hunched-over position.

One of the two adults Sorrentino is with can be heard clearly saying "He's choking, he's choking" with a woman who appears to be Mike's wife Lauren heading to the kitchen for some water.

MS smacks his son on the back repeatedly, trying to dislodge the food from his windpipe which seems to work eventually ... with Romeo letting out a loud cry as his mother seems to use some kind of tool to get the food out and pulls him into a tight embrace.

The father-of-three posted a couple pics of his kids after the vid ... and gave more details on the ordeal -- basically saying Romeo got the pasta stuck in his throat while applauding himself and his wife for staying calm despite the horror of the moment.

Los arrebatos de Kanye West han llevado a algunas personas a cuestionar su aptitud como padre, incluso algunos se han preguntado si Kim Kardashian debería poner límites en las interacciones de su exmarido con sus 4 hijos, aunque otros dicen que sería indignante restringirle los encuentros con ellos.

Como saben, Ye ha soltado numerosos comentarios antisemitas, ha dicho que se identifica con Adolf Hitler y que teme el "adoctrinamiento" judío de sus hijos. Se opone también a que los niños vayan a una "escuela judía".

Ahora en un nuevo TMZ Investiga, que se emitirá el lunes en FOX a las 9/8 central, diversos expertos en psicología y amigos de Kanye compartirán sus pensamientos sobre cómo la pareja está cuidando de sus hijos.

Uno de ellos es el Dr. Kevin Cokley, profesor de Psicología en la Universidad de Michigan, quien piensa que Kim necesita sentar a sus hijos y tratar de hacerles entender que pueden amar a su padre sin aprobar todo lo que dice.

Otros, entre ellos The Game, dicen que es absurdo preocuparse por Kanye y sus hijos. Game dice que Kanye los ama más de lo que se ama a sí mismo.

Aunque algunos pueden querer que Kim le prohíba a Kanye ver a sus dos hijos y dos hijas, sobre todo porque lucha con un trastorno de bipolaridad, el psiquiatra Dr. Kyle Smith dice que una persona no puede proteger a sus hijos de todo.

Smith dice que siempre y cuando Ye no está poniendo en peligro a los niños no es diferente de otros padres que tienen prejuicios, y eso es un grupo grande.

Kanye West's outbursts have led some people to question his fitness as a parent ... even wondering if Kim Kardashian should put guardrails on her ex-husband's interactions with their 4 kids, while others say it would be outrageous to curtail Ye's interactions with his children.

As you know ... Ye's spouted off numerous antisemitic comments -- saying he identifies with Adolf Hitler, fears Jewish "indoctrination" of his children, and is opposed to the kids going to a "Jewish school."

Now, in a new TMZ Investigates on FOX Monday night at 9/8 central ... experts in psychology, Kanye's friends, and others share their thoughts on how the couple is raising their kids.

One such expert is Dr. Kevin Cokley -- a Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan -- who thinks Kim needs to sit their kids down and try to get them to understand they can love their father without approving of everything he says.

Others, including The Game, say it's absurd to worry about Kanye and his kids ... Game says Kanye loves them more than he loves himself.

Though some may want Kim to stop Kanye from seeing their two sons and two daughters -- especially as he struggles with bipolar disorder ... psychiatrist Dr. Kyle Smith says a person can't shield their kids from everything.

Smith says as long as Ye's not endangering the children ... Kanye is no different than other parents who have prejudices ... and that's a big group.

Rick Harrison's family is starting an education fund for the child of his own late son, but it's not out of necessity ... it's actually to appease friends and fans who want to help.

Here's the deal ... in the wake of Adam Harrison's death last month, the Harrisons have been inundated with pleas from people far and wide who've been asking how they can support in the family's time of need.

A Harrison family rep tells us that Adam's ex-wife, Jennifer, also has had tons of people contacting her asking for ways they can help her in this difficult time.

In light of this influx of people wanting to chip in and provide assistance -- we're told the Harrisons decided to create an outlet where folks can solicit gifts if they feel so inclined ... benefitting Adam and Jennifer's son, Colton. Colton is a young kid in elementary school ... and the fund created will go toward his future educational endeavors.

The rep tells us this seems to be the best way to make sure people's goodwill and charitable efforts are put to the best use.

TMZ broke the story ... Adam tragically died from a fentanyl overdose last month. Adam's father, Rick, told us the fentanyl crisis in our country must be taken more seriously ... as it seems the drug is continuing to flow over the border.

