Reality TV

"Love Is Blind" contestant Chelsea Blackwell is patching things up with the one person at the heart of her whole look-alike drama: Megan Fox.

IYDK, Chelsea's been getting roasted online for dropping the comparison between herself to the actress while getting to know Jimmy Presnall on the latest season of "Love Is Blind." But she's now owning up to it big time ... saying she totally regrets making that comment and she's gone as far as reaching out to Megan Fox herself to apologize.

"I did reach out to her [Fox], and I was like, 'I'm so sorry I did this to you,'" Chelsea told "Entertainment Tonight" ... adding she's waiting to hear back from Megan.

Amid all the online heat, she did see some solidarity from Julia Fox. The model/actress, came through with some support ... commenting, "don't worry sis. I see it," under Chelsea's TikTok video where she begged anyone who'd ever said she looked like Megan to fess up.

Some other folks have also cut Chelsea some slack, saying they can kinda squint and see the resemblance ... but the overwhelming online vote says she's not a Megan doppelgänger by a long shot. Tough crowd!

You'll remember ... on the show, Chelsea spilled the beans on how people compared her to Megan 'cause of her dark hair and blue eyes ... and Jimmy was totally hyped by the name drop.

However, he realized he hadn't exactly hit the jackpot when they came face-to-face, admitting to the cameras ... "She definitely lied to me about some, uh, how she looked."

11:27 AM PT -- According to the divorce docs, obtained by TMZ, Porhsa and Simon have a prenup.

Porsha Williams and Simon Guobadia are reportedly parting ways just over a year after getting hitched ... though it's apparently not over his recent legal issues.

According to People, Porsha filed for divorce from Simon Thursday in Atlanta ... interesting timing given there is a lot of talk online about Guobadia being deported to his native Nigeria. A source told the outlet the divorce is unrelated -- but, it's hard to imagine Porsha didn't consider it before filing.

The reported filing seems to mark the end of a whirlwind romance for the couple, who got engaged just one month after they started dating in 2021. The engagement lasted longer than the marriage ... with Porsha and Simon tying the knot in November 2022.

The timing comes just a few weeks after Porsha signed up to return to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" after a two-season hiatus ... and ya gotta imagine producers are gonna jump on her reported divorce for a storyline.

Bravo announced she was returning to the show under her married name Porsha Williams Guobadia ... unclear if she'll change her mind on that moniker before the new season launches production.

As for Simon ... he's reportedly dealing with immigration issues as he tries to apply for naturalization. Not really bothering the dude it seems based on his most recent IG post -- where he smoked a cigar while chilling in a golf cart on a huge estate.

We'll have to wait and see what sorta developments arise as the couple seemingly splits ... for now though, it appears the 15-month marriage has run its course.

2/23 -- 7:54 AM PT -- Jeramey hopped on IG to clarify this whole ex-fiancée thing -- and he noted he was NOT engaged when he joined the show ... nor was it a secret while they were filming.

He explained it all in a lengthy video ... apparently feeling the need to clear this up even before the reunion episode.

Jeramey Lutinski's looking for love on this season of "Love Is Blind" -- but a woman online has been blasting him as not being forthcoming ... claiming she's his ex-fiancée.

Here's the deal ... Jeramey hit viewers' TV screens on Valentine's Day, and while fans were watching the drama play out in the pods and beyond, it turns out JL might've been hiding some key details about his life -- at least that's what Brittani Mcliverty and her mom have been suggesting on social media.

Brittani's mother, Jenni, has been sounding off online over the past several days -- claiming Jeramey was previously engaged to her daughter, with whom she says he shared a home ... an alleged detail that hasn't come out in the 9 episodes of the show that have aired so far.

The supposed evidence she's putting out there ... a picture of Jeramey lookin' real cozy with a woman -- who Jenni says is Brittani -- sporting a big ol' rock on her ring finger. The implication here is that he was engaged to her ... and that the timeline for when he actually applied for 'LiB' might've bled into his time with Brittani.

It's unclear if what this Jenni woman claims is true -- Jeramey himself hasn't explicitly addressed her allegations ... and considering the show's currently airing, he probably won't.

Jenni has also gone on to claim that Jeramey and Brittani sold their home around the same time -- which lines up with a detail about his life that Jeramey actually did share on the show ... telling the woman he got engaged to, Laura, the exact same thing.

