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David Archuleta -- one of "American Idol's" famous runner-ups throughout its history -- just came out as being part of the LGBTQ+ community ... which he explains is especially difficult considering his religious upbringing.

The 'AI' alum -- who placed second during the 7th season of 'Idol,' losing to David Cook -- just shared his truth online, posting a heartfelt IG that revealed he identifies as both bisexual and asexual ... even though he says he initially thought he might've been gay.

David writes, "I came out in 2014 as gay to my family. But then I had similar feelings for both genders so maybe a spectrum of bisexual. Then I also have learned I don’t have too much sexual desires and urges as most people which works I guess because I have a commitment to save myself until marriage." He goes on to explain asexual seems to, at times, describe him best ... while adding he's doing this to help others who might be in similar situations.

Namely, DA says he wants folks who are devoted to their religion and who might also be gay, bi or anything else that they are not alone ... as he explains that he comes from a Mormon background himself. Basically, David says you can both be religious and identify as LGBTQ+.

He says, "[P]lease consider making room to be more understanding and compassionate to those who are LGBTQIA+, and those who are a part of that community and trying to find that balance with their faith which also is a huge part of their identity like myself." DA goes on, "I think we can do better as people of faith and Christians, including Latter-day Saints, to listen more to the wrestle between being LGBTQIA+ and a person of faith."

Queen Elizabeth II isn't blind ... something she reminded an aide of when they tried giving her another option for cake-cutting ... other than the 3-foot sword she ended up using.

Her Majesty celebrated her "official" birthday Saturday -- which is actually different than her real DOB, April 21 -- but the day prior, Liz cut a ceremonial slice of a cake that had been trotted out to her at the Eden Project in Cornwall ... where she was on hand for G7 duties, among other world leaders -- including Joe Biden, Boris Johnson and others.

Camilla Bowles was actually there too, as was Kate Middleton ... who watched QE2 attempt to cut her bday cake with a super long blade which we guess is ... tradition??? Who the hell knows -- point is, the Queen seemed dead-set on getting it done, despite her vocal hesitations.

At one point, someone on her staff made a quick note as HRH seemed to struggle a bit with the awkward feat -- noting there was a knife there too, if that was easier for her.

Watch what happens ... Elizabeth shot the aide a WTF look, and told her straight ... "I know there is." Her quick wit and sharp tongue got a huge chuckle from everyone around her. No harm, no foul obviously -- but we must say ... her putting the aide in her place is hilarious.

BTW, the jokes from the Queen didn't end there ... she got even more laughs that same day when she was posing on stage with the shot-callers of the free world -- openly asking if they were just supposed to sit there and seem like they were enjoying themselves. Great delivery!

Oh, and we should also mention ... QE2 got a proper celebration at Windsor to kick off her weekend on Saturday itself -- with a giant procession that was full of pomp and circumstance ... and rightly so. She's a ripe 95 years old now -- and still going strong even at this age.

Normies riding passenger aboard a Delta flight from L.A. to Atlanta received a Bat-signal of sorts from the crew while up in the air ... help us detain this idiot up front, please.

This wild encounter went down Friday on a plane that left LAX and was on its way to ATL ... which had to reroute for an emergency landing in OKC because some guy -- reportedly an off-duty flight attendant, no less -- tried opening some of the emergency exit doors.

Unclear what set him off ... but suddenly, other attendants and crew members were scuffling with him up near the cockpit area -- and they needed backup to get him under control.

Different passengers claim someone came over the loudspeaker and asked for any able-bodied men to come to the front for immediate assistance ... and it looks like at least two fellas answered the call for help, as they were seen pulling the man down in regular clothes.

Eventually, once they were on the ground, the authorities got involved ... and the suspect, ID'd as Stephon Duncan, was arrested for making terroristic threats, among other charges.

The crazy thing about this -- besides the nature of what happened in general -- is that this is at LEAST the second such attempted takedown encounter that's happened on a Delta flight in recent weeks ... another one occurred sometime last week, also leaving from LAX.

