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Chace Crawford is NOT back together with Rebecca Rittenhouse ... despite several reports saying so after their recent Italian vacation, and some pretty hot pics together.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ ... the former "Gossip Girl" and current "The Boys" star took a trip to Capri at the end of June with his ex-girlfriend, but it wasn't just the 2 of them on a romantic getaway -- they were part of a group of 8 friends.

We're told Chace and Rebecca -- who met on the set of "Blood & Oil" and began dating in 2015 -- have remained close since their split in late 2018, but have both dated other people since then.

Our sources say they're "great friends," and add that headlines referring to "The Mindy Project" star as Crawford's girlfriend again are inaccurate.

This week's Summer Hot Shots is coming from a lush garden in magical Melbourne where the Aussie hottie, Paige De Cinque, made us green with envy with her eye-popping plaid two-piece while she enjoyed some luxuriant outdoor space.

When the Melb model isn't growing her IG following with her natural beauty ... the 27-year-old enjoys chasing warm beaches around the world, Muay Thai training camps in Thailand and focusing on health and wellness through yoga and meditation.

We should all take a Paige out of her book.

We are continuing to whip up our Summer Hot Shots for 2021 from a distance and have collaborated with some mind-melting hotties from around the world for your viewing pleasure!

Disney has a new Jungle Cruise look at its theme parks -- this after catching flak for what some said were racist depictions -- and they did away with any and all offending robots.

The honchos at Disney unveiled this week an update to their Jungle Cruise rides at both Disneyland and Disney World ... which were getting re-tweaked over the past year and change after a ton of people demanded they lose the so-called "natives" along the OG path.

The Mouse House posted a BTS video showing the process of what went into reworking the ride -- and the engineers reiterated what Disney said in a statement ... namely, that they wanted to remain faithful to what everyone loves and remembers about Jungle Cruise voyages of the past, while also being inclusive/respectful/accurate over depicting cultures.

What that, apparently, amounted to in the final product -- based on video they posted of the updated Jungle Cruise ride -- is no trace of the indigenous people that used to be seen along the way.

Most of those indigenous people were portrayed as Black -- but they were also made out to look like what some have characterized as "savages" ... something that's been done time and again dating back to the 20th century. Dr. Seuss even used to portray indigenous people in the same fashion ... always drawing them with super dark skin and exaggerated features.

It appears none of those depictions are still around in the new ride -- but there are still Black people featured. Only now, they're seen as part of the exploration squad ... as opposed to being seen as the scary, cannibal-esque bad guys threatening the cruise passengers.

The call to revamp Jungle Cruise came on the heels of Disney announcing they were also giving their Splash Mountain rides a facelift ... with the OG animatronics also being called racist and perpetuating deep South tropes. They took care of that, and now ... this too.

Rob Schneider seems to be saying the best way to ward off the COVID vaccine is with an old Nancy Reagan campaign on drugs -- and if that doesn't work ... maybe flash some ammo.

The actor -- known for comedic roles in Adam Sandler movies, etc. -- was in no joking mood Saturday upon hearing some news that a third vaccine jab might be around the corner ... as reports surface that the effects from the first 2 are wearing off in a matter of months.

He was responding to a report with the headline, "Is it already time for a 3rd Covid-19 shot?" posted by journo Sharyl Attkisson. Rob retweeted it and wrote, "Just say no... And keep saying no..."

RS added this as well ... "Over Half of the US population is continuing to say no to this unapproved experimental gene therapy! 'My body, my choice!' #2ndAmendmentIsForThis."

Of course, his remarks are getting tons of backlash right now -- as he appears to be suggesting that Americans should take up arms ... against COVID jabs, or the notion of being forced to get them. Some are saying his thinking here is flawed ... and pretty dangerous.

No matter, though -- Rob seems to be digging his heels in on his position ... rehashing what sure sounds like far-right wing talking points, spreading fear and doubt about vaccines.

The fact is ... most of the vaccines in circulation have been deemed safe by the powers that be -- including scientists from all over the world, whether they're in government or not.

A few Twitter users have told Rob to mind his own business -- to which he seems to be receptive. All we know is ... a gun ain't gonna beat coronavirus, plain and simple.

A woman who allegedly had a mental health episode aboard an American Airlines flight appears to have been taped down after freaking out in the air ... and the crew's drastic response is getting some side-eye.