BTW ... the alleged fiancée here ain't sittin' on the sidelines either. She's dropped a few comments on one of Laura's IG posts, asking her point blank if Jeramey ever mentioned her -- and telling her and Sarah Ann, another contestant on the show, to DM her for more info.

Jeramey's sorta in the middle of a complicated situation on the show right now ... 'cause he ended things with Sarah Ann in the pods -- someone he seemed to have a connection with -- to propose to Laura ... basically dumping one for the other.

Now, Jeramey's made a cryptic statement in the past 24 hours. He took to Instagram to decry all the hate he and his castmates are getting this season.

One noteworthy line ... "Everyone will get their chance to speak when the time is right. Until then we all get it." He might just be waiting for his opportunity to speak out ... but that won't happen until they film the reunion episode -- which won't be for a little while.

We should note ... Jenni and Brittani aren't saying Jeramy was engaged while on the show, but they are claiming he was engaged shortly before getting on there -- insisting he broke things off with Brittani at the end of 2022. If true, he's not technically doing anything wrong.

Anyway, the season finale's set for next Wednesday ... and we're sure all of this will be addressed then.

Andy Cohen just responded to Brandi's claim about the video she says he sent her -- and he now says she's blowing it out of proportion.

He writes, "The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi’s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke.  That said, it was totally inappropriate and I apologize."

Brandi Glanville is putting Bravo's parent company and others on notice that she's prepared to take them to court over this whole 'Girls Trip' drama she's been roped into ... and lays out her grievances in no uncertain terms in a letter that her attorneys just fired off.

The 'Real Housewives' star has lawyered up with the likes of Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman -- big shot lawyers in Hollywood -- and they sent NBCUniversal a demand letter Thursday that threatens a lawsuit on behalf of their client ... and they're telling the network to preserve all potential evidence as Brandi prepares for what could be a messy legal battle.

The letter, obtained by TMZ, spells out exactly why Brandi is considering suing here -- and according to her legal team ... she feels like she's been chewed up and spit out by Bravo and all other parties involved in producing and airing a show that makes them millions.

They're strong, writing ... "Over the past year, Ms. Glanville has been subjected to a vicious media campaign based on false allegations of sexual misconduct. The false narrative, which NBC and Shed Media have apparently decided to foment, arises from Ms. Glanville’s experience on 'Ultimate Girls Trip: Morocco.'"

Her attorneys add ... "While the experience has been a nightmare for Ms. Glanville, it is far from the first time Ms. Glanville has been used and abused by NBC, Bravo, Warner Bros., and Shed Media. Indeed, Ms. Glanville has long been taken advantage of by the institutions with which she is indelibly tied personally, professionally, financially, and in the public mind."

Brandi's lawyers claim that while she's been loyal to NBCU over the years ... she's only received mistreatment in return -- including this latest saga with fellow 'Housewife' Caroline Manzo, who recently sued Bravo claiming she was the victim of sexual misconduct from Brandi during the filming of 'Girls Trip: Morocco,' but BG defends herself here.

Long story short ... Brandi's attorneys say that Caroline's narrative of being forcibly kissed and groped by Brandi during the filming of that show was actually consensual -- with Brandi's team claiming Caroline was inviting that sort of behavior, which she also alleges was facilitated and even encouraged by producers during the filming.

There's another salacious allegation that Brandi's attorneys float in this letter they sent -- evidence for which is not attached in their correspondence -- that invokes the name of Andy Cohen.

Brandi's team claims that in 2022, Andy subjected Brandi to sexual harassment by sending her a video -- one in which she claims he boasted of his intent to sleep with another Bravo star that night ... and allegedly inviting her to watch it all via Facetime.

Her attorneys characterize her role in all this one of a "sacrificial lamb," and they say Brandi isn't going to take it anymore ... so she's telling Bravo and co. to get ready to go to battle.

She hasn't sued just yet ... but it sounds like she's ready to go to war if they can't resolve things outside of court. We've reached out to NBCU for comment ... so far, no word back.

Brandi Glanville está poniendo a la empresa matriz de Bravo y a otros sobre aviso de que está dispuesta a llevarlos a los tribunales por todo este drama de "Girls Trip" en el que se ha visto envuelta, y expone sus quejas en una carta que sus abogados acaban de enviar.

La estrella de "Real Housewives" se ha puesto en manos de abogados de la talla de Mark Geragos y Bryan Freedman -grandes abogados de Hollywood- y le enviaron a NBCUniversal una carta de demanda el jueves que amenaza con una demanda en nombre de su cliente, y le están diciendo a la red que conserve todas las pruebas potenciales mientras Brandi se prepara para lo que podría ser una batalla legal muy intensa.