One of the flight attendants -- who was decked out in a dapper uniform -- did most of the heavy lifting in that case ... where some dumbass tried rushing the cockpit doors. They got him in zip-ties and hauled him to the back until they could land safely. Freaky stuff, really.

Ben Affleck was a man on a mission Friday, as he beelined it for his girlfriend's house.

Ben was wrapped up tight in a helmet and leather jacket as he steered his trusty chopper due East to Lopez's L.A. home. As you know by now, Ben and Jen have been inseparable since hooking up after she ended her engagement to A-Rod.

Jen's even looking at schools in L.A. for her kids ... a possible sign she and Ben may take the next step.

TMZ broke the story ... J Lo's home has been a source of angst for the last 6 months. Someone's been incessantly calling 911 with bogus noise complaints against J Lo, and the LAPD is sick of the hoaxes and is trying to get to the bottom of it.

It seems politically motivated since the calls started just after J Lo's appearance during the inauguration. We have a theory ... remember, during her song, J Lo screamed, "Let's get loud!!!" It seems like a good working theory ... that's how the fake noise complaints were hatched.

Lamar Odom is a champion once again -- the ex-NBA superstar just KNOCKED OUT Aaron Carter in their Celebrity Boxing match!!!

Carter came out SWINGING ... hitting Odom with as many punches as his body could handle ... but it was clear from the jump -- Odom was in control.

The 6'10" Odom and 6'0" Carter duked it out for 2 rounds at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City ... but the Lakers champion was gonna have no issue handing the former pop star in the ring.

As we previously reported, UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell told us he was gonna let the dudes fight ... and that's exactly what happened -- LO and AC were throwing punches left and right.

But, ultimately, Carter didn't have the same luck he had against Shaq ... 'cause it was Odom's hand that was raised at the end of the night.

Odom finished Carter in the second round ... but it was all love -- both guys hugged it out after Aaron went down midway through the second round.

The whole event was a party -- boxer Paulie Malignaggi, Ice-T and Coco were all on the mic to provide fun commentary ... and the other fights on the card provided were a bunch of fun, too!!

Odom told us before the fight ... he was planning to put Carter to sleep ... and while he didn't make that happen, he still came through with the dub.

Bill Maher went deep Friday night with blistering words for young people, super-woke folks and Kevin Hart ... diagnosing all of them with a severe case of "progress-o-phobia."

Maher -- a take-no-prisoners liberal who is not afraid to call out like-minded individuals who he says go way too far -- lambasts Americans who complain things have never been worse.

The 'Real Time' host makes a solid case ... we have achieved progress in race relations, gay rights, drug policies, and on and on, yet there's a sizable contingent who believe we've hit rock bottom.

Bill calls out Kevin Hart in particular, who told the NY Times, "You're witnessing white power and privilege at an all-time high." Maher tears that apart with examples of past atrocities like Tulsa, KKK violence and massive, forced segregation.

He's quick to mention ... there's still racism, police violence, the works, but things are better than before.

And, this is where B.M. tears into Gen Z, informing them there was actually a world before they were born, yet they are unwilling or unable to contextualize their grievances.

Coby Daniel, the 6-year-old boy in Michigan who was shot outside a neighbor's home while picking up his bike is struggling mentally to recover, and will absolutely need professional help ... according to his father.

Arnold Daniel tells TMZ ... his son is showing obvious signs of mental scars, and has not been able to sleep alone in his own bed -- something he'd been doing since he was 2.

Coby tries to sleep in his bed, but Arnold says he always ends up next to him ... and sometimes asks troubling questions like, "Why would [the alleged shooter] do that?"

As we reported, the neighbor, Ryan Le-Nguyen allegedly shot Coby in the arm after chasing him with a sledgehammer. Coby put on a brave face describing the incident to a reporter for FOX 2 Detroit -- but Arnold says his boy is utterly confused about why anyone would want to hurt him.

