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Kanye West has a steady stream of close friends showing up in Wyoming -- the latest being Damon Dash, who he took for an essential items shopping trip.

It appears Dame arrived at Ranch West sometime Wednesday, and the duo hit up the Walmart in nearby Cody ... wearing face masks to enter, as required.

The hip-hop superstars weren't exactly trying to stay incognito -- once outside they removed their masks and sat on a bench for a bit talking.

Of course, these 2 go way back to their Roc-A-Fella Records days, and it seems Dame flew in to check on Ye ... on the heels of his Monday and Tuesday night Twitter attacks against his wife and mother-in-law.

Dash posted a pic of Kanye, himself and a few others touring the ranch grounds with the caption, "We good."

Remember, on Tuesday morning it was Dave Chappelle who dropped in at the ranch and certainly seemed to lift Yeezy's spirits ... at least for a while.

Kanye is reportedly working on new music while he's in Wyoming, so it's possible Dame came by for that too -- but we know family and friends have been concerned about his mental health since the Sunday rally in South Carolina.

Kim Kardashian's made it clear her husband is in the grips of a bipolar episode and adds, "Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words some times do not align with his intentions."

An undefeated pro boxer was AXED by his management company Wednesday after the fighter went on a disgusting homophobic rant on TikTok.

Meet James Hawley ... a 21-year-old fighter from the U.K. -- he's 6-0 and was signed with MTK Global, which reps huge boxing stars like Tyson Fury, Carl Frampton and Billy Joe Saunders.

Hawley decided to do a little Q&A on TikTok recently and was asked, "Do you support LGBT?"

His response ... "I one-thousand, one-million percent do not agree with this stuff."

Hawley said he appreciates hot lesbian chicks -- but gay dudes and transgender people just rub him the wrong way.

What a renaissance man, right?

Hawley continued to spew a bunch of super offensive and graphic stuff that we're just not going to include in this article.

He ended with, "I feel sorry for your families."

The rant caught the attention of a "RuPaul's Drag Race U.K." star named Baga Chipz -- who reached out to MTK Global to find out why they would represent someone with such a hateful message?

To MTK Global's credit, they responded to Baga Chipz almost immediately -- saying they cut ties with Hawley after seeing the clip.

"The management team have made the decision to terminate Mr. Hawley's contract with MTK Global with immediate effect and will no longer be representing him in any format."

"MTK Global does not in any way condone, or support the views that were shared in any way, nor will these comments ever be considered as acceptable from any of our fighters hence the decision that was made by management."

After his release, Hawley made a video addressing the move -- and sort of (but not really) apologizing.

Hawley's defense is that he was being sent graphic photos and videos from gay people and lashed out in a fit of anger.

Hawley says he is the victim of abuse by those people -- and isn't backing down.

Of course, Hawley also offered up the "I have gay friends" excuse.

Derek Chauvin -- the ex-Minneapolis cop charged with murdering George Floyd -- now has more legal trouble on his hands over his taxes ... and so does his estranged wife.

Chauvin and his estranged spouse, Kellie, were each hit Wednesday with 9 felony counts related to their alleged failure to pay state taxes in Minnesota -- including counts for aiding and abetting the filing of false or fraudulent returns and additional counts for failing to file returns at all.

According to court docs, officials in Washington County, Minnesota claim the couple's tax issues date back to 2014 and they're accused of not filing at all for the years 2016, 2017 and 2018. They each face the same 9 counts.

Specifically, investigators claim the couple was significantly under-reporting their combined income. For instance, prosecutors say Derek was raking in tens of thousands of dollars on top of his police officer salary at MPD between side security gigs -- one of which prosecutors estimate totaled upwards of $95k between 2014-2019 -- as well as other odd jobs.

Prosecutors also claim Kellie was raking in tens of thousands herself from realtor work and her photography business. None of the money was reported, according to the charging docs. There's also alleged malfeasance over different homes they've purchased in Minnesota and Florida -- not to mention a new BMW that they allegedly registered in Florida, but had serviced more than 10 times in Minnesota.

And, get this ... prosecutors also allege that Derek and Kellie talked about these tax problems on the phone while he was in custody back in June. They claim Derek told Kellie people were looking into their records, and allege Kellie responded she was meeting with someone about "(2016) to now."

