Dating

Tyre Nichols was NOT having a relationship with the wife of one of the Memphis police officers involved in his brutal beating ... according to his stepdad, who is addressing a rumor that's all over the Internet.

Tyre's stepfather, Rodney Wells, denied the scandalous accusation Tuesday during a prayer vigil outside the Nichols' home, saying ... "My son was not messing around with one of the officer's wives. That's just a rumor."

For those unaware, there's been a rumor gaining traction online and on social media recently ... folks are claiming, without evidence, Tyre worked at FedEx in Memphis with one of the officer's wives and had a relationship with the woman.

The implication ... the cops were out for revenge. There's also unsubstantiated rumors the officer in question sent the woman a picture of Tyre after the beating.

Things are clearly getting quite serious between Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan -- the two now have a secret handshake ... one that they seal with a big smooch!!

Michael Jordan's offspring shared a vid of the couple's new intimate finger-locking greeting on his social media page Sunday night -- showing further that he and Scottie Pippen's ex are, in fact, an item.

In the clip, you can see Marcus and Larsa slapping hands repeatedly -- before Marcus, as part of the shake, put his arm over her head and pulled her in to give her a kiss.

It's a cute and romantic moment for the two -- but it also shows things have certainly progressed to perhaps official relationship status for the couple.

You'll recall, despite getting very close over the past few months, the duo has insisted they're nothing more than just good friends. But they've now each posted each other on their social media pages in the last few days -- with Larsa sharing a snap last week of the two holding hands in front of a Jordan floral arrangement.

For what it's worth, Marcus captioned his handshake video with the words, "Twistin’ up my fingers for my twin" -- something that sure seems to indicate things are heating up.

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes are hiding no more, that's for sure ... these days, they are all over each other in public.

Kelsea and Chase were loving it up at LAX Saturday, kissing and hugging on the escalator and elsewhere as they said goodbye to L.A. for parts unknown.

The "Outer Banks" star and the country singer were quiet about their relationship until recently, but actions clearly speak louder than words, and their actions scream relationship!

As you know, Kelsea just finalized her divorce from Morgan Evans, but she was back on the market for a nanosecond before hooking up with Chase, so good on her!

As for Chase, he's been a free agent since late 2021, when he broke up with his co-star Madelyn Cline.

Kelsea and Chase were first linked at the College Football Playoff National Championships earlier this month. Chase confirmed to our photog that he and Kelsea were an item a few days later.

T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are officially out at ABC, as we first told you, and now, the network has filled in its entire staff on the decision to let them go.

In a company-wide email sent Friday and obtained by TMZ, ABC News President Kim Godwin told staffers, "I want to share with you that we've reached a decision about T.J. and Amy."

It then includes the statement the network sent wide minutes later, "After several productive conversations with Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes about different options, we all agreed it's best for everyone that they move on from ABC News. We recognize their talent and commitment over the years and are thankful for their contributions."

Godwin informs employees that a decision as to who will co-anchor "GMA3" and "20/20" will come at a later date.

She concludes by saying, "I know that this has been a distraction for so many of us, but let's not forget all the great work that continues to make ABC News the #1 news network in America, and that's because of you. I want to thank you again for your patience and professionalism during this time."

TMZ broke the story, T.J. and Amy came to an exit agreement after an "extremely contentious" mediation went through the night Thursday into Friday morning. Both were given compensation packages.

We're told ABC execs made it clear -- the couple did not handle their romance the right way -- waiting too long to disclose it to higher-ups and that their "behavior on set" was "uncomfortable" to some staffers.

ABC also accused Robach of having liquor in her dressing room -- bottles we're told were gifted by ABC honchos -- and being drunk after attending the National College Football Championship game.

Gisele Bundchen and her jiu-jitsu instructor are getting close once again -- this time, the two were seen riding horses in Costa Rica, in what's either an amazing just-friends date ... or further proof the two are now an item.

Tom Brady's ex and Joaquim Valente were spotted on the animals back on Jan. 18 ... and the duo looked like they had a blast.

The couple(?) rode the horses for roughly two hours through the jungle -- and check out Gisele's grin, she sure seemed giddy while plodding through the afternoon with Valente.

Of course, there's been no official confirmation they're dating -- Gisele's camp initially claimed Valente had been tagging along on family vacays to train her and her kids -- but they've certainly appeared to be awfully coupley this month.