He says he's set up an appointment for Coby to see a therapist next week to help him make sense of everything.

Physical therapy is also on the horizon, but only after Coby's gunshot wound fully heals.

Arnold says he's taking time off from work to care for Coby, and cope with his own anxiety. He says it subsided a bit once Le-Nguyen's bond was revoked, and police took him back into custody.

As we reported, there was a massive outcry over Le-Nguyen's initial release on a $10k cash bond. His bail has since been increased to $100k.

Kodak Black has gone from prison to proclamation ... a proclamation that June 11 is now Kodak Black Day in Broward County, Florida.

Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness presented Kodak with the proclamation, stating June 11 will forever be known as a day honoring the rapper.

Holness bestowed the honor on Kodak Friday at a charity basketball tourney in Coral Springs.

Kodak was clearly moved, saying the proclamation means more to him than any platinum album.  The proclamation lists some of Kodak's charitable work and personal accomplishments over the last few years.

The basketball tournament raised $5k to benefit the Lippman Youth Shelter.

As you know, Kodak scored a commutation from then-President Trump -- at the urging of his lawyer, Bradford Cohen -- in large part because of his charity work.

Among the good work Kodak has done ... donating a years' worth of diapers, underwear and socks to the Jack & Jill Children's Center and donating thousands of dollars so community groups could provide 1,000 turkeys to people in need. He's also forked over $20k for toys and other items for XMAS presents.

The proclamation also cites Kodak's contribution of $100k to families of fallen FBI agents, along with scholarship money for the children of the agents' families.

Floyd Mayweather says his Las Vegas home was burglarized and a bunch of valuable property was taken ... and now the boxing superstar is pleading for help, offering at least $100,000 for info leading to the arrest of the burglars.

Mayweather -- who recently told us he expected to rake in $50 to $100 million for the Logan Paul fight -- just announced one of his Sin City houses was broken into.

”One’s home is there a sanctuary, place of peace, relaxation and comfort. When someone violates that sanctuary, it is disturbing and hurtful," Mayweather wrote on social media.

"One of my homes was burglarized in Las Vegas. They stole many valuable handbags and other belongings of substantial value. I am offering at least $100,000 reward for information that leads to the return of my belongings."

Floyd continued ... "The level of disrespect and greed it takes for someone to do this is unfathomable. Thank you to anyone who comes forward with any information. God bless.”

It's unclear exactly what was taken or when the alleged burglary went down ... but we're told Floyd only recently returned to Vegas after spending a few days in Miami following his fight.

Mayweather has dropped insane amounts of cash on some of the most coveted handbags -- included incredibly rare Birkin bags -- over the years.

Don't let these two almost identical images of Anne Hathaway have you feeling flustered ... take a closer look at the photos here and see if you can spot any of the sneaky switches that have been made to the tricky pic.

The actress was seen leaving the set of a new project she's filming in New York City earlier this week ... and we have made a few changes to the original snap. Put your detective skills to the test and see if you can find the differences between these two super similar snaps.

"American Idol" sensation Casey Bishop may have to put her summer plans on hold ... 'cause it looks like she's on track to make a nice chunk of change if she's chosen for the live tour.

The 16-year-old high schooler from Fort Myers, FL could rake in a bunch of money if everything goes right ... starting with her being chosen for the 'AI' Live Tour.

According to her minor's contract, obtained by TMZ, Casey would make $1,750/week for her musical performances, $1,200/week for rehearsals and $500 per non-musical appearance at things like meet-and-greets. She also gets a cut of the tour merchandise profit.

'AI' Live Tours are usually 50-date tours ... so Casey could be livin' large this summer. FYI: the tour contracts are drawn up before the 'Idol' competition plays out, and everyone in the top 24 signs them.

The tour roster hasn't been announced yet, but Casey finished fourth after rocking the hell out of her performances -- she had impressive renditions of Billie Eilish and Mötley Crüe hits -- so she's got a great shot.

