Mary J. Blige Back On Lovers & Friends Fest!!! Bumped Up On Lineup 👀
Mary J. Blige shocked Lovers and Friends festival fans just by announcing yesterday she would NOT be performing, and her name was put on the flyer by accident -- but lo and behold, she's back!
On Friday, MJB was re-added to the lineup, and it appears the "error" was really about where she'd been placed on the promotional flyer -- because she's been bumped up several slots to reflect her headliner status ... and she's now happily posting about the event.
Shortly after the changes, Mary posted a smirking emoji and money bag on her IG -- so, basically, she's chuckling all the way to the bank.
Lovers and Friends had originally squashed MJB's name in between the likes of Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Ashanti and several other recognizable music legends.
The updated artwork moves her billing up to the top of the third column, now dwarfing Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado, Ciara and more.
Essentially, on the day Lovers and Friends tickets went on sale, the event's promoter had to bow to the Queen of Hip Hop Soul.
Soooo .... let's get crunk, 'cause Mary's back!!!
MJB had also claimed her annual Strength of a Woman Summit conflicted with her scheduled performance ... but fans weren't really buying she couldn't do both as they're happening a week apart!!!
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Hugh Hefner Ex-Wife Kimberly Defends Him ... Slams Crystal, Ex-GFs
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Hugh Hefner's ex-wife Kimberly is defending the Playboy founder against an onslaught from his widow Crystal ... 'cause Kim suggests Crystal's just bashing Hef to make a buck.
Kimberly -- who was married to Hef from 1989 to 2010 and had two kids with him -- tells TMZ ... Crystal, in her mind, has no credibility and goes on to claim it was actually her who was exploiting Hef while he was still alive, not the other way around.
As we've reported ... Crystal has a new memoir out about her marriage to Hef and their life at the Playboy Mansion, and she's taken a ton of shots at both ... ripping his bedroom skills, calling their relationship toxic and backward and saying she felt trapped/hypnotized.
But Kimberly's firing back on behalf of her ex-hubby, saying ... "As a few people speak their version of their idea of events in hopes of riding a wave of headline relevance, and making a quick buck, we should all ask ourselves whether we want to live in an environment where people refuse to take accountability and use words loosely like 'force' and 'survive' to describe choices they made willingly at a certain point in their own lives." Oof, talk about harsh!
The way Kimberly sees it ... Crystal wasn't forced into marrying Hef or living at the Playboy Mansion Crystal now despises. Kimberly tells us Crystal made choices that gave her "notoriety, opportunity, and money."
Now that Crystal seems to have turned on Hef, who has been dead since 2017, Kimberly adds ... "We should be wary of those who try to destroy things because they are no longer benefiting from them."
Remember ... Crystal's also told us she felt like she lost herself in her marriage with Hugh, and she's said she wants to drop his famous last name because it's not clear if it's helping or hurting her these days.
Kimberly says it's not fair Hef's not here to defend himself ... praising him as a "pioneer of free thought and expression" and a "leading voice behind some of the most significant social and cultural movements of our time, advocating for free speech, integrity, sexual freedoms, and civil rights."
Bottom line for Kimberly ... she doesn't appreciate Crystal's about-face, finishing by saying ... "If you want to talk about exploitation, this is exactly what these women have done with Hef in his later years and at the end of his life."
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Joseline Hernandez Sentenced To Probation After Backstage Beatdown Of Rival Big Lex
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Joseline Hernandez has finally learned her fate following that wild 2023 fight backstage at a concert in Miami ... the reality star will have to maneuver carefully now that she's been sentenced to two years probation.
TMZ Hip Hop obtained docs of Joseline's plea deal that lays out the terms of her sentence ... she ended up pleading no contest to a slew of charges, including resisting an officer with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, and more after prosecutors say she hit the officers trying to keep her from pummeling Lex.
The Love & Hip Hop: Miami star will now be subjected to random drug testing and will have to enroll in a 29-week batterer's intervention program class online to learn how to better de-escalate situations.
Joseline is also barred from having contact with the victim and the victim's family ... and will have to write a letter of apology to the off to the deputies involved in her arrest.
As we reported, Joseline grew enraged after Floyd Mayweather and John Gotti III's exhibition bout and was basically accused of creating her own boxing match afterward with repeated attacks to Lex's noggin.
Joseline's still allowed to travel throughout the U.S. during her probation so her cabarets may continue ... but she'll have to run her itinerary by the probation department first.