La carta -obtenida por TMZ- explica exactamente por qué Brandi está considerando demandar, y de acuerdo con su equipo legal, es como si hubiera sido utilizada y desechada por Bravo y todas las demás partes involucradas en la producción y emisión de un programa que les hace ganar millones.

Escribie: "Durante el último año, la Sra. Glanville ha sido objeto de una malvada campaña mediática basada en falsas acusaciones de mala conducta sexual. La falsa narrativa, que NBC y Shed Media aparentemente han decidido fomentar, surge de la experiencia de la Sra. Glanville en "Ultimate Girls Trip: Marruecos".

Sus abogados añaden: "Si bien la experiencia ha sido una pesadilla para la Sra. Glanville, está lejos de ser la primera vez que la Sra. Glanville ha sido utilizada y abusada por NBC, Bravo, Warner Bros. y Shed Media. De hecho, la Sra. Glanville ha sido abusada durante mucho tiempo por las instituciones con las que está indeleblemente ligada personalmente, profesionalmente, financieramente y en la mente del público".

Los abogados de Brandi afirman que mientras ella ha sido leal a NBCU a lo largo de los años, solo ha recibido malos tratos a cambio, incluyendo este último drama con su compañera de "Housewife" Caroline Manzo, quien recientemente demandó a Bravo alegando que fue víctima de mala conducta sexual por parte de Brandi durante el rodaje de "Girls Trip: Marruecos", pero Brandi se defiende.

Los abogados de Brandi dicen que la narrativa de Caroline de ser besada a la fuerza y manoseada por Brandi durante el rodaje de ese programa fue en realidad consentida, con el equipo de Brandi alegando que Caroline estaba invitando a ese tipo de comportamiento, que también alega fue facilitado e incluso alentado por los productores durante el rodaje.

Sus abogados caracterizan su papel en todo esto como un "cordero de sacrificio", y dicen que Brandi no va a soportarlo más, por lo que le dice a Bravo y compañía que se preparen para la batalla.

Tom Sandoval's comparison between George Floyd's murder and his cheating scandal's not just drawing ire from fans ... it's also pissing off the mother of George's young daughter.

Roxie Washington, -- who shares 10-year-old Gianna with George -- tells TMZ ... she's not super familiar with "Vanderpump Rules" and doesn't even know who Tom Sandoval is ... she does say he has to be off his rocker to compare his own personal issues to Floyd's death.

ICYMI ... Sandoval sat down for an interview with the New York Times where he said, "I’m not a pop-culture historian really but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?"

Well, Roxie tells us she finds Sandoval's comment flat-out stupid ... adding he and his ex-GF, Ariana Madix, are still alive ... so him trying to compare his situation to George's just isn't reasonable, nor is it even in the same ballpark.

Even though she's not familiar with "Scandoval" ... Roxie says from what she can gather -- Tom's a grown-ass man who's just gone through a breakup ... not a child -- like her daughter, whose dad isn't coming home.

RW didn't just blast TS for comparing his situation to George's death either -- adding Nicole Brown Simpson's dead too, so she finds it just as disrespectful for Sandoval to invoke her name as well.

Roxie says Tom needs to go repeat that "dumb s***" in a mirror ... telling us his comment reflects horrible things Gianna hears from some classmates. She also says this is on the same level of absurdity as comments Kanye West made in the past. So, yeah ... she's kinda comparing Tom to that.

Remember ... in 2022, Kanye claimed Floyd died from a drug overdose/preexisting conditions, and Roxie threatened to sue KW on behalf of her daughter -- though it's unclear if she ever filed a lawsuit.

Antes de que esta pequeña de pelo rizado se convirtiera en empresaria y estrella de telerrealidad, era una monada con su mono de trabajo, paseando por el tractor con su hermano mayor y creciendo en Utah.

Antes de debutar en la pantalla en 2020, trabajaba en el cuidado de la piel, y con su reciente fama y seguidores, ha podido crear su propia marca de productos para el cuidado de la piel. Sí, puede que tenga más de 30 años, pero (gracias al matrimonio), ¡es toda una abuela moderna!

"Esta rosa no tiene miedo de aguantar un pequeño pinchazo".