BTW ... had the 'AI' fan favorite won the whole thing she could have scored a sweet $250k advance on her record deal ... and made even more with sales and royalties.

Well, the meeting between Biden and Putin will be ... different from what we've seen in the last few years, and there's a new space race between billionaires. So, we gotta ask ...

Swae Lee believes the cleaning staff at a Miami hotel cleaned him out of some very pricy ice ... and now police are looking into it.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the rapper had a room at the Mondrian Hotel in South Beach, and he told cops when he checked out Thursday he realized some of his jewelry was missing -- $300,000 worth!!!

Sources close to Swae say a bracelet and chains got jacked, and he explained to cops why he thinks hotel workers could be the culprits. That's because we're told after he reported the theft to the hotel, the bracelet was turned in -- allegedly by an employee -- but not the chains.

Our law enforcement sources say Miami Beach PD detectives have spoken to Swae and are investigating the incident, but so far cops say there's no evidence hotel staff was involved in the alleged theft.

Mondrian tells us it can't comment on any specifics during an ongoing investigation, but says ... "The hotel is working in full cooperation with the police and authorities. As always, the safety and security of our guests and colleagues remains our top priority."

Spring has sprung with these stars and their flower power!

Elsa Hosk, Selena Gomez, Olivia O'Brien, and Anastasia Karanikolaou are just a few stars to name that have been seen in these sexy sets printed with the growing trend.

Whether they're laying out by the pool or just soaking up the sun, these babes are bringing their bests floral swimsuits out for show!

Celebs from Kendall Jenner and Halsey to Addison Rae and Sailor Brinkley-Cook have all been posting pics on the gram wearing these pretty patterns, and now we're sharing these sweet snaps with you!

NBC's competition show "Ultimate Slip 'N Slide" almost had to change the title to "Run 'N Don't Shart" ... after multiple crew members came down with a serious case of diarrhea.

So get this ... the workers reportedly came down with bubble guts on the heels of at least one person on set testing positive earlier this month for giardia -- an intestinal infection caused by a parasite.

The crew was filming in the San Fernando Valley before production was shut down indefinitely. According to The Wrap, things were so bad, some crew members collapsed in pain, while others raced into port-o-potties.

A source close to production confirmed to TMZ ... a number of people reported gastrointestinal symptoms and upset stomachs. We're told it's unclear exactly how many, but it was enough to halt production.

Our sources say the studio paused production on June 2 when it was made aware of the giardia case, and, in coordination with various health departments ... production worked with an environmental lab to test the water on location.

We're told the pond, slide pool, water truck and restroom sinks all tested negative, but a positive test came back on Thursday. They had been shooting for 7 weeks with one week left to go. Btw, we're told the hosts, Bobby Moynihan and Ron Funches, are fine.

A rep for Universal Television Alternative Studios, the production company behind the NBC show, tells TMZ ... the health and safety of everyone on its set is its number one priority, so out of an abundance of caution it has made the decision to stop production at the current location. They're trying to figure out where and when to complete the shoot.

Richard Branson sure looks like he's putting his billionaire space race on the back burner ... 'cause the only thing he's betting on this weekend is Vegas, baby!!!

The Virgin Galactic honcho was a true ring leader Friday in Sin City, and dressed the part while roaming around his new Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. It officially opened back in March, but the celebration was largely muted due to the pandemic.

But, with Nevada lifting restrictions on June 1, Branson launched his official grand opening this weekend ... dubbing it "Unstoppable Weekend." He and his crew hit up the joint and gave away tons of cool stuff, and he took selfies with guests all over the casino.

Looks like fun, but also looks like a strange way to train for a sub-orbital flight to space in just 3 weeks! We can't recall any images of John Glenn or the Apollo 11 crew at a craps table. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Remember, Branson's reportedly trying to move up his Virgin Galactic launch to the July 4 weekend in an effort to beat Amazon's Jeff Bezos out of Earth's atmosphere.

Bezos announced he and his bro will be on the first crewed flight for his Blue Origin aerospace company, which is set for July 20.