First, they were seen jogging while appearing to share AirPods ... and just days later -- riding horseback with none of Gisele's kids in sight.

No word yet on how Brady feels about it all ... but he hasn't been in the best mood this week.

On Monday, just seven days after the Buccaneers QB was bounced from the playoffs by the Dallas Cowboys, he snapped at his good friend Jim Gray on their podcast ... unleashing an F-bomb tirade about how he wasn't sure if he'd be retiring or not.

Larsa Pippen and Michael Jordan's son, Marcus, just went Instagram official ... and Scottie Pippen may have taken a stray in the process!

Scottie's ex-wife of 24+ years (they divorced in 2021) posed in a see-through shirt and short-shorts with 32-year-old Marcus on Monday at his Trophy Room retail boutique in Orlando ... and the two are clearly holding hands.

But, what makes the whole thing a bit awkward ... the two are standing right in front of a floral arrangement designed to look like the Chicago Bulls legend's number 23 jersey.

Of course, Scottie and MJ had a notoriously rocky relationship ... and the all-time legendary teammates are far from best friends.

Larsa has downplayed the situation from the jump, claiming several times it's not an issue because the families don't hang out.

Marcus and Larsa first sparked dating rumors when they were spotted in Miami late last year, and haven't shied away from cameras since.

Selena Gomez recently said she was single, but we're not so sure about that ... and neither is Drew Taggart based on these photos.

The singer and Chainsmokers star walked hand-in-hand Saturday night in NYC, where they were on a dinner date at an Italian restaurant called Torrisi in SoHo. Check out the PDA for yourself -- definitely clear signs they're together ... but no goodbye kiss, it seems.

These shots show Selena parting ways with Drew ... and he sees her to her car, where she was flashing smiles for paps standing by. This marks at least their 2nd date in a week.

Last Sunday, they were seen out together doing a little bowling in Brooklyn. The pics in that instance didn't show anything touchy-feely ... but eyewitnesses supposedly saw them locking lips. Shortly after, Selena took to IG to seemingly deny rumors they were a thing.

She wrote, "I Like Being Alone Too Much," while adding the hashtag #iamsingle.

BTW, SG might well be ... relationship statuses these days are often ill-defined and hazy -- so maybe she and Drew are just enjoying each other's company without throwing labels on.

Still, it would seem like she's, at the very least, romantically involved with him -- and with a hand hold like this ... it kinda screams "taken!" The last two guys she was dating, publicly anyway, were The Weeknd and Justin Bieber ... but those were both several years ago.

Pete Davidson's love for Chase Sui Wonders is universal ... as in, he couldn't stop kissing his new girlfriend on a date to Universal Studios.

The "Bodies, Bodies, Bodies" stars hit up Universal Studios Hollywood on Thursday ... and TMZ obtained video of the two smooching on an escalator.

Pete and Chase seemed to be trying to keep their outing low-key, he was wearing a hoodie, hat and sunglasses, but they couldn't resist a little PDA between rides.

The costar couple enlisted a private guide to whisk them around the theme park -- and they picked a good day to go -- Universal's previewing its new Super Nintendo World.

Pete going to theme parks with his love interests has become a theme as of late.

Remember, Pete and Kim Kardashian went to Knotts Berry Farm with a big group back in October 2021, right before their romance really ratcheted up.

Kelsea Ballerini might be playing coy about whether she's dating Chase Stokes -- but he's a bit more definitive ... explaining to TMZ what it is, exactly, he likes about her.

The "Outer Banks" star confirmed to our photog Tuesday he and the country singer are, in fact, an item ... but whether he meant for it to slip out the way it did is another story. Check out our chat with him in L.A. ... where we congratulated him on his new boo.

Rather than correct us or clarify anything ... he simply said thanks, and even gave us an answer when we asked what Kelsea brings to the table in their relationship.

Another tell they're definitely dating -- CS scoffing at the idea that Kelsea might need to brush him up on Southern culture. She's a Nashville girl, but Chase made sure to set the record straight ... noting he was raised in the South himself, and knows all about cowboy hats and such.

The speculation over whether they're a thing all started last week when they were seen attending the National Championship game in the same group -- but it looked more official when Chase posted a photo of just the 2 of 'em cuddled in the stands.