They go on to claim Chauvin told Kellie to use the same person "we have used to handle for many years." That person appears to have been Derek's own father, as prosecutors say Kellie responded, "Yeah well we don't want to get your dad involved because he will just be mad at me I mean us for not doing them for years..."

Long story short, we're talking a lot of money and alleged wrongdoing here -- and if convicted on each of the felony counts ... they could face up to five years in prison.

Of course, these legal woes are on top of the second-degree murder and manslaughter charges Chauvin faces in connection to George's killing earlier in May. He remains behind bars with his bail set at $1.25 million. He hasn't entered a plea yet in the case.

Kanye West's jealousy over Kim Kardashian meeting Meek Mill last year seems misplaced ... since it was in a very public group setting, and purely to talk prison reform.

Sources connected to the Kardashians and Meek tell us Kim's prison reform summit did go down at the Waldorf Astoria in L.A. -- as Kanye said on Twitter last night -- but Meek and Kim never met in a one-on-one setting.

We're told they were joined by philanthropist Clara Wu Tsai ... and the trio met in Jean-Georges restaurant at the Waldorf. The group discussed plans to keep the prison reform movement going forward. A witness says Kim left the hotel -- solo -- immediately after the meeting.

Worth noting ... both Kim and Meek work with Cut50, the org that fights for reduced incarceration rates and criminal justice reform.

Our sources say Kim was aware of Kanye's jealousy over the situation ... and it's something the two spoke about. However, outside of that one public meeting ... we're told Kim and Meek have never been alone together.

As we reported, Kanye accused Kim of being "out of line" for the meeting, and claimed he's been trying to divorce her ever since the meeting.

TMZ broke the story ... friends and family are deeply concerned about Kanye because they believe he's in the grips of a bipolar episode.

The divorce drama between "The Orville" stars, Adrianne Palicki and Scott Grimes, is a reality once again ... she's filed for divorce.

TMZ's learned Adrianne -- who plays Commander Kelly Grayson on the show -- recently filed divorce docs a second time ... after first doing so in July 2019.

Their split was pretty surprising ... considering they'd only been married a couple months at the time, but then in November ... she dropped the divorce petition. That's the sign of reconciliation.

It's unclear what led to calling it quits on matrimony this time around, but Palicki cited irreconcilable differences for the first break up. She also noted then that the 2 have a prenup -- so the financial side of the split could be relatively easy.

Clint Eastwood wants CBD retailers to keep his name out their mouth ... and now he's suing.

Dirty Harry filed a pair of lawsuits Wednesday against CBD retailers, who he says are using his good name to hawk their cannabis products online and trick customers.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Clint says these CBD retailers are propping up their products by using fake interviews with him where he gushes over their marijuana merchandise. Clint says he's never sat down with any of these companies and doesn't endorse their products.

In one suit, Clint also claims CBD retailers are using his name to lure in consumers through Google searches. Yes, this 90-year-old is hip to metadata.

In the docs, Clint says he's being defamed by the lies out there about him using CBD products and says the companies have no right to use his likeness to hawk their products.

Priscilla Presley is speaking out about losing her grandson, Benjamin Keough, to suicide earlier this month, and she says the tragedy's left the family broken.

Elvis' widow broke her silence Wednesday saying, "These are some of the darkest days of my family’s life. The shock of losing Ben has been devastating."

Priscilla continued in a Facebook post ... "Trying to put all the pieces together of all the possible whys has penetrated my soul. Each day I wake up I pray it will get better. Then, I think of my daughter [Lisa Marie Presley] and the pain she is going through as she was a doting mother. Ben’s father, Danny [Keough], who is completely lost, as Ben was his only son."

Other than a statement through Lisa Marie's attorney shortly after news broke of Ben's death, neither of his parents have spoken publicly about his passing. Clearly, as Priscilla explains, they're shattered over this ... the entire brood is -- uncles, nieces, nephews and all.

Priscilla ended her thoughts with Ben's only full-blooded sibling, Riley Keough. She says, "Riley, so loving and so close to him; Harper and Finley, who absolutely adored Ben. Navarone, who struggles deeply with loss and death. Rest In Peace Ben, you were loved. ❤️"

Tinashe says diving headfirst into the fight for social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement helped her cope with the pandemic ... and gives her hope for a better future.

The R&B singer joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and told us how she found her purpose in the pandemic, and what she learned from going to 10 BLM protests, including nine in a single weekend.

