Kelsea Ballerini, Chase Stokes No 'SNL' Jitters for Her ... Packin' it On in NYC

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Kelsea Ballerini wasn't distracted by her "SNL" performance Saturday night... because just hours before she was lovin' it up with BF Chase Stokes.

Kelsea and Chase were strolling through Manhattan Saturday afternoon, holding hands, stealing a smooch from time to time.

We obviously knew they were together ... they haven't been able to keep their hands and other parts off each other for weeks, but Friday they verbally confirmed their relationship on the Today show.

Morgan Evans is clearly in Kelsea's rear view, although it's also pretty clearly top of mind for him still. One of his songs -- "Over for You."  Kinda says it all.

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CAN YOU GUESS THE CELEBRITY??

Chase and Kelsea have been making the public rounds, taking in a NY Rangers game earlier in the week and making it clear to everyone ... they're a thing.

Chris Rock Slams Will Smith For Oscars Slap ... Calls 'Suge' Smith a 'Bitch!'

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It took nearly a year...but Chris Rock finally went all in on Will Smith for slapping him on stage at The Oscars, roasting the actor while calling him a "bitch."

Rock addressed the elephant in the room Saturday night during his live Netflix special, "Selective Outrage," leaving no doubt that he's still pissed at Smith for smackin' him on live TV as the world watched.

The comedian launched into the segment this way...“You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by 'Suge' Smith, everybody knows, everybody f--king knows. I got smacked like a year ago… And people are like ‘Did it hurt?’ It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”

But, don't ever ask Rock to sit for an interview with Oprah Winfrey or Gayle King 'cause he ain't doing it. “I’m not a victim baby, you will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. You will never see it…. It’s never going to happen. F--k that s--t, I took that s--t like Pacquiao" -- a reference to boxer Manny Pacquiao.

Rock also compared his situation with Smith to David and Goliath. He said Smith was a lot bigger than him and even played Muhammad Ali in a movie. "You think I auditioned for that? I played Pookie in ‘New Jack City.’ I played a piece of corn in ‘Pootie Tang,'" Rock joked.

Then Rock skewered Smith's wife, Jada, accusing her of doing something "f--king lowdown" by having an affair with her son's friend -- and then discussing it with her husband on her Red Table Talk.

Rock said, "We’ve all been cheated on, everybody in here been cheated on. None of us has ever been interviewed by the person who cheated on us on television… Why the f--k would you do that s--t? She hurt [Will] way more than he hurt me."

Continuing along those lines, Rock said, "Everybody called [Will] a bitch. And who’s he hit? Me! A n**** he know he can beat. That’s some bitch ass sh--!”

Rock said he didn't strike Smith back "because I’ve got parents! And you know what my parents taught me? Don’t fight in front of white people!”

The funnyman wrapped it up with...“They say, ‘words hurt.' You gotta watch what you say because ‘words hurt.’ Anybody who says ‘words hurt’ has never been punched in the face."

Sounds like Will still has more work to do to patch things up with Chris.

Stay tuned.

Travis Kelce Hilarious 'SNL' Monologue ... With Mahomes Impression, Jason Cameo

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Travis Kelce just took the stage at Studio 8H ... and the Kansas City Chiefs superstar crushed his "Saturday Night Live" monologue -- hilariously mocking Patrick Mahomes in the process.

Kelce -- wearing a sharp double-breasted suit -- had the crowd laughing from start to finish ... with jokes about getting busted for weed in college, his infamous dating show, his QB's unique voice and, of course, beating his older brother, Jason, in the Super Bowl.

The Philadelphia Eagles star was in the front row for the whole thing ... and cameras even cut to him multiple times as Travis talked about growing up together.

"Jason and I have actually been playing football together since we were little kids, and he was always better than me at everything," Kelce said.

"In high school, he was an honor student, and I got kicked off the team because I failed French ... and English too, but French sounds way better."

"Then when we were in college, I actually got kicked off the team because I tested positive for marijuana. So, it just goes to show you if you smoke weed and you're bad at school, you can win the Super Bowl twice."

Travis' family -- including Mama Kelce -- were also present for the monologue.

Kelce explained it was an emotional moment for him ... as he grew up watching Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler on the same stage.

Jason also made an appearance in a skit later in the show ... just as 'SNL' producers previously told us they were trying to make happen.

It really was a family affair ... and it's safe to say it was a hit.

109-Year-Old Man Screw the Cake ... Bring On the Belly Dancer!!!

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One of the oldest men living in the U.S. had the celebration of a lifetime, ringing in his big 109th birthday with the help of a belly dancer!!!