Thousands of fans have sent their condolences to the Harrison family ... including two of Donald Trump's sons, who gave Rick a personal phone call following Adam's passing.

Un nuevo documental sobre Wendy Williams está alarmando a sus fans, pues muestra que ella ha estado pasando por un montón de problemas financieros, entre otras cuestiones.

El primer adelanto del documental de Lifetime, "¿Dónde está Wendy Williams?", muestra a la personalidad de televisión aparentemente diciendo que "no tiene dinero", mientras tira una almohada y se echa a llorar muy nerviosa.

Recuerden, Wendy Williams fue colocada en una tutela financiera en 2022 después de que Wells Fargo afirmara que era "víctima de influencia indebida y explotación financiera", un hecho que la familia menciona en varias oportunidades en el clip, incluyendo su hermana, quien exige saber cómo es posible que no pueda cuidar de su hermana Wendy.

Su hijo Kevin Hunter Jr., por otro lado, dice en el tráiler que piensa que está rodeada de personas que solo le dicen que sí, personas que en realidad no están velando por sus intereses, así que claramente hay diferencias de opiniones dentro de la propia familia de Wendy, al menos eso es lo que sugiere el documental.

Los integrantes de su círculo íntimo también aparecen en este adelanto y están expresando otras preocupaciones. Un hombre le pregunta a Wendy por qué está casi vacía una botella de alcohol, a lo que ella parece admitir que se la tomó sola en un día mientras estaba tendida en la cama, con la bata puesta y todo.

En el primer tráiler del documental, Williams también aparece confundida, lo que da la impresión a sus cercanos de que podría estar perdiendo la memoria. Su mirada con los ojos muy abiertos, casi sorprendida, a veces añade más leña a estas especulaciones.

La salud general de Wendy, de hecho, se ve muy frágil por momentos. Aparece en silla de ruedas en múltiples ocasiones y casi incapaz de caminar por sí sola al salir de un SUV.

Al final, el adelanto parece terminar con una nota de esperanza. Wendy Williams aparentemente demuestra su interés por volver a conectar con su familia y reconoce que tiene ciertos socios de negocios que podrían ser perjudiciales en su vida. El documental completo se emitirá en un especial de dos partes de Lifetime a fines de este mes, el 24 de febrero y 25 de febrero a las 8 PM ET / PT, por lo que se sabrá más entonces.

No hemos visto mucho a Wendy en el último año, aparte de una interacción con un paparazzi en febrero pasado, donde Williams afirmó que estaba pesando 138 libras. Además de eso y un par de fotos en la calle, ha permanecido fuera del ojo público.

Wendy se retiró de varios compromisos en mayo, con el fin de someterse a un tratamiento para hacer frente a los problemas que aparentemente enfrenta.

A new documentary about Wendy Williams is alarming fans -- 'cause she seems to be signaling she's been going through a lot of financial hardships, among other issues.

The first trailer for the Lifetime doc -- "Where is Wendy Williams?" -- dropped Friday ... and it shows the reclusive TV personality apparently saying she has "no money" before pulling a throw pillow close and letting the tears flow.

Remember ... Wendy Williams was placed in a financial guardianship back in 2022 after Wells Fargo claimed she was a "victim of undue influence and financial exploitation" -- a move her family repeatedly rails against in the clip ... including WW's sister who demands to know how she's not fit to take care of her sis.

On the other hand, her son Kevin Hunter Jr. says he thinks she's surrounded by "yes people" in this trailer -- people he says don't actually look out for her best interests ... so there's clearly a difference of opinion among Wendy's own family, at least that's what the doc suggests.

Members of her inner circle are also seen in this trailer expressing other concerns, including one man who confronts Wendy with a nearly-empty bottle of booze ... one Wendy appears to admit she downed in a single day while stretched out in bed, bathrobe still on.

Williams also comes across as confused at her surroundings at times in the doc's first trailer ... apparently causing concern among the people around her she's losing her memory. Her wide-eyed, almost surprised look at times adds further fire to these speculations.

Wendy's overall health does, in fact, seem to be poor at times, too ... she's wheeled out of a hospital on multiple occasions in the trailer and seems almost incapable of walking by herself when stepping out of an SUV.