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Trey Songz Sexual Assault Accuser's Suit Dismissed ... Third Time's a Charm???
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A sexual assault lawsuit against Trey Songz has been dismissed ... with the judge saying the woman never responded to Songz's motion to dismiss, so her complaint is outta here.
Here's the deal ... the singer-songwriter was originally sued back in June by an unnamed woman for allegedly exposing her breast at a Connecticut casino back in 2013.
This is an allegation she initially floated in 2022 through a demand letter to him, but didn't officially sue until Summer 2023. In her original demand letter, she was asking for north of $5 million to settle it out of court -- but he never played ball, so she ended up suing civilly.
You'll recall ... this woman -- who filed as a Jane Doe in her suit -- claimed Songz had pulled out her breast from her bathing suit top during a "Foxwoods Liquid Sundays with Trey Songz" event and even claimed there was video evidence to back up her claim.
She alleged it was done without her permission, and that it amounted to sexual assault -- something Trey and his team had been vehemently denying from the very beginning.
Anyway, this lady amended the original complaint in July -- and then again in September before Songz filed a motion to dismiss saying the statute of limitations barred her claim ... which the judge granted, although he gave her another chance to amend it a 3rd time.
She did exactly that, but her renewed claims looked incredibly similar to the earlier ones ... prompting Songz to file another motion to dismiss. That was back on December 29 when he did that ... and apparently, Doe never responded to Songz's motion to dismiss this time.
So now the judge dismissed the case again ... and for the time being, the case is over.
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Chrisean Rock I'm Home, Daddy!!! Moves Back into Blueface's Crib with Their Kid
Blueface still has a little ways to go for his current jail sentence, but there's a good chance Chrisean Rock will be waiting at home for him when he comes back!!!
On Friday, Chrisean burst onto IG with a newfound faith in the father of her baby boy -- she updated her profile pic with one of the "Thotiana" rapper's mugshots but more shockingly, announced she was moving back into one of his houses!!!
Fans were confused and displeased ... the last time these 2 were spotted publicly, they both had conflicting stories but left every indication they had a fight, and a very bloody one at that!!!
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She also posted a pair of new pics with their kid, but went out of her way to show support for Blue by making sure her "Jonathan" signature face tat was visible.
TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Blueface is slated to be behind bars through Summer '24 but his manager, Wack 100, is pushing for an earlier release.
He and Jaidyn broke off their engagement before he surrendered to start his sentence ... but she just might be competing for his attention again when he gets out.
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Alyssa Milano Dragged for Trying to Raise $$$ ... For Son's Baseball Trip
UPDATE
12:34 PM PT -- Alyssa Milano took to Twitter/X to address the backlash over the GoFundMe she set up to help fund her son's baseball team saying ... “I’m getting media inquiries about whether I have financially contributed to my son’s baseball team."
Alyssa continued, "I’ve paid for uniforms for the entire team and coaches, thrown bday parties and sponsor any kid who can’t afford monthly dues. The kids also do fundraising themselves—car washes, movie nights, and many other fun things!"
"Thank you to all who have contributed to the gofundme! You’ve made things easier for these boys and their families.”
Alyssa Milano asked her many followers/fans to chip in for her son's youth baseball trip -- and because she's perceived as incredibly wealthy ... she's getting dragged through the coals.
My son’s baseball team is raising money for their Cooperstown trip. Any amount would be so greatly appreciated. You can read more about the team and make a donation here:https://t.co/PMV9aEFnou
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) January 25, 2024 @Alyssa_Milano
The actress posted a link to a GoFundMe account that she and her husband, David Bugliari, started on behalf of their kid's 12U squad ... which she calls a travel fund that'll help the boys get to Cooperstown for a big baseball tournament, plus other expenses.
She wrote, "My son’s baseball team is raising money for their Cooperstown trip. Any amount would be so greatly appreciated. You can read more about the team and make a donation here" ... after which, she linked to the GFM page, which has a goal of raising $10,000.
The cash, the page says, will go toward travel costs, uniforms and family dues for players -- and it benefits the whole team, of course ... not just Alyssa's son. Still, the internet's pissed.
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You can hop into the "Alyssa Milano" trend this AM to get a sense of what the hell everyone's so angry about because of this -- but it's pretty straight-forward ... people are complaining that AM is a huge star, who's presumably loaded and who can afford this with the snap of her finger. So ... why is she going around soliciting donations like a normie???