Thomas Markoff tells us ... his grandpa Morrie Markoff turned 109 back on January 11 and he celebrated at his downtown L.A. condo.

It's pretty hilarious ... the dancer comes out in a white bedazzled getup and gramps was grinning ear-to-ear.

The dancer really puts on a show ... serenading the birthday boy to a song as he watches from his chair and he even provides some funny commentary.

Thomas says it was especially memorable because his granddad is up there and doesn't get out much.

Morrie isn't the first centenarian to be entertained by the ladies ... a man in Texas celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by a bunch of strippers, courtesy of his daughter ... worth the wait, right?

BTW, Morrie was born in 1914 ... making him the oldest living blogger in the world.

Andrew Tate Focus on Justice, Not Hair

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Andrew Tate is getting dragged after claiming he's grown a "full head of hair" while behind bars ... but his rep says people should focus on him getting justice instead of hair issues.

A rep for Tate tells TMZ ... "The peculiar online fascination with Andrew's hair has proven, as a society, we care less about the potential dangers of false accusations and more about how people look."

You'll recall, Tate's been spending the last few months in a Romanian jail after being accused of rape and running a human trafficking ring ... and his recent tweet at the end of February has been picking up steam.

He wrote about being shocked by his reflection, adding "I barely recognized myself A long beard, a full head of hair" ... but a recent pic of him overseas with thinning hair had people going hard on his claims.

One Twitter troll says he's stretching the truth, while another jokes Andrew might've seen the reflection of his brother Tristan, who's also been arrested, and just got confused.

He's been in his feelings a lot lately online, even tweeting about when he "almost cried" while behind bars.

FYI -- Tate lost his recent appeal, as the court decided to extend his arrest for 30 days -- this being the 3rd time.

The Miz Jake Paul's Welcome At WrestleMania 39 Tyson & Tommy Fury, Too!!!

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SURREAL FEELING

Could an epic showdown between the Pauls and Furys happen at WrestleMania 39?! The Miz says he's totally for it ... telling TMZ Sports Logan, Jake, Tommy and Tyson are all welcome at the huge event this year.

Miz will be hosting both nights of the WWE's annual spectacle being held at SoFi Stadium in April ... and he says he's leaning into the theme "WrestleMania Goes Hollywood" -- telling fans to expect surprises throughout the weekend.

"You never know what's going to happen at WrestleMania," Miz told TMZ Sports. "Especially at SoFi Stadium. Los Angeles. We want to make some splashes. Make some noise."

When we brought up the possibility of seeing Logan tag team with Jake against the Furys on the heels of the younger bros' recent boxing match ... he welcomes the idea.

It would make complete sense -- after all, three of the four guys have history with WWE ... with Jake and Tyson participating in previous events, and Logan already being a Superstar.

Miz told us preparing to host WrestleMania is drastically different than when he's gearing up to fight inside the squared circle ... and called the opportunity a "dream come true."

The tradition of hosting WM isn't new ... Miz will join The Rock, Hulk Hogan (twice), Alexa Bliss, Rob Gronkowski, The New Day, and Titus O'Neil as superstars who've hosted.

Miz -- who's familiar with hosting thanks to his own show "MizTV" -- says he knows there's pressure to keep the crowd involved, but he's looking forward to the challenge.

Ultimately, Miz said his job is to make sure the show is "upbeat" and "fun" ... and encouraged fans to tune in on April 1 and 2 as WWE tries to create "buzz-worthy" moments.

Like Pauls vs. Furys???

Pedro Pascal Good Genes or Good Docs?!

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Pedro Pascal's looks over the years will grow on you like a mushroom!

Here is a 30-year-old version of the Hollywood hunk at the opening night after party for "Macbeth" in New York City back in 2006 (left). This was a decade into Pascal's acting career, when he took the stage as a murderer and a bloody sergeant in the classic play.

And, 17 years later ...  the now 47-year-old glowing actor brought his sexy scruff to the Los Angeles premiere of "The Last Of Us" and topped off his look with a pair of slick specs (right).

He may be a fungi, but the question is ...

Drew Sidora Bringing Divorce Drama on Camera For New 'RHOA' Season!!!

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Drew Sidora will be serving hot tea on her divorce for the upcoming season of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" ... we've learned producers brought cameras out again to capture the fallout from her explosive allegations.

Production sources tell TMZ … 'RHOA' fans will get all the scoop on Drew's contentious divorce from Ralph Pittman, despite the fact group shoots for the upcoming 15th season wrapped back in January.