This video was captured by TikTok user @lol.ariee a few days ago, during a late-night AA flight that she says was taking off from the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and was in the air for about 2 hours. During that time ... a situation unfolded that caused a bit of a panic.

According to the TikToker, flight attendants started frantically running up and down the aisles at around 1:30 AM, locking bathroom doors and securing the scene for something that was happening up near the front. She says no one said anything ... just hush-hush whispering.

Eventually, she says the captain got on the intercom, and told everyone to stay in their seats 'cause of the problem toward the front, which he apparently said they were handling. When they eventually landed, this user captured the aftermath ... a woman duct-taped to her seat, with her mouth also taped -- who was crying out as passengers passed her to deplane.

As the TikTok user exited the plane, she recorded paramedics who were standing by with a stretcher. She later posted other videos saying she'd heard the woman was trying to actually get out of the plane during the flight, and seemed to be having an episode of some sort.

Sources familiar with the situation confirm that latter account to us ... saying the woman was, indeed, going ballistic. But, we haven't heard about her allegedly attempting to open doors or anything. In any case ... people are openly wondering if AA handled this the right way.

If she was actually having a breakdown of some sort ... some have questioned if restraining her in that manner might actually do more harm than good. Of course, others have pointed out that, in a scenario like that, the crew has to do what they must to keep people safe.

As for American, a rep for the company tells us this ... "While in flight from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Charlotte (CLT) on July 6, the crew on board American Airlines flight 1774 reported a potential security concern after a customer attempted to open the forward boarding door and physically assaulted, bit and caused injury to a flight attendant." They add, "For the safety and security of other customers and our crew, the individual was restrained until the flight landed at CLT and could be met by law enforcement and emergency personnel."

Zoe McLellan -- an actress most famous from 'NCIS' -- has up and vanished with her and her ex's kid ... so claims the father ... who got a court involved, which has branded her as wanted.

Court records obtained by TMZ show an arrest warrant out of L.A. County was issued for Zoe a few months ago in May ... with outstanding charges of kidnapping, child custody deprivation and child stealing alleged against her for an issue dating back to 2017.

We covered the drama back then -- McLellan's ex-husband, J.P. Gillian, was in a custody war with her over their then 4-year-old, Sebastian ... whom Gillian claimed McLellan was taking to Toronto while she filmed "Designated Survivor" without his permission or consent.

It appears that ended up happening ... except, now, Gillian says he hasn't seen or heard from McLellan OR his boy since at least April 2019. His attorney, Lawrence Markey, tells us ... the child is still missing, and that Gillian and co. believe the kid is still with Zoe.

It doesn't appear she's been hauled in yet -- there's no record of her arrest within the L.A. County Sheriff's Office. Sources familiar with the case say last Gillian heard ... McLellan was said to be somewhere near NOLA. But again, we're told Gillian doesn't know their whereabouts now -- or their status for that matter. We're told they're virtually off the grid.

It's a pretty wild story ... made even more eyebrow raising by the fact that McLellan doesn't appear to have acted in anything major since 2019. So, there too she's kinda vanished.

Matt Damon says the research for his role in "Stillwater" -- in which he plays an oil-rig worker -- was a major wake-up call on red-state culture ... something that could well earn him an Academy Award.

The actor recently dished on what went into learning about his character for the Oscar bait-y flick -- which got rave reviews and even a standing O at the Cannes Film Festival the other day -- and he says what he gleaned from the roughnecks of Oklahoma was "eye-opening."

Watch how Matt characterized the experience during a panel Q&A following the screening of his upcoming movie in France. He explains how he and director Tom McCarthy spent a good amount of time down in the South ... where they got the lay of the land, literally, from guys who do the job day in and day out -- getting a sense of their lifestyles, their POVs on life/family and, of course, their politics as well ... which Matt didn't discuss with disdain.

If anything ... he's got the opposite sentiment, saying the people he was around -- not to mention his character, Bill -- own who and what they are ... even on the issue of MAGA.

It's a pretty fascinating take on what many may perhaps write off without a second thought -- the minute you bring up Trump and his supporters ... a lot of folks will tune it all out.