Ultimately, the trailer seems to end on a hopeful note ... Williams seemingly expresses interest in reconnecting with her estranged family and recognizing the detriment of having certain business associates in her life. The full thing airs in a two-part special on Lifetime later this month ... Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 at 8 PM ET/PT, so more will be answered then.

We haven't seen Wendy out much in the past year or so ... outside of a paparazzi interaction last February where Williams claimed she was 138 pounds -- a moment that makes it in the trailer BTW -- and a couple pics of her on the street, she's mostly stayed out of the public eye.

Wendy dropped out of several speaking engagements in May ... before reportedly heading to treatment to deal with issues she was allegedly battling.

Tom Sandoval tiene una nueva mujer en su vida y es una modelo que fue vinculada a Leonardo DiCaprio cuando era más joven.

Fuentes cercanas a la estrella de "Vanderpump Rules" le dicen a TMZ que Tom está saliendo oficialmente con Victoria Lee Robinson durante un mes más o menos.

También nos dicen que están disfrutando de su tiempo juntos y se lo están tomando con calma. Básicamente no es nada realmente serio, pero se están dando la oportunidad de que así sea.

Tom ha presentado Victoria en sus historias de Instagram un par de veces, incluyendo la noche del miércoles, cuando publicó un video y una foto de ellos en el Schwartz y Sandy coctel salon y restaurante en Los Ángeles.

En diciembre, Tom y Victoria fueron a un festival de comida en Los Ángeles, pero nos informan que fueron solo como amigos. Desde entonces, un romance ha florecido claramente.

Victoria es una modelo de moda de alta costura y ha trabajado con Ford Modeling Agency.

Al igual que muchas grandes modelos en este negocio, ella tiene una historia con Leonardo DiCaprio. Fueron vinculados en el verano de 2016 cuando fueron fotografiados saliendo de una fiesta posterior a la gira de Justin Bieber en Nueva York, cuando ella tenía 23 años. Sí, justo en el terreno de Leo.

Ahora está con Tom, quien parece haber dejado el Scandoval en el pasado.

Hemos visto a Tom salir de bares con mujeres al azar un par de veces el año pasado -en Missouri y Tennessee- y en septiembre, negó un romance rumoreado con el cantante y compositor Tii.

Con Tom de vuelta en Hollywood y su reality show comenzando una nueva temporada en televisión - que ha dejado atrás el Medio Oeste, por ahora, y vinculado con una modelo de la Costa Oeste. ¡Buen movimiento!

Tom Sandoval has a new woman in his life ... and it's a model who was linked to Leonardo DiCaprio when she was younger.

Sources close to the "Vanderpump Rules" star tell TMZ ... Tom is officially dating Victoria Lee Robinson. We're told Tom and Victoria have been hanging out lately and have been officially dating for about a month or so.

We're also told they're enjoying their time together and seeing where things take them -- so it's not super serious, but it has potential to get there.

Tom's featured Victoria on his Instagram Story a few times recently ... including Wednesday night, when he posted a video and a photo of them at his Schwartz and Sandy's cocktail lounge and restaurant in Los Angeles.

Back in December, Tom and Victoria went to a food festival in L.A. together ... but word was they went as friends. Since then, a romance has clearly blossomed -- 'cause they're bangin'.

Anyhoo, in terms of who this gal is -- Victoria is actually a fashion model ... and she's worked with Ford Modeling Agency.

Like a lot of big-time models in this biz, she's got a history with Leonardo DiCaprio. They were linked back in the summer of 2016 when they were photographed leaving a Justin Bieber tour after-party in NYC, when she was 23. Yeah, right in Leo's wheelhouse.

Now, however, she's with Tom ... who has firmly put the Scandoval behind him.

We've seen Tom leaving bars with random women a few times last year -- in Missouri and Tennessee -- and in September, he denied a rumored fling with singer-songwriter Tii.

With Tom back in Hollywood, though -- and as his reality show starts a new season on TV -- he's left the Midwest behind for now, and linked up with a West Coast model. Good move!

Kyle Richards is seemingly giving her husband Mauricio Umansky an ultimatum -- shape up or ship out.

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star draws her line in the sand in a preview for an upcoming episode of the reality show ... though, interestingly, she makes the statement to castmate Dorit Kemsley -- not Mauricio -- saying, "If there's no effort, we're not going to end up together."

She's clearly discussing the elephant in the room this season ... the fact she and Mauricio have been estranged for several months now, but still living under the same roof with their children.