Before this little blondie with curly hair turned into a business woman and reality TV star, she was just looking oh so cute in her overalls, hanging on the tractor with her older bro' and growing up in Utah.

Prior to making her on-screen debut back in 2020, she worked in skincare and with her recent fame and following, she's been able to create her own skincare brand. Yes, she may be in her late 30's, but (through marriage), she's quite the hip grandmother!

"This rose isn't scared to handle a little prick."

A "90 Day Fiance" couple pissed people off by backtracking on a cancer announcement and seemingly trying to fundraise off it -- something the platform they used shut down quickly.

Here's the deal ... Brandan and Mary Denuccio -- who got hitched after appearing on '90DF: The Other Way' last year -- told their followers over the weekend that Mary had colon cancer ... something they came out with pretty definitively at first, without any doubt.

As part of the announcement -- in which they said flat out that Mary had been diagnosed with colon cancer after experiencing symptoms for years -- they also asked for donations for a fundraiser they started ... which they said would go toward surgery she'd need to remove it.

Soon ... the doubters started coming out of the woodwork and questioning their claim online, which resulted in Brandan and Mary slightly changing the wording of the cancer diagnosis -- making it seem like she hadn't actually gotten any official word from a doctor just yet.

Before long their entire fundraising campaign was halted -- and the whole thing came down.

At the time, the only message that was up on the page read ... "GoGetFunding has been requested or required to stop this campaign." Now, though, we have a bit more clarity.

At first, it was unclear if the campaign -- which, by all accounts, had only raised about $1,300 or so before it was nixed -- was halted by Brandan and Mary themselves ... or the company, but a rep for GoGetFunding tells TMZ ... they're the ones who actually pulled the plug.

We're told the company was quickly flagged by users about the fact it was suspicious -- and after doing some digging on it ... GGF felt enough evidence existed to yank it all down.

Now, in terms of what happened to people's money -- as far as those who donated -- GoGetFunding says the donations were received via PayPal for this campaign ... and no funds passed through their site, so there's no way for them to refund anyone specifically.

GGF goes on to say that they advised anyone who donated and who contacted them afterward for help to dispute any charges/withdrawals with their banks -- and to report any suspicious activity to the police if they felt it rose that level. Unclear if anyone did.

As far as what Brandan and Mary have to say about it all now ... they actually tell us they were the ones who stopped the GoGetFunding campaign because people were inundating them with hate. Mary adds, "I know i announced i have colon cancer. It’s just im so scared that time because i was in pain and i got all the symptoms. But we are still going back and forth to the hospital and have do all the laboratory requested by the doctors."

Mary tells us she's not going to post anymore about this, as she's very stressed right now.

Tom Sandoval aparentemente piensa que su escandaloso engaño del año pasado es comparable a otros grandes momentos de la cultura pop, como la muerte de George Floyd, o el caso de asesinato de O.J. Simpson.

La estrella del reality show "Vanderpump Rules" hizo la impresionante comparación en un nuevo perfil del New York Times, donde le preguntaron por qué cree que el llamado Scandoval causó tanto ruido en 2023, cuando el mundo se enteró de que había engañado a su novia de mucho tiempo Ariana Madix.

Aunque Scandoval definitivamente fue algo icónico, Tom parece pensar que trascendió las cosas hasta el punto de elevarlo a la muerte de George Floyd o el caso de O.J. 

Esto es lo que dijo: "No soy historiador de la cultura pop, pero fui testigo del caso de O.J. Simpson y George Floyd y todas estas cosas grandes, aunque es extraño compararlas conmigo, ¿no crees que de una manera extraña es un poco lo mismo?".

El escritor de esta pieza trata de prestarle un poco de gracia, diciendo: "Creo que sabía lo que quería decir. Intentaba expresar la extrañeza de convertirse en el centro simbólico de una discusión nacional y una noticia importante; lo que comunicó, en cambio, fue algo más honesto, que es hasta qué punto la experiencia le había hecho perder la perspectiva".

En esta entrevista hay otra cita alocada en la que se compara con una estrella de "That 70's Show" que está en la cárcel. Tom dice: "Siento que tengo más odio que Danny Masterson, y él es un violador convicto".

Hay otro momento revelador en la entrevista cuando Tom explica sus razones para engañar a Ariana con Rachel Leviss. Es bastante franco al respecto y directo también.

Tom dice: "Hice lo que hice porque estaba en un momento infeliz de mi vida. Me dejé llevar por mis emociones y me enamoré completamente. De verdad". Tom aparentemente se levantó y subió a su habitación después de esto para prepararse para salir.