Not Matt, though ... the way he talks about his encounters down there makes it seem like there's some good people around -- regardless of their politics -- and that they're more nuanced than how they're made out to be a lot of the time. To which we say ... obviously.

BTW, this film isn't necessarily a slice-of-Oklahoma-life type of a project -- where Matt immerses himself in method acting or anything. It's actually an action thriller -- a la, "Taken" -- with the oil-rig/middle America stuff as the backdrop. Still ... word is, Matt's turn here is getting tons of buzz, as they're saying he's "unrecognizable" on screen.

Atlanta Falcons LB Barkevious Mingo was arrested earlier this week for "indecency with a child" ... TMZ Sports has learned.

30-year-old Mingo -- who was the 6th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft -- was arrested July 8 by Arlington Police Department ... and booked into Tarrant County jail for "indecency with a child, sexual contact," according to court records and law enforcement officials.

We're told the charge is a 2nd degree felony. If convicted, a 2nd degree felony can carry up to a 20 year prison sentence in Texas.

Mingo's bond was set at $25K ... and he was released the following morning.

The details surrounding the arrest are not yet clear.

After starring at LSU, Mingo has bounced around in the NFL ... spending time with the Browns, Patriots, Colts, Seahawks, Texans, and Bears before signing with the Falcons this year.

BM won a ring with the Patriots at Super Bowl LI ... recording 2 tackles during the Pats historic comeback against the Falcons.

The Falcons provided us a statement on Mingo's arrest, saying ... “Our organization became aware of the allegations involving Barkevious Mingo today and are currently gathering information on this incident."

"The Falcons take the allegations very seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.”

We've also reached out to Mingo's reps ... but so far, no word back.

Nothing gets the blood going like a Wimbledon Finals match -- unless Ethan Freakin' Hunt himself stops by for a visit ... in which case, it's next to impossible not to strap in and HODL.

That's exactly what happened Saturday in London ... where none other than Tom Cruise himself dropped in for the ultimate round between tennis stars Ashleigh Barty and Karolína Plíšková ... with his 'M:I 7' leading lady costars, Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff, in tow.

It's rumored Hayley and Tom are actually dating right now -- and based on their body language before and during the match ... that may very well be true. They seemed chummy.

Anyway, the cameo made for a lot of fanfare ... people gave it up for Tom and co., offering up rounds of applause and stopping for photo-ops, etc. Of course, TC was graceful -- waving to the crowd ... and looking dapper as hell doing it. What else would you expect, right?

Interestingly ... the dude didn't seem too concerned with masking up, and neither did his cast members (or the Wimbledon audience at large). That's fine though -- the Wimbledon folks' mask policy is like a lot of other event venues lately ... ya must provide proof of vaccination, or a recent negative COVID test -- plus, wear masks while roaming the grounds.

So, it's all kosher. And, thankfully, it is ... otherwise the love-all spectators might've gotten a taste of what the 'Mission: Impossible' crew did last year while breaking protocol on set.

A police officer from upstate NY is on leave after he punched a woman he was arresting right in the throat -- knocking her flat on the ground ... and it's all on video.

The DeWitt Police Dept. released body cam footage -- which they spliced together -- showing what led up to the scuffle inside an East Syracuse Walmart on July 4 ... where the cops were dispatched on reports of women fighting inside, and allegedly using pepper spray.

When the cop in question showed -- who has since been ID'd as Rory Spain -- he tried separating the quarreling parties ... and ended up restraining the lady he ultimately punched, Tyreana Edmonds, with handcuffs. As he attempted to lead her away, things escalated.

In the video, you see Edmonds apparently try and bite Officer Spain's arm ... after which, he cocks his arm back, with his fist balled up, and unloads on the front of her neck. The punch lands, and Edmonds is tossed back ... falling hard to the ground after absorbing the blow.

You can hear people around who are filming react in outrage ... and when they approach, Officer Spain tells them to get back. He and his fellow officers arrested her and others involved in the prior altercation ... and they all face multiple charges over this.

Addison Rae is either UFC's newest live event reporter, or she's trolling hard -- or perhaps both ... because she's touting what seems to be a new on-camera gig, which has got a lot of journalism student advocates pissed.

The TikTok star posted photos of herself at what seems to be a UFC event -- perhaps a teaser to Saturday's UFC 264, where McGregor and Poirier are set to face off -- but it's unclear where or for what exactly. In any event, Addison made it seem like she'd been hired.