Tinashe tells us why she's so grateful she got involved in the renewed push for equality ... she says protests are a great way to focus your energy during shutdowns and quarantines, and they can give people a sense of worth and purpose in an otherwise uncertain age.

The way Tinashe sees it ... having something to fight for -- social justice and BLM -- will do folks a lot of good, while creating a better world for everyone in the future.

Tinashe didn't just hold a sign at protests and post about change on social media ... she also raised money for the Bail Project with a virtual concert and sold some art to donate more funds to the cause.

Alex Trebek -- the beloved host of "Jeopardy!" for 36 years and counting -- has reached a new major milestone ... celebrating his 80th birthday.

Alex has turned 80 on the heels of the release of his new memoir, "The Answer Is...: Reflections On My Life," and during a constant battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer after being diagnosed last year.

Through it all ... Trebek has been legendary, continuing to host the game show while receiving treatment and providing inspiration to millions of others battling cancer.

Alex opened up this week, saying he is undergoing experimental cancer treatment and this will be his last ... he's already undergone other treatments that have been difficult, and he says he's discussed it with his family and it all came down to a quality of life decision.

And, even after 36 years and 8,132 episodes, Alex says he plans to continue his "Jeopardy!" gig as long as he's around. When he eventually must be replaced, he recently joked with 'GMA' that the perfect person for the job is ... his longtime friend, Betty White.

All kidding aside, Trebek revealed back in 2018 who he really has in mind to replace him -- a fellow Alex ... L.A. Kings play-by-play announcer, Alex Faust, and CNN contributor and attorney Laura Coates. BTW ... don't discount Anderson Cooper.

Happy birthday, Alex!!!

Kim Kardashian's jumping to the defense of her husband, Kanye West, publicly acknowledging he's in the middle of a serious mental health issue ... which has everyone close to him concerned.

Kim says, "As many of you know, Kanye has bipolar disorder. Anyone who has this or has a loved one in their life who does, knows how incredibly complicated and painful it is to understand. I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health."

Kim continued in a social media post, "Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor. People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try."

Seemingly referring directly to her husband's disturbing South Carolina rally over the weekend, Kim said ... "I understand Kanye is subject to criticism because he is a public figure and his actions at times can cause strong opinions and emotions. He is a brilliant but complicated person who on top of the pressures of being an artist and a black man, who experienced the painful loss of his mother, and has to deal with the pressure and isolation that is heightened by his bipolar disorder. Those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words some times do not align with his intentions."

NOVAK?! HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING?!!

Despite being at the center of a massive COVID-19 exposure, tennis superstar Novak Djokovic is still refusing to wear a mask!

The 33-year-old Serbian was spotted out Wednesday in Marbella, Spain -- a super popular vacation spot -- hanging out with a bunch of people.

No one in Novak's group appeared to be wearing a face-covering or seemed to make an effort to social distance.

Of course, Spain was hit particularly hard by the coronavirus -- with over 28,000 reported deaths -- but the popular beach areas finally began opening up earlier this month.

In fact, there are 3,000 "beach wardens" patrolling the sand to enforce safety protocols -- including mask-wearing.

There are stiff penalties for non-compliance -- including a $110 fine if caught maskless.

Obviously, Novak can afford a measly fine -- you'd think he'd want to avoid the public shaming (AGAIN) after throwing that COVID-infested tennis tournament last month.

As we previously reported, Novak blew off social distancing advice and hosted a tennis tournament in Croatia -- and shocker -- a bunch of people tested positive!

Both Novak and his wife contracted the virus -- and while they eventually recovered, you'd think they'd start taking safety measures more seriously.

Kanye West continued his late-night, alarming rants ... again targeting his wife, his mother-in-law and many, many others.

Kanye, who is holed up at his Wyoming ranch, attacked Kim and Kris again ... he says for trying to get him placed on a 51/50 psychiatric hold.

Ye claimed, "I been trying to get divorced since Kim met with Meek at the Waldorf for 'prison reform.'" He went on to say, "Meek is my man and was respectful ... That's my dog. Kim was out of line."

Kim and Meek were both working on prison reform and were present at a Criminal Justice Reform Summit in Los Angeles back in 2019.

He took a shot at Kris, calling her "Kris Jong-Un," though he never explained further. He accused her the night before of masterminding the release of Kim's sex tape, something Kris has strongly denied.