As you can imagine, the jokes are flying at Alyssa's expense -- but a lot of folks are genuinely outraged that she'd try to fundraise considering her position. Even more interesting is the fact that in the list of visible donors, none appear to feature her name.
She hasn't addressed all the hand-wringing just yet -- but TBH, this feels like a case of people making assumptions about her on a number of fronts ... and we'll just leave it at that.
Originally Published -- 5:43 AM PT
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Taylor Swift Mural Pops Up Before Chiefs Game ... Baltimore's Version!!!
Travis Kelce and Chiefs Kingdom won't like this ...
An extremely talented Baltimore fan is hoping to bring some good Taylor Swift juju to his favorite team ... by painting a mural of the pop star decked out in a Lamar Jackson jersey!!
The artist goes by dlordink on social media ... and at some point, after it was revealed the Ravens would take on the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game this weekend, he got the idea to try to use Swift's good luck powers for his squad.
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The painter threw up the artwork at Unlimited Art Studio in Havre de Grace, Md. ... and he said on his TikTok page he and another designer spent three hours perfecting it.
Afterward, he was clearly pleased with how it all turned out ... writing in a caption on a pic of the wall, "Tag @taylorswift & @killatrav in the comments and let them know how good she looks in @new_era8 @ravens purple."
Of course, K.C. fans aren't likely to love it ... but, hey, Taylor's version should be all clad in red and yellow as usual at M&T Bank Stadium when the teams kick off Sunday.
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'RHONJ' Star Caroline Manzo Sues Bravo Over Glanville Moment Claims Sexual Harassment
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Caroline Manzo is suing Bravo over something that happened between her and Brandi Glanville during a 'Housewives' spinoff that got raunchy ... which CM says crossed the line.
The 'RHONJ' star just filed against the network -- plus a ton of other production companies/studios involved in making 'Housewives' -- over an incident she claims took place in Jan. 2023 out in Morocco ... where she says they were attempting to film for a show called "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip."
Long story short, this is a mish-mash of 'Housewives' from different shows -- and they get them all together for a season of drama while Bravo and co. films them vacationing.
However ... in the docs, obtained by TMZ, Caroline alleges that things went too far between herself and Brandi ('RHOBH') one evening -- during which she claims she was sexually harassed by BG after producers supplied castmates with alcohol to promote more outrageous behavior for the show.
Basically, CM claims Brandi was coming on to her in their rental house -- and alleges she even forced herself onto Caroline and kissed her without consent ... going on to claim that Brandi continued to paw at her and "mount" her on a couch, making for a very awkward interaction.
While Caroline most certainly has issues with what she claims Brandi did in the moment -- she's not suing her in this suit ... instead, she's suing Bravo -- alleging that showrunners and producers were responsible for creating/fostering a drunken environment that puts cast members at risk for things like this to happen.
In fact, Brandi came out after the fact -- this season hasn't aired yet BTW -- saying, more or less, the same thing on Twitter ... pinning the whole thing on producers and alleging that they really push for this type of over-the-top behavior to stir up drama in hopes of ratings.
Brandi -- who's been part of other 'Girls Trip' seasons for Bravo -- even claimed online a while back that producers strongly encouraged cast members to get drunk with excessive alcohol -- and Caroline, too, alleges that in her lawsuit here. She also describes what allegedly happened between her and Brandi as triggering trauma she says she experienced as a little girl ... when she says she was sexually assaulted at the young age of 7.
Now, she's suing Bravo for negligence, sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and more. Of course, Caroline is seeking major damages here.
We've reached out to Bravo ... no word back yet.
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Dr. Terry Dubrow Jillian Knows Fitness ... But Ozempic Take Not Medically Valid
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Jillian Michaels and Dr. Terry Dubrow have been trading shots over Ozempic lately -- and the good doc is the latest to fire back ... telling us she should stay in her lane cause she has no proper medical credentials.
We got the "Botched" star outside Craig's Thursday ... and he doubles down on his initial claims against her ... practically shouting from the rooftops this time that her career as a personal trainer doesn't permit her to dish out medical advice.
Despite publicly discrediting her PT career yet again, he appears to extend an olive branch ... saying she's actually great at her job -- but it's a back-handed compliment ... 'cause he says she still doesn't have medical validation to influence others against weight loss drugs.
Now, Terry does offer her a solution if she feels an absolute need to continue doing so -- Take her MCAT and go to med school. Savage!