As she posed all dolled up on the red carpet with a UFC tarp behind her, she wrote ... "I studied broadcast journalism in college for 3 whole months to prepare for this moment."

Definitely a tongue-in-cheek caption, we're sure ... or so it seems. Addison appears to be poking fun at the fact that she dropped out of LSU -- where she's said to have been studying journalism -- to pursue her social media career (which was obviously a good idea).

Although she thought it was funny ... a lot of people online didn't. Twitter users piled on top of her (digitally) for what they perceived as an unjust and unwarranted HR move on UFC's part ... assuming she's actually on their payroll. They suggested Addison was undeserving, as opposed to a journo student who slaved away for 4 years for an actual degree.

One guy wrote, "Should we hire someone who busted their butt through college, and genuinely loves UFC and is hungry for an opportunity in journalism?? Nah, let’s hire Addison Rae because she’s popular for 'throwing it back' on tik tok." Funny stuff, no doubt.

With that said, we gotta wonder ... are people are overreacting here??? Yes, while it may seem AR has little to no experience in the field, and perhaps isn't as skilled or trained as others who've studied this at the university level -- the truth is, UFC probably doesn't care.

At the end of the day, the company is in the entertainment biz -- and if bringing Addison on as a host helps 'em get eyeballs and sell PPV purchases for their product ... they're gonna do it!!! And, besides ... a hosting job like this really doesn't take much schooling anyway. 🤷🏽‍♂️

This is even better than snatching Floyd Mayweather's cap -- Jake Paul says he dropped $100k for a chain and pendant depicting Conor McGregor out cold, and it comes with a big warning.

Jake has been hurling insults for months at the UFC legend, trying to get him to agree to a boxing match -- but on the day Conor's returning to the Octagon to fight Dustin Poirier in Vegas ... JP's decided on this big-ticket troll ... his Sleepy McGregor chain.

The piece -- which he flaunted off with its designer, Benny The Jeweler -- shows McGregor unconscious, right after Poirier's 2nd round TKO back in January.

As trolls go, this one's pretty epic.

Jake says, "McGregor you better win tonight, otherwise we're not gonna be able to fight, because if you lose your career is over. And, that $50 million offer I gave you won't be on the table anymore."

So far, Conor's largely ignored Jake's efforts to get under his skin ... except to dismiss him and his brother, Logan, as "dingbats." However, this chain might do the trick, especially if Conor sees the video.

JP taunts him one last time, saying ... "Don't go sleepy sleepy! Goodnight, McGregor."

Here's the thing ... Jake tweeted this week that  "Conor has lost 'it'" ... but, he obviously recognizes he still has something -- the keys to a HUGE payday.

Remember, Jake's basically had 2 boxing matches -- only one against a pro fighter, albeit MMA's Ben Askren -- so he knows fighting a major professional draw like Conor is the fastest way to score the most money.

Arguably, McGregor would be more likely to accept JP's offer IF he loses tonight at UFC 264. If he wins, he'll probably be more focused on getting a UFC title shot than an exhibition boxing match ... even one that pays well.

One thing's for sure, Jake will be watching tonight ... and most likely with Sleepy McGregor around his neck.

A black cat from the 9th floor of the collapsed Miami condo apparently has 9 lives -- because it's been found alive and well ... and now, reunited with grateful family members.

Binx the cat belongs to the Gonazalez family, who reportedly lived in unit 904 of the doomed Champlain Towers South condo complex. The kitty was returned to the fam on Friday, complete with a news conference to announce the tiny sliver of good news amid the horrific tragedy.

As Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava put it, "I'm glad that this small miracle could bring some light into the lives of a hurting family today, and provide a bright spot for our whole community."

Officials say a volunteer found Binx near the destroyed building. Volunteers and animal control workers have been scouring to find any pets that might have escaped during and after the building collapse.

It's unclear if the Gonzalezes were home when the building shockingly came down early in the morning of June 24 -- but the great news is they're safe, and so is their beloved Binx.