In the teaser clip, Mauricio leaves Kyle to go show some homes for The Agency -- and then she meets with Dorit to give her the lowdown on her marital struggles.

The issue, according to Kyle, is Mauricio's major focus on his booming real estate company, which touts itself as a billion-dollar brokerage firm.

Kyle grumbles to Dorit ... "He has to say yes to more things because the Agency is expanding so much. So I'm like, if we're having an issue why can't you give that energy that you give to the company?"

Obviously, Kyle is not mincing words. She wants a lot more from Mauricio or their relationship could be kaput.

What she doesn't discuss -- at least, in the clip -- is the fact they've both been seen out with other people, boosting rumors about divorce. Kyle's been hanging with Morgan Wade, who she insists is just a friend, and Mauricio partied hard in Aspen with other women.

Kyle and Mauricio officially separated after 27 years of marriage in July 2023. They have 3 daughters: Alexia, 27, Sophia, 23, and Portia, 15.

Kyle Richards parece estar dando un ultimátum a su marido Mauricio Umansky, o se pone las pilas o se va.

La estrella de "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" ("RHOBH") está trazando sus límites en un avance de un próximo episodio del reality show, aunque curiosamente le hace la declaración a su compañera de reparto Dorit Kemsley, no a Mauricio, a quien le dice: "Si no hay esfuerzo, no vamos a terminar juntos".

Ella claramente está abordando "el elefante en la habitación" esta temporada, y es que ambos han estado separados desde hace varios meses, pero todavía viven bajo el mismo techo con sus hijos.

En el clip, Mauricio deja a Kyle para ir a mostrar algunas casas para The Agency, y luego se reúne con Dorit para contarle la verdad sobre sus dificultades matrimoniales.

El problema, según Kyle, es que la principal prioridad de Mauricio es su empresa de bienes raíces, que se promociona como una empresa de corretaje de mil millones de dólares.

Kyle se queja con Dorit: "Él tiene que decir que sí a más cosas porque la Agencia se está expandiendo mucho. Y yo estoy como, si estamos teniendo un problema, ¿por qué no puedes darle la misma energía que le das a la empresa?"

Obviamente, Kyle no tiene pelos en la lengua. Ella quiere mucho más de Mauricio o su relación podría acabarse definitivamente.

Lo que ella no discute, al menos en el clip, es que ambos han sido vistos con otras personas, creando rumores de divorcio. Kyle ha estado saliendo con Morgan Wade, aunque ella insiste que es solo una amiga, y Mauricio salió de fiesta duro en Aspen con otras mujeres.

En julio de 2023, Kyle y Mauricio se separaron oficialmente tras 27 años de matrimonio. Tienen 3 hijas: Alexia, de 27 años, Sophia, de 23 y Portia, de 15.

Morgan Wade's Instagram page was scrubbed clean of almost all of her posts, including snaps of her and Kyle Richards, but despite speculation ... we've learned they're all good.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ everything's totally fine between the pals ... and the country star archived all but two posts on her page including Kyle pics because she's gearing up to release new music.

In case you didn't know, singers/actors have made it a trend to wipe their social media accounts clean when getting ready to promote a new project -- and that's exactly what's happening here with MW.

Fans clearly missed Morgan's memo ... raising particular concern her music video featuring Kyle was removed from Kyle's page as well, making people think Kyle removed the music video from her own page but that's not the case ... we're told because Morgan archived the video that pulled it down from Kyle's profile.

We should point out, Kyle still has all of her Morgan posts still up -- all 10 of them, in fact ... they're just tucked away in her picture carousels ... so unless fans are going through each and every one of her snaps, they may miss them.

We can safely say there's no brewing rift between them ... and they're still good friends!

BTW, this ain't the first time their friendship status has come under the microscope -- they've also long been subjected to dating rumors.

Kyle also told us last week she was willing to talk about her relationship with Morgan -- as well as her estranged one with husband Mauricio Umansky during the 'RHOBH' reunion.

La página de Instagram de Morgan Wade fue limpiada de casi todas sus publicaciones, incluyendo fotos de ella y Kyle Richards, pero a pesar de la especulación hemos averiguado que todo está bien entre ellas.

Fuentes con conocimiento directo le dicen a TMZ que todo está completamente bien entre las amigas y la estrella del country archivó todos sus post, a excepción de dos, incluyendo fotos de ella y Kyle, porque se está preparando para lanzar nueva música.

