Alex Rodriguez seemingly had an ulterior motive in sharing a nice photo of himself having dinner with his daughters -- sending a not-so-subtle signal to Jennifer Lopez.

A-Rod posted the pic Thursday night -- a pretty delicious-looking dinner spread with his teenage daughters, Tasha and Ella, and captioned it ... "Din din with my girls! #DaddyDinnerDate."

Sweet, right? Yes, it is ... buuut, it's kinda hard to ignore the fact he left 3 extra table settings and 3 empty chairs in the shot as well.

So, either A-Rod was expecting 3 more people to show up ... or he's pining for J Lo and her 2 kids, Max and Emme, to come back and be a big happy blended family again.

We're gonna go with the latter.

As you know, Jennifer has been cozying up with her famous ex, Ben Affleck, following her split from Alex ... though we're told the momentum for Bennifer 2.0 actually began building back in February.

Former 'RHONJ' star Dina Manzo's ex-husband was involved in her violent home invasion ... at least according to the grand jury, which just handed up an indictment for his alleged role in the incident.

A grand jury in Monmouth County just indicted Dina's ex, Thomas Manzo, charging him as an accomplice in the 2017 home invasion ... and he's already turned himself in to police.

You'll recall ... Dina and her current husband, David Cantin, were allegedly attacked with fists and baseball bats as soon as they walked in the front door of their NJ home. According to cops, the suspects punched Dina in the head and face, and bludgeoned David with a bat.

Dina and David were then allegedly zip-tied while the perps ransacked the home, making off with her engagement ring and cash.

Dina's ex has been hit with multiple assault charges, a burglary charge, a theft charge, a robbery charge, a weapons charge and multiple stalking charges.

As we first told you ... another man, James Mainello, was arrested and indicted for his alleged role in the home invasion back in May 2019. Mainello is named in the new indictment on all but the stalking charges.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez didn't just rekindle their romance within the last 2 weeks, instead, it's been building since February ... when he started flooding her with emails while she was filming in the Dominican Republic.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Ben and J Lo were in very regular contact by email starting in early February when she flew to the Caribbean to begin filming "Shotgun Wedding." We're told the tone of the emails wasn't just friendly ... but more loving and longing for Jen.

For instance, after seeing pics of Jennifer in the D.R., he wrote to tell her how beautiful she looked, and how much he wished he could be down there with her. Of course, he was busy at the time in Boston, shooting "The Tender Bar" with George Clooney -- and she was still engaged to Alex Rodriguez.

Our sources say the emails also referenced J Lo's love for Ben's writing, and included a line about him being able to "own her heart" with his pen.

We're told they continued emailing each other, back and forth, for the duration of J Lo's shoot ... which wrapped in late April.

As far as our sources know, there was no physical contact or rendezvous between them during this time, but the emails do add context to how they seemingly got together so quickly.

Remember, they were together in L.A. -- very publicly -- on the first weekend in May ... just 2 weeks after Jen and A-Rod called off their engagement.

Folks in Ben and Jennifer's world said they had always maintained a friendship since splitting up in 2004. However, as we first told you, they were together again in Montana this past weekend.

One more clue the exes have been in close contact for some time came with InStyle Magazine's recent J Lo cover story. It included a quote from Ben gushing about his ex-fiancee, saying in part ... "She has great talent, but she has also worked very hard for her success, and I’m so happy for her that she seems, at long last, to be getting the credit she deserves."

That story did not include a quote from Jen's then-fiance, A-Rod.

Evan Bass and Carly Waddell don't look like a couple calling it quits ... the "Bachelor in Paradise" stars are hanging out again after their split.

Evan and Carly were spotted at brunch Sunday at White Limozeen at the Graduate Hotel in Nashville, and folks who were there tell us they were acting very friendly toward one another.

It's interesting ... the brunch outing was on Mother's Day, but their children weren't with them. Seems more like a date than a family holiday outing, right?!?

Evan and Carly split back in December after 3 years of marriage ... and this is the first time they've been seen together in public since the split.

While witnesses say there was no PDA at Evan and Carly's table, we're also told Evan went to the same restaurant the weekend before with a male friend and made a reservation for him and Carly for Mother's Day. So, it sounds like this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Looks like there might be hope for an Evan and Carly reunion.

J Lo and Ben Affleck may have crossed the friendzone, because we found out they were hanging out together this past weekend.

Ben and Jen were at the Big Sky Resort in Montana, super close to Yellowstone National Park. They were staying at the same resort and were driving around together ... Ben was driving and J Lo was riding shotgun.

They also flew out of Montana together Sunday from Bozeman, Montana to L.A. When they arrived in L.A. at the Signature Terminal at LAX, they took an SUV together and drove to her house in Bel-Air. All this raises the question, of course ... are they back together?

There's certainly a lot of smoke. The 2 were hanging out together in Los Angeles early last week as well. If you were placing bets, bet on them being reunited as a couple.

Our sources connected to both J Lo and Ben have told us they're just friends ... they've actually been fairly close over the years since their breakup.