That seems to be the IG official pic, but Chase is letting people come to that conclusion on their own -- he didn't comment on the game shot, but happily talked about Kelsea.

For her part, Kelsea reacted to the gossip with a non-answer answer -- rolling her eyes at some DeuxMoi chatter about them and a lot of "Really?".

Phoebe Bridgers and Bo Burnham have set the internet ablaze after seemingly confirming dating rumors -- but we've learned they were getting cozy nearly 2 whole months ago.

Here's the deal ... Phoebe and Bo were seen at LAX together Friday, trying to be low key -- but no doubt fueling speculation they're an item now, this after at least a month of fans' theories in the wake of hints that she and one-time BF Paul Mescal split up late last year.

With this outing ... PB's followers are having a virtual meltdown on Twitter, as they loved her and Paul as a couple -- and can't seem to handle the idea that she's moved on with another dude ... even it is the widely beloved Bo.

Of course, word of Phoebe and BB (potentially) being a thing has been floating around since before the holidays ... especially after The 1975's Matty Healy posted a photo of himself kissing Phoebe, with Bo standing behind them. As it turns out, the theories were likely true.

This new pic, obtained by TMZ, shows what we're told is Bo and Phoebe at a restaurant in Malibu, CA on Nov. 17, just before noon. Eyewitnesses tell us they were in there for some grub to go, and that they were sitting off in the corner while waiting for their food.

We're told they appeared to be in matching black hiking outfits ... and that they could even be heard talking about how they're seen more as an image than actual people in the public.

One eyewitness tells us they also talked about their mutual musicianship ... getting into the feeling of walking onstage under bright lights. Eventually, their order was ready and they left in the same vehicle. No sign of PDA, but our sources say it looked like a classic day date.

Meek Mill's suddenly quoting PARTYNEXTDOOR's new slow jam, but fans are convinced it's no coincidence the line he tweeted plays like a big ol' shot at Lori Harvey, who continues to reject his public advances!!!

The OVO singer released the track "Her Old Friends" ... a bitter bop that calls out an ex-lover's homegirls for "letting her" run the streets.

In the opening line, PARTY croons ... "Fuck all my bitch's old friends/Y'all let that girl f**k anybody/She out here catchin' 'every body'" -- and Meek felt compelled to tweet the "Y'all let that girl f**k anybody" bars and a slide emoji.

Fans weren't convinced Meek was simply in his Toronto bag, despite his rebuttals, and dragged his name as they perceived the tweet to be a response to Lori's newly IG official relationship with "Snowfall" star Damson Idris.

Meek notoriously pined for Lori on his Drake-reuniting hit "Going Bad" in 2019 ... only to be trolled heavily when, shortly thereafter, she started dating Michael B. Jordan, and when Meek took her "off" his wishlist at 2021's Summer Jam.

Damson kicked off Lori's 26th birthday on Friday with an IG story of him kissing her on the cheek and debuting his affectionate nickname for her: "Nunu."

The Philly rap legend sheepishly let on that his PR was a bit frazzled over his commentary as he took his lumps on Twitter left and right.

It's not a completely terrible Friday the 13th for Meek ... as Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf pardoned the 35-year-old of firearm and drugs charges stemming from 2008.

Meek also joined Kevin Hart and Michael Rubin to donate $7 million in scholarships to Philly-area private schools -- so, he's got plenty going to keep his mind off Lori.

Diddy's son Christian "King" Combs is kicking off the year reaffirming his love with his boo thang Raven Tracy ... and his fav love language is apparently physical touch!!!

The 2 linked up toward the end of 2022, and Raven closed out Thursday evening penning a rather lengthy and affectionate IG love letter to Christian ... with a saucy video attached.

With SZA's new hit "Snooze" playing, Christian goes in for a hug ... and sticks around for a five-finger embrace of Raven's apple bottom, much to the keen eye of her IG audience ... who think the interaction had him at half-mast. 🙈

Christian appeared to be foreshadowing any wild comments and flipped the bird to whoever it may concern ... while flexing his washboard abs for good measure.

Raven called their union God-sent and says Christian prioritizes their relationship ... which is impressive because he's all about grinding in the studio these days.