We're told producers started rolling on new confessional interviews this week, with Drew talking all about what went down leading up to the split.

Our sources say production is also filming new confessionals with the other housewives ... so you gotta imagine they all have strong feelings and reactions to Drew's split.

As of now, fans won't be hearing from Ralph. We're told he hasn't filmed anything -- with Drew or solo -- talking about the split. Interestingly, we're told Drew and Ralph are still living under the same roof ... possibly for the sake of their two children.

TMZ broke the story ... Drew refiled divorce docs in which she accuses Ralph of cheating with multiple women, emotional abuse and screwing with her finances.

You'll recall, the two raced to file for divorce on February 27 ... with Drew beating him to the courthouse by just one hour. Her original filing made no mention of his alleged infidelity or abuse. She amended her divorce petition after learning Ralph had, surprisingly, filed docs of his own.

Messy for sure, and 'RHOA' fans will have a front-row seat.

Jerry O'Connell Landing a Gig at Southwest!!!

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Jerry O’Connell has always had the wonderment of a kid, so it makes sense the pilot of a Southwest jet let the biggest kid on the aircraft in the cockpit!

The "Crossing Jordan" and "Kangaroo Jack" star hopped on a Southwest flight from Los Angeles to Oakland recently, and he arrived both on time and with a pair of wings.

When the plane touched down the "Pictionary" host was in no rush to leave ... spending time chatting with some passengers/fans and taking photos.

Then he got the ultimate flying experience ... as folks were getting off the plane, Jerry chatted up the flight crew -- and that's when the captain asked Jerry if he'd like to see the cockpit.

Jerry jumped at the offer and hopped in the pilot's seat and, suddenly, he was 12 again!

Roger that Jerry, over and out.

Celebrity Scramble Guess Who!

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Behind this sculpted image is a London native who got a jump start on her acting career when she was just a child ... Fast forward to the early 2000's when she took her cello playing skills to the big screen with her performance in "Summer of Love."

Clearly, this star is a poppin' actress, because she's always on the go! Perhaps her being super blunt in her breakout role is the reason for starring in a movie with the legend herself Meryl Streep. You won't find her on social media ... but can you find her through this altered photo?

Joaquin Phoenix Runs Thru DTLA for 'Joker 2' ... Eyewitness Not Impressed

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LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Joaquin Phoenix is back running through the streets of Gotham as the Clown Prince himself -- but despite the action being filmed on the ground ... some are scoffing from above.

Check out this footage, obtained by TMZ, where the actor can be seen on the set of 'Joker 2,' which was filming on location Saturday in DTLA ... and where JP was doing a few takes where he's being chased by some bad guys, who happen to be dressed in Joker gear.

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PHILLIPS & PHOENIX

It's pretty interesting ... you see Joaquin here (as Arthur Fleck) in a business suit, sans makeup, and a couple of goons going after him as they weave in and out of traffic. One of the dudes on his tail is actually dressed in his 'Joker' outfit from the first movie.

There's some good action captured on camera here, but the photog doesn't seem to be that big a fan of Joaquin or 'Joker' in general ... 'cause he talks a lot of crap throughout.

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At one point, you can see director Todd Phillips walking through the scene again with Joaquin (who's in regular clothes, masked up) -- and there, too, the camera man has snarky commentary to offer. It doesn't seem like Todd and co. cared that people were watching ... they were busy trying to get the shots, and it looks like they they were preoccupied.

Couple takeaways ... it seems like the sequel to the 2019 hit is actually going to take place, in part, outside of an asylum -- which is where we last saw Joaquin's Joker. Also, no sign of Lady Gaga anywhere on Saturday's set, but she's in this as well (as Harley Quinn).

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Anyway, the secret's out ... 'Joker 2' is in production, and Mr. J's on the loose!

Hasan Minhaj Armie Hammer Cannibal Joke ... At Spirit Awards

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eat your heart out, Tim

Armie Hammer got thrown under the bus at the Spirit Awards this weekend -- courtesy of the show's host, Hasan Minhaj ... who roped in AH's old costar, Timothee Chalamet, too.

The comedian was firing from all cylinders Saturday to open the show -- one meant to honor indie filmmaking, which was streaming on YT -- by taking shots at A LOT of people ... including Armie, whom he didn't mention by name, but did allude to by reputation.

He brought up Timmy's flick from last year, 'Bones and All,' where the dude plays a cannibal who falls in love with another cannibal ... an easy layup to tie in the Armie scandal.