There were scattered references to various other celebs. He said, "Lil baby my favorite rapper but won't do a song with me."

He claimed to be worth billions, saying, "I'm worth 5 billion dollars and more than that through Christ. But ya'll ain't listen to MJ and now ya'll believe them???" MJ seems to refer to Michael Jackson.

Our sources say the family doesn't know what to do. Kanye is clearly not receptive to getting help, and anything they do to try triggers a strong, counter-reaction by Kanye.

As we reported, Dave Chapelle flew out to Kanye's ranch Tuesday as a show of friendship.

Bill Belichick's going to LOVE this ...

Cam Newton brought out yet another Patriots receiver for a throwing sesh in L.A. this month ... this time getting in some reps with Julian Edelman -- who's already praising the team's new QB!!

Cam posted a clip of their workout on Wednesday ... and it shows him throwing a dart of a football to a shirtless Edelman -- who loved the pass so much, he shouted out the QB in the vid.

"It very well could be like that," Edelman says after making the reception. "Great ball!"

Of course, Cam's worked out with just about every top New England wideout since signing with the team a few weeks ago ... he's had multiple L.A. sessions with Mohamed Sanu and N'Keal Harry in the last few weeks.

But, a workout with Jules is far more significant ... Edelman is the team's WR1 -- and the biggest leader on the squad now that Tom Brady's gone.

We're assuming more footage and details from the workout are on the way ... but seems Julian liked it all -- he reposted Cam's vid on social media with emojis of eyeballs and a shush sign.

Orlando Bloom has ended his search for his beloved dog, Mighty, after finding his collar.

Orlando posted a heartfelt message to all the folks who were concerned or who helped in the search ... "Mighty’s on the other side now. After 7 days of searching from sunrise to sunset and into the wee hours, today, the 7th day ~the number of completion~ we found his collar."

He went on ... "I have wept more this week than I thought possible, which has been very cathartic and healing... I left no stone unturned, crawled thru all the man holes, under the roads, searched every back yard and creek bed. Had two separate sniffer dogs do their best as well. I feel so grateful to have learned from my little Mighty man that love is eternal and the true meaning of devotion."

Orlando, who got a tattoo to pay homage to Mighty, thanked everyone in the Santa Barbara area who helped in the search. He thanked them for allowing him in their yards as he searched.

The dog was truly Orlando's best friend, and you could literally feel his pain through his postings. Orlando ended this way ... "I feel sure he was looking down on me whistling in every back yard and knowing that I was doing all I possibly could to respect our bond. He was more than a companion. It was a soul connection for sure. I’m sorry. I love you. Thank you. RIP my MIGHTY HEART my little fellow A ♠️’s."

RIP, Mighty.

NY Jets owner Woody Johnson -- who's also the U.S. ambassador to the U.K. -- was investigated by the State Dept. over alleged racist and sexist comments to his staff, according to CNN.

Long story short, the CNN report paints Johnson as a racist, sexist meathead, who often made insensitive comments about minorities and women in the capacity of doing his job.

Here are some of the allegations ...

-- In 2018, Johnson allegedly made racist remarks before an event for Black History Month. CNN says he "appeared agitated and asked if the audience would be 'a whole bunch of Black people?'"

Multiple sources told CNN that Johnson openly questioned the need for Black History Month -- and "argued that Black fathers didn't remain with their families and that was the 'real challenge.'"

The incident was reported to the Office of the Inspector General, says CNN.

-- Multiple sources tell CNN that Johnson would hold official meetings at a fancy "men's only" club in London called "White's" -- where no female diplomats were allowed to attend.

-- Johnson is also accused of making all sorts of offensive statements about women during his job as ambassador ... many of which focused on looks.

CNN described some of the comments this way ... "According to one source, at certain public events, Johnson would start his remarks by quipping about how many pretty women were present -- reducing them to decorative objects in a way a source described as 'just sort of cringeworthy.'"

The State Dept. did not comment on the status of the investigation -- but told CNN that Woody is a "valued member of the team who has led Mission UK honorably and professionally."

"We stand by Ambassador Johnson and look forward to him continuing to ensure our special relationship with the UK is strong."

We reached out to the NY Jets for comment -- so far, no word back.

Johnson -- who was appointed ambassador to the United Kingdom by President Donald Trump in 2017 -- is an heir to the Johnson & Johnson empire.

He famously purchased the NY Jets in 2000 for $635 million.