He also says the article Jillian cited in which he appeared to agree with her anti-Ozempic stance was taken out of context and doesn't hold up her argument -- explaining he was only being interviewed about the dangers of Ozempic ... hence why he was discussing it's side effects.
That's not all ... TD also ain't here for Jillian's claims she's the utmost authority on weight loss ... suggesting if that was the case, then she'd already be aware that diet and exercise alone doesn't cut it when tackling the obesity problem.
He says bottom line, any medication can be dangerous, but drugs like Ozempic are saving lives -- so Jillian needs to mind her own business and leave the advice to those with qualifications.
For good measure, the doc's wife, Heather Dubrow, jumps in ... saying she's known him for 30 years and he never changes his mind on anything -- an apparent shot at JM to back down and accept defeat.
Though, Jillian's known for being outspoken ... and it's probably a matter of time before she retaliates ... so looks like Ozempic battle between the two will rage on for a while.
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Bad Bunny How Ya Doin', FIU?!? Surprises College Class, Helps Out Translator
Bad Bunny's dropping knowledge on the next generation -- not about music, but about business ... as he surprised a class full of college kids in South Florida.
The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter pulled up to Florida International University -- dapping up his friend and collaborator, Miami hospitality mogul David Grutman, who was leading a lecture to about 400 students.
Benito's certainly a master of disguise -- walking through the crowded lecture hall with a bandana and sunglasses covering most of his face.
Some students seemed to recognize him before the makeshift mask came off with scattered screams coming out of the crowd, but a clear majority of the future entrepreneurs couldn't figure it out until the 29-year-old revealed his face.
After giving the crowd time to freak out, naturally, Bunny admitted he felt more comfortable speaking in Spanish, and a student happily agreed to translate for him.
As Grutman spoke about his success opening a new Miami restaurant, purely because he'd tied it to one of the singer's stadium shows ... BB jumped in to add something, but then had to give his translator an assist in saying something in Spanish, 'cause she was at a loss for words.
The moment got a lot of laughs and the impromptu translator took it in stride -- it's hard to get upset when you're having a moment with one of the biggest artists in the world.
All told, The David Grutman Experience: The Class at Florida International University lasted about an hour and included a story about how DG introduced Bunny to superstar Drake.
It's good to be connected, as Grutman's students learned firsthand from Prof. Bunny!!!
Wrong day to ditch class at FIU ... that's for sure.
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'Dune 2' New Worm-Themed Pop Corn Bucket Compared to ... Something
There's a new popcorn bucket that's apparently been made to promote the upcoming 'Dune' sequel -- and if this thing is legit ... it's raising a lot of eyebrows for very obvious reasons.
These photos of the purported movie-themed bucket -- which has not hit theaters yet, apparently -- are circulating online ... and the rub, it seems, is that these may in fact be trotted out to the general public in conjunction with the 'Dune 2' release in March.
If you're unsure what you're looking at here, well ... you're not alone. If you're a fan of the franchise, though -- you'll recognize this as the mouth of one of the giant sandworms in the first flick, which Timothée Chalamet has to fight/escape from in his epic sci-fi universe.
Basically, WB (or whoever the hell designed this) seems to have thought it'd be fun to have fans reach their hands into the "mouth" of the plastic worm to get to the popcorn below.
No harm, no foul in concept -- but in the execution of this design ... the makers didn't realize this worm bucket thing could be interpreted a few different ways -- and yes, they're all pretty freaking naughty. At least that's what the Internet thinks, anyway ... jokes galore.
We'll let your imagination run wild with this one -- and we suppose we'll ask the question ...
What the heck are you seeing here, exactly ... mind in the gutter or otherwise? This is a bit of a Rorschach test, we know -- so it'll clearly be in the eye of the beholder. Let us know!
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GEORGE CARLIN ESTATE SUES CREATOR OF AI SPECIAL 'Harms His Reputation!'
George Carlin's estate is getting the law involved over the AI special, "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead" ... suing the creators for the "bastardization of Carlin's real work and legacy."
The copyright infringement lawsuit, filed Thursday in a California federal court, is accusing media company Dudesy of condensing 5 decades worth of the influential comic's standup routines to train an AI chatbot ... mimicking his voice and humor for the special -- without consent or compensation.
The docs also make it clear they're not happy with George's voice/likeness used for promo purposes -- rubbishing the special as a "piece of computer-generated click-bait which detracts from the value of Carlin's comedic works and harms his reputation."