They certainly have a lot in common now ... they both recently broke off their relationships.

It was back in 2004 when the two split, and we haven't known either of them to be romantically linked since. Of course, both have gone on to have other serious relationships and raise children as well.

A source close to J Lo told us she keeps her exes close, just look at her relationship with Marc Anthony over the years. The source also told us she's seen Alex Rodriguez since they ended things as well and that the two remain friends. However, it's rare that only J Lo and one of her exes ever hung out without kids in tow, and from what we've learned, Ben and Jennifer were solo in Montana.

Saweetie did what a lot of street performers do in L.A. ... take centerstage on a makeshift platform, and ask for donations -- but it looks like this was just a way to plug her new song.

The rapper -- who's fresh off a very public breakup with Quavo -- was out at the Santa Monica Pier Friday ... where she put on an impromptu performance for anyone who was nearby. She did at least a couple songs ... "My Type" and her new single, "Fast (Motion)."

Saweetie didn't shy away from this either, BTW ... she posted a video of her performing herself, and her caption is very cheeky -- "rent was dueee 🤷🏽‍♀️ streetie in the streets catch me next time luhhh y’all 🤣🤣🤣 #fastmotion." On its face, it seems this was all intentional.

You can tell she was joking around ... because she had a little donation basket at the base of her feet, which read "Pretty Bitch Summer Donations." So yeah, a bit of viral marketing.

Of course, some people saw this and didn't get the gag ... taking jabs at Saweetie while also hyping up Quavo as the clear "winner" in their split. Folks are also playing on the false rumor that Quavo had repo'd a Bentley he gifted her ... saying things had gone downhill for her ever since they went separate ways. But, as we told you, that Bentley news was BS.

Keep in mind, Saweetie is a professional, signed artist ... and doesn't seem hard-pressed for cash at all. Her music is blowing up, she's been appearing in commercials of late, just dropped a new line of sunglasses ... and she's starting to break into TV roles too.

If Quavo and Saweetie weren't broken up, they might be celebrating together -- neither of them will face criminal charges for their elevator altercation ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the case was referred to the L.A. City Attorney's Office, which declined to file charges. We're told, based on the evidence -- surveillance video of the then-couple in a physical confrontation -- there was no likelihood of a conviction for either party.

Remember, we'd been told the cops wanted to talk to both Saweetie and Quavo to get more info on what went down before and after the video, but we now know that never happened.

The exes were clearly looking to put the situation behind them, and, at least publicly, it didn't seem like either was holding a grudge over the fight. Quavo said, "We had an unfortunate situation almost a year ago that we both learned and moved on from. I haven’t physically abused Saweetie and have real gratitude for what we did share overall."

Saweetie said something to the same effect ... while also indicating this was far from the last straw in their relationship, noting there were other "hurdles" before they split.

Nev Schulman says he's to blame for Ben Affleck getting rejected on a dating app by a woman who didn't believe he was the real deal ... but he has some advice for Ben.

We got the "Catfish" host at LAX and asked about Ben's apparent troubles on the dating platform, Raya, where the newly single actor sent a video message to a smoking hot woman he says "unmatched" him, thinking his profile had to be fake.

Nev says dating apps are inherently difficult for any celeb in the wake of "Catfish," and he tells us why Ben's got it even tougher than most famous folks when it comes to finding a date.

As you know ... Ben and Ana de Armas called it quits earlier this year and he's recently been hanging with his ex, Jennifer Lopez, though we're told they're strictly friends.

Nev tells us he's not surprised Ben might be dipping a toe in the online dating pool -- that's how most folks are finding dates during the pandemic -- and says the real issue for celebs involves keeping their private life under wraps.

Speaking of which, Nev thinks the woman who posted Ben's video message should be kicked off the app for spilling the Raya tea.

While Nev admits he "may have inadvertently c*** blocked Ben Affleck," he's got some sage advice if and when Ben runs into more dating app roadblocks.

Marilyn Manson getting sued for sexual assault has investigators in L.A. planning to reach out to the alleged victim to determine if Manson should also face criminal charges.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the lawsuit filed by "Game of Thrones" actress Esme Bianco last week against the shock rocker is definitely on the L.A. County Sheriff's Department's radar -- and it could become part of an ongoing criminal probe.

As we reported ... Bianco claims she was drugged, tortured and raped by Manson over a period of time from 2009 to 2011, and her allegations include him cutting her with a "Nazi knife" during sex, without her consent.

Bianco's suing for sexual assault and sexual battery, but her suit didn't say if she reported the alleged abuse to authorities ... but our law enforcement sources say they are going to speak with her now about it.

As we first told you ... cops began digging into abuse allegations against Manson in February following his ex, Evan Rachel Wood, going public with her claims of abuse and manipulation. Up to this point, Manson has not been charged with any crime.

Olivia Wilde can breathe a sigh of relief ... a judge just granted a permanent restraining order against the man she claims keeps showing up at her home, believing he was her lover.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... 30-year-old Eric Nathanial Fuhs must stay away from Olivia for the next 3 years. We're told the restraining order also protects her ex, Jason Sudeikis, and their kids.