2:52 PM PT -- Tom Sandoval just addressed the backlash he's been getting for his remarks about George Floyd and O.J. Simpson ... and he's apologizing, while also clearing the air.

He writes, "My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received. The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I'm incredibly sorry and embarrassed."

Tom Sandoval apparently thinks his cheating scandal last year was comparable to huge moments in pop culture ... like George Floyd's death, or the O.J. Simpson murder case.

The "Vanderpump Rules" reality star made the stunning comparison in a new New York Times profile -- where he was asked why he thought the so-called Scandoval got as big as it did in 2023 ... when he was revealed to have cheated on his longtime girlfriend, Ariana Madix.

While Scandoval was definitely a major moment ... TS seems to think it transcended things to the point that it elevated to a George Floyd moment, or an O.J. one. Yes, seriously.

Here's what he said ... "I’m not a pop-culture historian really but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?"

The writer of this piece tries to lend him some grace, saying ... "I think I knew what he meant. He was trying to express the oddity of becoming the symbolic center of a nationwide discussion and a major news story; what he communicated instead was something more honest, which is just how much the experience had made him lose perspective."

There was another wild quote in this interview, where he likens himself to a now-disgraced "That 70's Show" star who's in prison. Tom says, "I feel like I got more hate than Danny Masterson, and he’s a convicted rapist."

There's another telling moment in the interview ... where Tom explains his rationale for cheating on Ariana with Rachel Leviss. He's pretty blunt about it and straightforward too.

Tom says, "I did what I did because I was in an unhappy place in my life. I got caught up in my emotions and fully fell in love. Like, for real." Tom apparently got up and went up to his room after this to get ready to go out.

His PR assistant is also quoted as saying ...  "Sometimes he says too much."

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Turns out, former NFL player Blake Proehl is good on the gridiron AND on the keys ... 'cause he performed so well on the piano during his recent "American Idol" audition -- he brought Katy Perry to tears!!

The ex-Minnesota Vikings wideout -- who's the son of longtime Panthers receiver Ricky Proehl -- sang his heart out in front of Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the famed talent show ... and when his segment aired on TV on Sunday, it wasn't hard to see the dude's got a bright future in music.

Playing Brett Young's "In Case You Didn't Know" with his grandma by his side ... Blake, who played for the Vikes from 2021 to 2023, belted out every verse perfectly -- wowing Perry the entire time.

She not only got goosebumps, she also at one point appeared to wipe away a tear. After he finished, she even asked for his autograph.

The other judges, Bryan and Richie, were just as impressed ... and the trio gave him a unanimous golden ticket to the show's next round.

It was all quite emotional for Blake ... as he explained that a knee injury he suffered during his NFL days had him wondering if he'd ever run again -- let alone become a music star.

Some of Blake's famous pals congratulated him on social media following the show ... including Kirk Cousins, who wrote, "Cousins fam will be pulling hard for him this spring."

Bethenny Frankel's defending "Today" ... blasting Kelly Rowland for reportedly bailing on cohosting the show because her dressing room wasn't up to par.

Here's the deal ... Rowland was supposed to cohost the popular NBC morning show alongside Hoda Kotb Thursday after being interviewed about her new film "Mea Culpa" when she dropped out at the last minute.

Page Six says sources told them she left because her dressing room wasn't up to snuff. Rita Ora filled in, and the show went on just as planned ... but, Frankel couldn't help herself when she heard the news and filmed a TikTok about the whole situation.

BF started out by saying Kelly's right ... the dressing rooms are tiny, the catering's awful and the makeup area is communal -- before adding none of that matters.

Frankel called the show an "institution in entertainment" and said it's an honor to even be there alongside Hoda ... before ending by saying it was not the moment for "diva expectations."

BTW ... some fans online are pointing out Bethenny did something similar in the past -- posting her own video about the backstage area of "Today" ... though even in that clip Frankel reiterated how grateful she was just to be on the show.

Bethenny's since taken down her video ... deleting it from her social media accounts, and she's taking a lot of heat online over calling out the former Destiny's Child star.

Unclear if Rowland's caught wind of Bethenny's comments ... she hasn't said anything about walking off "Today" as far as we can tell.

Las esperanzas de que NeNe Leakes hiciera un gran regreso a "Real Housewives of Atlanta", totalmente alimentadas por el regreso de Porsha Williams están a punto de esfumarse, porque hemos sabido que NeNe no está siguiendo los pasos de su mejor amiga.