Hasan said Hollywood's gotta stop making movies where TC falls in love with flesh eaters ... 'cause it's getting old. Of course, he's referring to 'Call Me By Your Name,' where Tim/Armie play lovers. The joke didn't land all that well, it seems, as many in the audience audibly groaned. It doesn't appear as if Timothee himself was actually in attendance either.

Hasan didn't harp on it beyond that ... but it served as a reminder that the whole Armie saga still lingers, even now, and has left a bad taste in people's mouth throughout the biz.

You'll recall ... Armie was swept up in a criminal investigation for alleged rape for quite a while now, which doesn't seem to be going anywhere. He's denied raping anyone, but did admit he was emotionally abusive to women he'd been with ... touching on all his leaked DMs where he described horrific fantasies and leaned in on cannibalistic fetishes.

Since then, he's said that was just BDSM stuff he was into, and not meant to be taken literally ... and while some have called all the cannibal cracks at his expense "kink-shaming" -- it doesn't sound like H'wood is easing up on making him the butt of their jokes.

Considering Armie isn't working in this town anymore, it's safe to say he's still on the outs.

Chris Rock 'Whipped' Joke About Will Smith ... Might Air on Netflix Special

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Chris Rock is set to talk about the Oscars slap tonight in a new comedy special, but some of his material appears to have already leaked ... including a joke about watching Will Smith suffer on film -- which, if the internet is to be believed, he'd be wise in avoiding.

Here's the deal ... we all know Chris' live Netflix show is going down tonight, and everyone's expecting him to discuss the slap at length for the first time, publicly, on his own terms. The problem ... he's been working out his jokes on this topic for months, and one particular bit he recently did about Will was widely reported this week ... and Twitter ain't feeling it.

The Baltimore Sun came out with a story about a comedy show Chris did there in mid-February ... where he reportedly touched on the Oscars and said to the crowd, "The other day, I watched 'Emancipation' just so I could watch him getting whipped."

Of course, he's referring to Will's character from the film -- a runaway slave named "Whipped Peter" who was infamously depicted in a photo from the 1800s with scars on his back.

That quote has made the rounds these past few days, and now ... Chris Rock is trending for all the wrong reasons, because it seems a good majority of folks have turned on him.

Whereas he had sympathy in the wake of the slap -- especially for how he handled it -- a lot of time has passed ... and a lot of people have aired their grievances about Chris since then ... including the notion that he might've had it coming -- harsh, but it's a POV out there.

Now, in light of this new joke that may or may not make the special ... even more people are groaning, especially if he actually works it in. It appears some feel like leaning in the way he seems set to do is overkill -- and not just that, but many feel him exploiting the ugly moment a full year later is cringeworthy. And yet, Chris is powering forward ... as is Netflix.

Time will tell what Chris does onstage. Like we said, this is live -- but if he cares about public opinion (which he usually doesn't) he might wanna peep Twitter right quick.😬

The Netflix special, "Chris Rock: Selective Outrage," starts at 10 PM ET.

Michael B., Jonathan Majors We Wanna Be the Next De Niro, Pacino Riding High on 'Creed III'

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Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors are two peas in a pod -- so much so, in fact, they say they wanna follow in the footsteps of two other legends ... Bob and Al.

The actors sat down with NYT to talk about their new movie, "Creed III," which is out in theaters and, so far, cleaning up nicely -- both in terms of box office and critic reviews. Not just that, but their dynamic/explosive chemistry on-screen is the talk of the town right now.

In the Q&A, JM and MBJ are very complimentary of each other. At one point, the interviewer asks whose opinion they value the most when it comes to 'Creed.' Majors says he only really cared what Mike thought ... which prompts the interviewer to ask the next logical question.

NYT says, "The way you two talk about each other, it sounds like this is the first of many collaborations to come," to which MBJ says ... "It is. We plan on it." Then, the haymaker ... Majors follows up and says, "De Niro and Pacino."

To that, Mike says this ... "We’re excited about that, and I have those conversations with him. Acting is such a solo journey, where you’re fighting for your place on that call sheet for such a long time. So when you’ve got somebody that doesn’t care as much about that stuff, it’s like, 'Let’s go. How much damage can we do together?' Majors responds, "All of it."

In other words, they're ready to paint the town red with more movies, it seems -- and it also sounds like both Mike and Jon fancy themselves as good as two acting greats ... but the internet doesn't necessarily agree, both in the duo comparison and the one-on-one résumés.

Fact is, Al and Bob were only in a small handful of movies together -- "Heat" and "Godfather Pt. 2" being the most famous, before "The Irishman" came around -- and each of them had stellar catalogs of critically-acclaimed flicks under their belt well before they ever collab'd.