Por si no lo sabías, los cantantes y actores han convertido en tendencia lo de limpiar sus cuentas de redes sociales cuando se preparan para promover un nuevo proyecto, y eso es exactamente lo que está pasando aquí con Morgan Wade.

Los fans claramente se perdieron el mensaje de Morgan, y se preocuparon especialmente cuando vieron que había eliminado el video musical donde aparece Kyle, haciendo pensar a todo el mundo que Kyle borró el video musical de su propia página, pero no es el caso. Nos dicen que Morgan archivó el video que bajó del perfil de Kyle.

Debemos señalar, que Kyle todavía tiene todos sus post con Morgan arriba. Son 10, de hecho, solo que están escondidos entre otros carruseles de fotos, así que a menos que los fans estén revisando todas y cada una de sus fotos, se los pueden haber perdido.

¡Podemos decir con seguridad que no hay ninguna distancia entre ellas y siguen siendo buenas amigas!

Por cierto, esta no es la primera vez que el estatus de su amistad está bajo la lupa. También se ha rumoreado que tienen algún romance.

La semana pasada, Kyle también nos dijo que estaba dispuesta a hablar de su relación con Morgan, así como de la separación de su marido Mauricio Umansky durante la reunión de "Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills".

Kim Kardashian y Kanye West parecen estar dejando de lado sus diferencias por el bien de sus niños, compartiendo una cena con North y sus amigos, quienes además llevaban puestas camisetas promocionales del nuevo álbum de Ye.

La ex pareja llegó por separado el martes por la noche al restaurante Nobu en Malibu, ambos luciendo el estilo que han estado llevando en el último tiempo: Kim con un crop top y un largo abrigo negro y Kanye, con la cara cubierta con una de sus máscaras negras patentadas. Nada nuevo en eso.

Debemos señalar que Kim llegó con North y un grupo de amigos, y parece que Kanye apareció por separado más tarde para unirse al grupo, pero sin su esposa Bianca Censori.

Nos dicen que el grupo estuvo cerca de una hora y media dentro del restaurante antes de que Ye llegara en su carro flanqueado por su seguridad. Minutos más tarde, Kim se fue con North y sus amigos, y todos ellos llevaban camisetas de "Vultures".

North es claramente la más entusiasmada, levantando la camiseta para darle a los fotógrafos un buen vistazo del logotipo y nombre del álbum en la parte superior. Tenemos que decir que es la viva imagen de su padre. Ahora, ¿por qué estaban usando estas camisetas? No lo sabemos.

Esto es llamativo por un par de razones. Primero, es sorprendente ver a Kim y Kanye reunidos de esta manera, pues no los vemos cenando juntos incluso por sus hijos.

Más importante aún, es interesante que Kim deje a North usar las cosas de "Vultures", teniendo en cuenta que hay algún contenido antisemita en el disco, por lo que hemos oído.

Recuerden, "Vultures" es el próximo álbum de colaboración de Kanye con Ty Dolla $ign, y la canción que da título al disco ha sido muy criticada por sus controvertidas letras como esta: "¿Cómo voy a ser antisemita? Si acabo de acostarme con una puta judía".

No hace falta decir que la canción no ha caído bien en las organizaciones judías, quienes han criticado la canción.

Como hemos dicho, no está claro cómo surgió este desfile promocional de "Vultures". Es posible que Kim fuera sorprendida a último minuto.

Como hemos informado, North rapeó un verso que podría aparecer en el nuevo álbum de su padre durante una fiesta el mes pasado, por lo que tiene sentido que ella y sus amigos estén emocionados con el lanzamiento del álbum y quieran llevar camisetas suyas.

Notablemente, y como era de esperar, Kim no llevaba una de las camisetas. Los hemos visto juntos en varios partidos de baloncesto de Saint en el último mes y han tenido algunas interacciones bastante frías, si se les puede llamar así.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West seem to be putting their rocky past aside for the sake of the kids ... doing dinner with North and her friends, who wore merch promoting Ye's new album.

The famous exes pulled up separately Tuesday night at Nobu in Malibu, keeping their outfits in line with their recent style trends ... Kim wore a barely-there crop top and long black coat and Kanye covered his face in one of his patented black masks -- no surprises there.

We should note ... Kim arrived with North and a bunch of her friends in tow -- and it appears Kanye showed up separately later, heading in to join them, sans his new wifey Bianca Censori.