ABC could be staring down the barrel of a lawsuit if it fires or pushes T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach out of their anchor jobs ... because we're told the 2 have lawyered up big time and if it comes to litigation ... race might be an issue.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... ABC has not clued in T.J. or Amy as to why they were taken off the air a month ago ... after their romantic relationship surfaced. We're told they're confused and frustrated why the ABC News brass at first told people internally there would be no disciplinary action, and then the company did an about-face.

Our sources say Amy has hired Andrew Brettler, one of the best civil lawyers in Hollywood, and T.J. has lawyered up with Eric George, a legal force who has handled numerous celebrity cases.

We're told Brettler and George want answers, which they are not getting so far. Our sources say if ABC keeps T.J. and Amy off the air or fires them, the lawyers are ready to file suit, and one of the issues involves race.

We're told the lawyers will pose this question to ABC ... "Has ABC ever used the morals or conduct clause to fire or discipline 2 consenting adults at equal levels when both were white?" The sources go on to say it would be telling if this is the first time ABC invoked the morals clause under these circumstances ... with a Black and a White anchor.

The sources go on to say the damages could be enormous if their reputations and careers are ruined as a result of discipline by the network.

One source says the only thing T.J. and Amy can think of regarding what ABC thinks they did wrong was not informing them of the relationship in a timely fashion. To that, the sources say ... "Are you supposed to inform your boss when you catch feelings?"

We reached out to ABC ... so far, no word back.

Kanye West appears to be getting quite comfortable with the new mystery woman he's been spotted with around Los Angeles ... sharing a meal and good conversation.

We've obtained a photo of Ye and the mystery blonde Monday inside the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. We're told the pair seemed quite comfortable, chatting while they ate. Unclear why, but Kanye's been spotted at that hotel a lot lately -- so it's possible he's calling it home these days.

The blonde is the same woman he was seen with as they entered the hotel earlier this week -- we don't yet know who she is, but we haven't seen them together outside of the recent sightings. So, if they're indeed an item, it's a new thing.

As we reported, Kanye was previously linked to Julia Fox and Chaney Jones, but both relationships seemed to drop off before getting serious -- at least for Ye. Remember, Chaney did get that tattoo. Oops!

Ye's been rather MIA since his appearance on Alex Jones' "InfoWars" where he announced his love for Hitler and Nazis.

Emily Ratajkowski's making Madison Square Garden the setting for her own little soap opera -- she and Eric Andre hit the Knicks game, but not together ... instead, she was with a mystery dude.

Emily and an apparent new date were chatting it up courtside Wednesday night as the Knicks defeated the rival Pacers, 119-113.

The duo was definitely giving first-date vibes, but seemed to have some chemistry ... and even arrived together outside the Garden.

Once they were inside, the soap-esque plot twist became apparent ... as Eric was also enjoying the game.

The comedian didn't publicly make any contact with Emily -- with whom he recently went on a date -- but did do some celeb hype for the cameras and other Knicks fans.

It looks like he might've gotten the better seats than ER this time around, because he showed off his perfect view.

As we reported, Emily and Eric enjoyed a romantic evening together in NYC over the weekend, going out for food, drinks ... and presumably lots of laughs.

Emily's been super active on the dating scene since she filed for divorce from estranged husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in September ... the 31-year-old model's been linked to DJ Orazio Rispo, artist Jack Greer and, of course, Pete Davidson.

Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders are adding more fuel to the dating rumor fire ... all cuddled up while waiting to refuel their "bodies, bodies, bodies."

TMZ obtained these photos of Pete and Chase waiting for takeout Monday afternoon at Baba's Perogies in Brooklyn ... and "Bodies Bodies Bodies" costars couldn't keep their hands off each other while they waited for their grub.

As you can see, Chase has her arm around Pete as they sit on the same side of the table and wait ... their eyes glued to his phone.

Folks who were there say Pete and Chase shared a kiss and did some serious cuddling ... and when the food finally came, we're told they left in the same car.

It certainly looks like Pete and Chase have all the makings of a couple ... even though they have yet to make it publicly official.

In addition to Monday's outing, we've seen Pete and Chase out a lot recently ... just last month they had a late-night rendezvous at his place, and they've also been spotted together at Whole Foods, plus there was a cast outing to a Rangers game.

Pete and Chase have been hanging out a ton since he was briefly hanging out with Emily Ratajkowski.