Britney Spears has just taken the first step to end her conservatorship ... TMZ has learned she's contacted a large law firm ... and assuming the firm agrees and is permitted to represent her, the first order of business will be filing legal docs asking the judge to remove her father as conservator of her estate.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney wants to hire powerful lawyer and former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart. Britney has signed the following document:

"Pursuant to my statement in open court on June 23, 2021, my rights, and my desire to end the above-referenced conservatorship as to my father Jamie P. Spears, it is my desire to choose and retain my own counsel, at Greenberg, Traurig, LLP as set forth above."

The document is signed "BRITNEY JEAN SPEARS"

Rosengart, a partner in the firm, has represented a number of high-profile clients over the years, including Steven Spielberg, Sean Penn, Ben and Casey Affleck, Eddie Vedder, Soledad O'Brien, Michael Mann and NBA star Jimmy Butler.

TMZ broke the story ... Britney's long-time, court-appointed lawyer in her conservatorship case, Sam Ingham, resigned earlier this week. Our sources say Ingham believed he could no longer represent Britney because, in part, of her comments in court that she was never informed until recently she could end the conservatorship. We're told Ingham and others dispute that and say Britney was told numerous times over the years -- many times on the record in court -- that she could end the conservatorship, but she always declined to do so.

Britney became increasingly upset over the years ... especially with her dad, and wanted him out both as the conservator of her person and conservator of her estate. Jamie resigned as conservator of her person but remains sole conservator of her estate.

Bessemer Trust was scheduled to become co-conservator of Britney's estate but withdrew a week ago.

Our sources say Rosengart and his team have not formally agreed to represent Britney, but if he does the mission will be to attempt to end the conservatorship, although the first step is removing Jamie.

Britney has already asked the judge to end the conservatorship without any further medical evaluation. That will be an uphill climb, because nearly 2 dozen doctors and therapists have weighed in over the years ... saying Britney has a serious mental illness that would imperil her safety if left to her own devices. The judge did not indicate whether she's receptive to bypassing a mental health exam as a pre-condition to ending the conservatorship.

The other hurdle Britney must jump -- she's in a conservatorship, so she's unable to enter into a contract without the approval of her conservator. The person who must sign off -- none other than Jamie Spears. This would explain why the first step would be to attempt to remove Jamie.

The Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville is finally coming down ... nearly 4 years after it played a central role in sparking the violent rally where Heather Heyer was killed.

Crews started working early Saturday morning to remove the monument to the Confederate general from a city park.

The monumental event drew a crowd of spectators who cheered when the statue was finally lifted off its pedestal. The crews are expected to remove another nearby statue too -- that one of another Confederate general ... Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

Calls for the city to take down the tributes to the failed Confederacy were what ignited the "Unite the Right" rally back in 2017 ... where neo-Nazis with tiki torches walked through the University of Virginia campus chanting about white supremacy.

That drew counter protesters and sparked the violent clash where James Fields eventually plowed through a crowd with his car, killing Heyer. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 for her murder and hate crimes.

Then-President Trump infamously reacted to the deadly incident by saying there was "blame on both sides."

As the Lee statue was coming down Saturday, Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker addressed the crowd and reporters, saying ... "Taking down this statue is one small step closer to the goal of helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and America, grapple with the sin of being willing to destroy Black people for economic gain."

It's unclear where the statues will go now. By law, the city had to accept bids from people or institutions interested in taking them. Charlottesville reportedly 10 offers and the city council will make the final call.

Drake's been doing more than just wining and dining his new boo, Johanna Leia, at Dodger Stadium ... he's also been mentoring her basketball prodigy son for months.

Sources close to the pair tell us they first met months ago through high school basketball -- Johanna's son, Amari Bailey, is a top prospect -- and the relationship grew from there. We're told Drake and Amari hit it off, and Drake's offered the kid advice on finances, fame and life, in general.

Amari is headed to UCLA in 2022, and our sources say Drake's given him pointers on how to handle all the attention and pressure that comes with being a star player. We're told they've spent some one-on-one time, and all 3 have hung out at Drake's home.

Our sources say prior to Drake, Johanna was with NBA'er Alfonzo McKinnie -- who helped Amari build his skills on the court -- so it looks like he's more than ready for the next level.

As we reported, ABC7's chopper spotted Drake and Johanna as they had Dodger Stadium to themselves for a date night, complete with a table on the first baseline. A Dodgers source told us the whole thing was a thank you for a sizeable donation Drake made to the team's charitable foundation.