They're asking for an immediate removal of the special and destruction of all copies as well as unspecified damages.
The hour-long special featuring a robot version of George doing standup has been available on YouTube since January 9th -- and the late icon's daughter Kelly Carlin-McCall has been the biggest denouncer of the project ... releasing a statement stating no technology could replicate her father's genius.
On "TMZ Live," she echoed the same sentiments ... telling us the AI program had her dad's name, but that's about where the comparisons end ... adding the computer botched her dad's comedic cadence and just didn't capture the magic like he once did.
Kelly's wish to have it removed could likely be granted if Tom Brady's recent legal win is anything to go by. The athlete successfully got his own AI-generated comedy special from the same platform removed from the internet.
It'll be interesting to see how long Dudesy stays in business if celebs keep coming for them!!
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Nicki Minaj #Bigfoot Trends After Meg Diss ... MTS Unleashes on Barbie!!!
Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion are at each other's throats right now after trading shots on respective diss tracks -- but Nicki's going low ... swiping at MTS' extremities.
It all started on Friday, when Megan made good on her promise to continue to fire back at her critics from the Tory Lanez trial ... and released a new track titled "Hiss" that picked up where the last one, "Cobra," left off. While going off on haters, she also shaded NM.
Meg starts the song clawing into her ex-boyfriend Pardison Fontaine further (“He can't move on, can't let it go/He hooked, nose full of that Tina Snow) ... and fans think she went on to throw jabs below the belt at Nicki Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty!!!
As we’ve reported, KP is a registered sex offender and Meg let her snake bite sink deep … rapping, "These h**s don't be mad at Megan, these hoes mad at Megan's Law/I don't really know what the problem is, but I guarantee y'all don't want me to start/Bitch, you a p***y!!!"
Megan’s Law is not only a cool name flip, it’s the name of the federal law that makes it mandatory that registered sex offenders have their info made public … venomous lyrics indeed. There's another line in there that mentions R. Kelly, and some believe this too might be some sort of reference to Nicki -- although the connection isn't entirely clear.
Anyway, Nicki immediately went into attack mode after the song dropped, liking several anti-Megan tweets, including many that made fun of the size of her feet.
She also previewed a new track of her own -- which is currently unnamed -- that she recorded almost immediately after hearing Meg's new track ... and some of the lyrics are absolutely scathing.
One line in particular caught people's attention -- Nicki raps, "Bad bitch she like 6 foot, I call her bigfoot // the bitch fell off, I said get up on your good foot." Nicki has also been liking a ton of memes/pics that depict Megan's feet (which Nicki seems to think are quite large).
The bigger shot here, though, is the fact that Nicki is referencing Meg being shot by Tory Lanez -- something her fan base loved to hear, but which some have said goes too far.
Anyway, in the wake of all this ... #Bigfoot soon became a trending topic on X, and Nicki hissed back further at Megan on IG … clowning her flow to make the H-Town hottie sound like some sort of UGK wannabe. Like we said, their back-and-forth has been brutal.
Megan dropped an IG Story laughing at the drama she caused online but Nicki claimed to have the last laugh seeing her name trend online.
All signs point to a hot girl summer ... with Meg and Nicki continuing to cook each other.
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Jackie Robinson Statue Stolen From Baseball Facility ... Cops Investigating
A statue honoring baseball icon Jackie Robinson was stolen from outside a youth baseball facility in Kansas this week ... and cops are now searching for the scumbags who ran off with it.
Local police shared surveillance footage of the heist that went down at League 42's McAdams Park in Wichita early Thursday morning ... which appears to show someone cut the Robinson tribute at the ankles, put it in the back of a truck and flee the scene.
Wichita PD shared an image of what's left of the Dodgers legend's bronze figure ... just two feet standing on top of a home plate.
The station said the "community is devastated" over the vandalism ... and is calling on anyone with information regarding its whereabouts to come forward.
"The actions of those individuals who had the audacity to take the statue of Jackie Robinson from a park where kids and families in our community can gather, learn the history of Jackie Robinson, an American icon, and play the game of baseball should upset all of us," Wichita Police Chief Joseph Sullivan said.
"What troubles me even more is that this theft occurred just before the beginning of February, which marks the start of Black History Month."
"Our city wants the statute returned. We also want the individuals who robbed our community of a treasure to be held accountable for their actions."
League 42 was created in 2013 to help children in Wichita learn the sport without worrying about high registration fees ... with hundreds signing up each year. Robinson's trailblazing career and breaking the MLB color barrier served as inspiration for the organization.