We're told they all hung out inside the restaurant for about an hour and a half together before Ye headed to his car flanked by security ... and minutes later, Kim left with North and her pals -- with all of the kids wearing matching "Vultures" merch.

North's clearly the most excited ... pulling the shirt up to give photogs a good look at the logo on the front and the album's title written in script at the top. We gotta say ... she's the spitting image of her father. Also -- no word on whether the group went in with these shirts.

This is eye-popping for a couple reasons. One, it's surprising to see Kim and Kanye get together like this, we don't see them breaking bread together ... even for their children.

More importantly ... interesting to see Kim let North wear the 'Vultures' stuff, y'know -- considering there's some antisemitic content on the album, from what we've heard so far.

Remember ... "Vultures" is Kanye's upcoming collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign, and the title track's caught quite a bit of heat for controversial lyrics like, "How I'm antisemitic? I just f***ed a Jewish bitch."

Needless to say, the song's not sitting well with Jewish orgs, which have blasted the song.

Like we said, it's unclear how the t-shirt promo parade came together -- it's possible Kim was blindsided by it at the last minute.

As we reported ... North rapped a verse that might appear on her dad's new album during a listening party last month -- so, it makes sense she and her friends would be jazzed about the album's release and want to wear shirts bumping it.

Notably, and unsurprisingly, Kim did not wear one of the shirts. We've spotted her and Kanye at multiple basketball games for Saint over the last month and they've had some pretty frosty interactions -- if you can even call them that.

Ariana Madix has a well-defined line in the sand, which Tom Schwartz crossed by supporting Tom Sandoval on TV -- and she let him know it with a very NSFW insult!

Here's the deal ... season 11 of "Vanderpump Rules" finally premiered last night after months of waiting, and the drama picked up right where it left off, focused on the "Scandoval."

Dismiss any thoughts of Ariana letting it go ... she still seems pissed about Sandoval cheating on her with Rachel Leviss -- because she told Scheana Shay she's now got Schwartz blocked on everything, and told him straight up, during the season 10 finale, they wouldn't have a relationship.

Well, as you might know, Schwartz went on 'Watch What Happens Live' a few weeks after the finale filming, and showed some love for the other Tom -- telling fans to give him a "hug" if they see him.

AM admits that pissed her off, and she texted Schwartz one last time before blocking him -- and, though, she claimed that final text wasn't "that bad" ... he has a different memory of it.

In fact, he has receipts -- in Tuesday night's premiere, Schwartz read the text on-air ... "It says, 'F*** you, I am blocking your number. Go choke on Sandoval’s dirty ass d*** some more.’"

Yeah. Not that bad. 😂

Schwartz has sorta straddled the line throughout the scandal -- apologizing to Ariana and condemning Sandoval's actions while still showing love for his close friend and business partner.

It's led to some current and former costars blasting him for not taking a harder stance, and for knowing about the affair and keeping quiet.

Rachel Leviss plans to keep tabs on the new season of "Vanderpump Rules" ... not 'cause she's a fan, but more so ... because she wants to see how they're gonna talk about her.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Rachel will, in fact, be tuning in to watch the season 11 premiere Tuesday night -- not just that, but we're told she'll actually keep up with the show as it rolls along in the coming months without her.

We're told Rachel intends to use her iHeartRadio podcast, "Rachel Goes Rogue," as a platform to respond to how she is mentioned and portrayed on 'VPR' ... depending on what is said, and if she feels she needs to set the record straight.

Rachel's not alone here, BTW ... 'VPR' fans are very much interested in how Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix and the rest of the cast deal with her abrupt exit following the Scandoval, which went down at the end of last season.

Remember ... Rachel and Tom got dragged across the coals at the reunion. As part of the affair fallout, Rachel went off to a mental health facility in Arizona and ultimately decided to leave the Bravo reality show.

Now, while Rachel will be talking 'VPR' on her podcast from time to time, our sources are adamant it's NOT going to turn into some general, weekly recap of the world she left behind.

Fact is ... Rachel's podcast is doing very well on its own already, so she doesn't need 'Vanderpump' to keep it relevant. She will, however, chime in as she sees fit.

Rachel normally spends most of her time on the podcast talking about her mental health journey and the impact the show, its cast and the Scandoval had on her ... and we're told the reception has been strong and 'RGR' hovers around the top of various podcast rankings.