So, the juxtaposition doesn't quite make sense there. But, more importantly, some feel like they're jumping the gun ... as neither JM or MBJ have been in enough movies to warrant such lofty esteem. Even in terms of chops, there's questions ... on Mike's end, specifically.

While just about everyone's stoked at the notion that these two studs are planning on working together more -- seeing how they are great in "Creed III," by all accounts -- the way it's coming out is getting a little side-eye. Just a smidge, though ... mostly by film snobs.

Hey, if they can put asses in seats and save a dying industry, more power to 'em!

Trump Workshopping New DeSantis Nicknames Including 'Tiny D': Report

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Donald Trump still doesn't have quite the right insult to hurl at his political foe Ron DeSantis -- but according to a new report, he's got a bright idea ... one that's members only.

Bloomberg put out a story detailing what they say is going on behind the scenes at Mar-a-Lago lately -- especially in terms of DT executing his comeback on the campaign trail ... and trying to deal with the Florida Gov.'s growing popularity among conservatives/Republicans.

One of the ways Trump reportedly plans on taking RDS down -- assuming he announces a presidential bid -- is to make fun of him ... and one of the of nicknames he's apparently been kicking around is "Tiny D," among others he and his allies are workshopping.

We already know about "Ron DeSanctimonious" -- not to mention "Meatball Ron," which was also a name Trump reportedly floated of late -- but there are others too!

A couple others that DT and co. are considering ... Ron DisHonest and Ron DeEstablishment. Of course, this follows in Trump's tradition of nicknaming his opponents over the years -- there's Sleepy Joe, Lyin' Ted, Little Marco, Crooked Hillary, Pocahontas, Crazy Bernie, Low Energy Jeb and lots of others. The "D" shot at DeSantis, though, is quite the low blow.

Here's the thing ... the Ron factor could prove tough for Trump if they go head to head, and Team DT is taking it seriously. Bloomberg says Trump's got his people trying to dig up dirt on DeSantis and are already carving out an attack plan, like labeling him a "RINO," etc.

DeSantis, thus far, has taken the high road and avoids mentioning Trump by name at all costs -- but if this thing heads into a face-off for the Republican nomination, he might have to start getting in the gutter. Trump's already there ... might as well dive in early and often.

Patrick Mahomes Bro Jackson Under Investigation ... For Sexual Assault in Kansas

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THE ALLEGED INCIDENT

Patrick Mahomes' little brother, Jackson, is in the crosshairs of a criminal investigation in Kansas for alleged sexual assault ... which appears to have been caught on tape.

According to the Kansas City Star, police are looking into claims made by a restaurant owner in the area as well as one of her waiters -- who are alleging Jackson both sexually assaulted and physically assaulted them last weekend at the Aspens Restaurant and Lounge.

The owner -- 40-year-old Aspen Vaughn -- provided KCS and cops with surveillance footage she says was captured last Saturday ... when this alleged assault happened. In the clip, you can see a man, whom she says is Jackson, wrap her up in his arms and forcibly kiss her.

It doesn't just happen once, BTW ... you see this man go in for kisses at least twice.

Vaughn says she believes Jackson was intoxicated, but nonetheless ... his advances were unwelcome, which she says she made clear to him in the moment. Earlier that same night, one of Vaughn's wait staff claims Jackson shoved him out of a private room he was dining in with his entourage -- this after the waiter smelled weed and tried to get them to stop.

The waiter alleges Jackson and his crew shoved this guy out and told him to scram. Apparently, Jackson frequents this place a lot and knows the owner's step-daughter -- at least that's what she's saying. But, in this case, she claims he crossed several lines.

Vaughn says she and her hubby kicked Jackson and his friends out after the alleged forcible kiss, and that cops were called shortly thereafter. As far as we know, Jackson hasn't been arrested yet ... but his attorney has spoken out and defended his client, saying he's innocent.

His lawyer, Brandan Davies, says ... "Jackson has done nothing wrong. Our investigation has revealed substantial evidence refuting the claims of Jackson’s accuser including the statements of several witnesses. We have reached out to law enforcement to provide the fruit of our investigation so that they may have a complete picture of the matter."

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The Kansas City Star says Jackson is under investigation for the alleged sexual assault of the woman, but not for the alleged assault of the waiter. It's unclear if the waiter is going to press charges, but Vaughn says the cops already told her they're pursuing the alleged kiss without or without her help ... and she says she's going to cooperate in their probe.

Jackson himself hasn't said anything publicly about this just yet ... ditto for Patrick.