According to local reports, the league received permission from Robinson's family to erect the statue, which is part of a pavilion that was dedicated to the athlete in 2021.
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Kyle Richards Life's Not the Same Without Mauricio ... Calls It 'Painful' & 'Scary'
Kyle Richards & Mauricio Umansky's separation hasn't been easy on the couple ... in fact, not being with Mauricio has been "scary" for Kyle -- at least according to her.
The 'Real Housewives' star stopped by SiriusXM's "Jeff Lewis Live" Thursday and discussed her messy estrangement from her hubby of almost three decades ... and she admitted she's not totally sure who she is outside of that marriage.
KR said she feels her "entire identity is being a wife and a mom," and she's trying to figure out who she is outside of that -- all while still dealing with feelings of compassion toward MU.
Kyle said it would almost be easier to hate Mauricio if she straight-up couldn't stand being around him ... but, quite frankly she doesn't -- and it's making their split that much harder ... sounds like she's still quite fond of him.
She went on to say they're making the best of their situation ... living in the same house, sleeping in different bedrooms -- and it helps that they've got other homes too though they aren't actively trying to be in different places.
Remember, we told you all about their Aspen excursions last month with Umansky photographing a couple lovely models wearing just towels on the slopes and ripping his shirt off in a poppin' bar ... before he, Kyle and their daughters hung out around Christmas.
Richards said the trip was pretty tame ... adding if you didn't know the former couple, then you wouldn't think anything was amiss in their relationship -- bottom line, no blow-ups over the Christmas ham.
Kyle Richards & Morgan Wade Dress Up for A Friday Dinner in L.A.
Some people have theorized the couple's staying together to avoid splitting up their assets in a messy divorce ... but Richards threw cold water on that idea during the interview -- saying she'd get divorced if she was totally sure they weren't going to be together anymore.
As for the money, Kyle's very clear ... it's collective cash! She said they were totally broke when they started dating and got married -- so, all their success like The Agency taking off and the big Bravo bucks they made on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" would be split evenly.
The couple decided to go their separate ways last summer, and their breakup's been plagued with rumors of Kyle moving on with Morgan Wade quickly after the split and Mauricio getting it on with his "Dancing with the Stars" partner Emma Slater ... basically, everyone's been up in their business over the last six months.
It seems KR's finally ready to talk about it all -- Mauricio and Morgan included -- telling us earlier this week she's gonna spill her guts ... when cameras start rolling on the 'RHOBH" reunion. That's one hell of a promo, Kyle!
The reunion tapes today, so fans won't have to wait much longer for all the answers they've been craving.
Stay tuned ...
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Memphis DJ 'Slick Rick' Found Decapitated at Home ... Police Investigating
update
10:08 AM PT -- Memphis PD says a cause of death for Rick Buchanan has yet to be determined, and more interestingly ... that there's no sign of foul play in terms of how he died. Of course, they say they're still investigating.
A local DJ in Memphis, who just so happens to have the same moniker as a very famous rapper, appears to have been murdered in gruesome fashion ... via beheading.
Rick Buchanan -- otherwise known as "Slick Rick" in the area, no affiliation to THE Slick Rick -- was found dead Wednesday by his brother -- who told FOX13 reporter Walter Murphy that he walked into his sibling's home and discovered he'd been decapitated.
Buchanan's sibling, John, relayed the horrifying incident to the outlet, saying ... "I walked in and found him, and I just called 911." He goes on to describe exactly how he found him.
John adds, "I thought his coat was up over his head like it was cold or something. I ran out and then I ran back in. And, then I realized it was something worse." Rick's brother goes on to explain Rick was still holding his keys in this state, and that his pants were pulled down. He also says his back door was ajar ... so, to say this is suspicious is an understatement.
JUNE 2014
One other thing ... Rick was actually shot during a robbery in Memphis back in 2014, which he survived at the time -- but John says he was never the same after that.
He says it had become hard for Rick to find work, and that he became a bit of a recluse -- this despite being a huge personality known in the community for years ... who was big on performing. Now, John and the extended family say they're trying to piece things together on what exactly happened to Rick -- and, of course, making funeral arrangements, etc.
The obvious question ... what are cops saying? FOX13 cites Memphis PD as only saying they're investigating. On its face, it sounds like an outright slaughter and butchering.
Originally Published -- 6:50 AM PT