Fuentes conectadas a la serie le dicen a TMZ que NeNe no está en conversaciones para unirse a la próxima temporada 16 y, de hecho, nos dicen que los productores ni siquiera se han acercado a ella para discutir sobre la posibilidad. Por lo tanto, traer de vuelta a NeNe Leakes simplemente no está en los planes.

Para NeNe y los fans de "RHOA" esta no es la noticia que quisieran escuchar quienes sienten un vacío desde que NeNe se separó de la serie en 2020.

Todo esto es aún más devastador para los fans, dado que durante mucho tiempo han estado haciendo campaña por su regreso en las redes sociales.

Las esperanzas se elevaron aún más cuando ella siguió a Bravo en Instagram en noviembre de 2023, lo que sugería que podría estar de vuelta en buenos términos con ellos después de que las cosas se complicaran cuando Leakes presentó una demanda en 2022, alegando que los productores del programa habían tolerado un ambiente de trabajo tóxico y lleno de racismo.

Por ahora, la única persona que estaría haciendo un gran regreso a la temporada 16 de "RHOA" es Porsha, quien inicialmente salió del programa en 2021 después de 9 temporadas en el programa.

A pesar de no volver a nuestras pantallas en este momento, NeNe ha tenido mucho que decir sobre "RHOA", especialmente sobre sus bajos ratings. El mes pasado nos dijo que los showrunners necesitaban echar algo abajo para reforzar la audiencia.

NeNe Leakes fans' hopes of her making a big return to "Real Housewives of Atlanta" -- fully fueled by Porsha Williams going back -- are about to be dashed, because we've learned NeNe is not following in her BFF's footsteps.

Sources connected to the show tell TMZ ... NeNe isn't in any talks to join the upcoming season 16 -- and, in fact, we're told producers haven't even reached out to her to have any conversations about the possibility. So, bringing NL back just isn't in the cards.

For NeNe and 'RHOA' fans this isn't the news they want to hear with a NeNe-shaped hole in their lives, and storylines, ever since she parted ways with the show in 2020.

All this is even more devastating for fans, given that they've long been campaigning for her comeback on social media.

Hopes were raised further when she followed Bravo on Instagram in Nov. 2023 ... suggesting she might be back on good terms with them after things soured when Leakes filed a 2022 lawsuit claiming the show's producers tolerate a toxic work environment filled with racism.

As of now, the only person making a grand return for 'RHOA' season 16 is Porsha, who initially exited the show in 2021 after 9 seasons on the show.

Despite not coming back to our screens right now, NeNe's had a whole lot to say about 'RHOA,' especially about its low ratings ... telling us last month showrunners need to blow something up to bolster viewership.

Zak Bagans has a new cursed item going on display at his museum, one with a connection to recently deceased Playboy model Masuimi Max ... TMZ has learned.

The paranormal investigator tells us ... Charles Max, Masuimi's brother, met him at his museum in Las Vegas and was totally rattled by an innocuous-looking jewelry box he said once belonged to MM's mom.

After their mother died, Charles told Zak their father kept the jewelry box ... an odd move, because Charles says Korean people generally burn a loved one's possessions after they die.

Charles ended up taking the box, and quickly wished he hadn't -- he told Zak the box gives people amnesia, and detailed several other terrifying experiences with the creepy artifact.

For example ... Zak says Charles told him several mirrors in his house cracked when he put the box next to them, cold spots cropped up in different places in the home where Charles said he could see his own breath.

He even claims he would feel paralyzed at times, describing it as being grabbed by an unseen force.

Ultimately, Charles told Zak he gave the box to one of his sisters -- NOT Masuimi -- who swears she never gave it to Masuimi.

While the paranormal experiences stopped haunting Charles, the whole family has no explanation for how the box ended up in Masuimi's possession.

We broke the story ... Masuimi died last month at her Las Vegas-area home. Cops said no foul play was suspected at the time though her cause of death is still unclear. She was only 45.

On the same day she passed, Charles and his other sister went to her house, and found the jewelry box on the floor near the door -- again, shocking 'cause this other sister says she didn't give it to Masuimi.

Charles swears Masuimi would never have wanted the box -- she didn't have a good relationship with their mother, so there's no reason she'd covet it.

One more creepy fact/coincidence ... Masuimi died on the same date as her mother.