TMZ broke the story ... Olivia sought protection against Fuhs last month after claiming she had security footage showing him showing up to her crib on multiple occasions to leave notes for her and Sudeikis, with the guy falsely claiming he was dating Olivia.

The documents had initially stated Olivia and Jason still lived together, but sources later said that wasn't the case.

The actress, who is now with Harry Styles, also said Fuhs left an ominous note saying he's "struggling to stay sane."

Kylie Jenner made a big gesture for her baby daddy, Travis Scott -- flying across the country to be by his side as he celebrates his birthday.

She zipped over to Miami Sunday, and joined Trav for a group dinner at Komodo. Our sources tell us they rolled through with their entourage and security detail ... and broke bread at a private table.

She was on hand for the post-dinner clubbing too, and didn't try to hide her appearance either.

In fact, she captured some flirtatious horseplay between them both ... which, at first glance, suggests something's up.

On her IG Story, Kylie recorded Travis dancing up near her ... and her playing footsie with him. He dished out some affection too, grabbing a hold of Kylie's leg and giving her several love taps.

You could see all this and think ... yeah, they're fully back together. Or it could all be friendly -- it's hard to really say at this point.

Jennifer Lopez was hanging out with Ben Affleck this week, setting the Internet on fire with proclamations they're back together. Not so, and we have an explanation.

True ... they spent time together, but we're told they're strictly friends. Fact is, they've been friends for a long time following their difficult breakup. There's no such thing as "never," especially in Hollywood, so it's always possible something could be rekindled, but there's no evidence of that now.

J Lo seems to have an M.O. in relationships gone south -- keep it friendly. She's also spent time with both ex-fiance Alex Rodriguez and ex-hubby Marc Anthony since her breakup with A-Rod. Maybe part of it is getting comfort from those she knows, but whatever it is she doesn't drop people like hot potatoes when the romantic thing doesn't work out.

Marc Anthony is a special case, since they share 2 kids. Again, it was a tough breakup but ultimately things got repaired so they could have a civil relationship and co-parent.

What's more, J Lo has maintained business relationships with some of her exes ... notably Marc Anthony and A-Rod.

As you know, J Lo and A-Rod called it quits after 4 years of dating and getting engaged in March 2019. They dodged a bullet ... were it not for the pandemic, they probably would have married.

Danica Patrick has found new love after ending things with Aaron Rodgers ... the former racecar driver says she has a new BF -- and she couldn't be happier with him!!

The 39-year-old -- who split with Rodgers last summer after the two had dated for two years -- confirmed to ExtraTV this week she's in a new relationship with Carter Comstock.

And, in an interview where Danica gushed over her new man, she revealed Comstock is already fulfilling one of her "grand visions" for a relationship.

"We both love to travel and we're both super open-minded," Patrick said. "And, like, I had this sort of grand vision for finding someone that I could just sit on the couch with and, like, have a glass of wine and literally come up with any topic at all, simple or complicated, and just go, 'Let's talk about a tree.'"

"And, just go for two hours on like the nature of a tree. I just always imagined how great it would be to like find someone that you just sit on the couch and talk to for hours and that's just what we do."

It's unclear how and when Patrick and Comstock -- who's reportedly a cofounder of the meal prep service company, Freshly -- first linked up ... but she did post a photo of the two on a beach vacay earlier this month, saying, "Beach workouts are fun for one, but better with you."

As for her ex-flame... Rodgers got engaged to actress Shailene Woodley shortly after the Patrick breakup, and has said he's very happy now too.

Cassie Randolph still hasn't said anything about her ex, Colton Underwood, coming out as gay, but she's clearly moved on.

Sources close to the former 'Bachelor' winner and her new boyfriend -- 23-year-old singer-songwriter Brighton Reinhardt -- tell TMZ ... the 2 have been dating for a few months.

Though they've been spotted out together from time to time, their most recent outing is telling -- Brighton was hanging out with Cassie's family and we're told things are gettin' serious.

Cassie and Brighton spent the afternoon at the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach with her parents, along with her brother Landon, sister Michelle and her pretty famous boyfriend, Gregg Sulkin. Pretty good-lookin' crew.

As you may know ... Colton and Cassie dated after he gave her the final rose on his season as 'Bachelor,' but things fell apart and led to Cassie taking out a restraining order against him, which she later dropped.

We're told after she dropped it, there may have still been some bad blood, because Brighton dropped a song called "Creep" with the following lyrics --

"You can’t stop thinking about my baby / What once was yours in the world is changing / God, I hope you get your thinking right / GPS on the underside / Told her everything will be just fine / Damn, I can’t believe these guys." In other words, a clear shot at Colton.

Anyway, Colton recently revealed he's gay, and Cassie has yet to address it other than to say she wouldn't be discussing it, adding ... "There's a lot of layers to it, and I just think the best thing for me at this time is to move forward and just focus on going forward."

No baby mama drama for Tom Brady -- the NFL superstar is on such great terms with his ex-GF Bridget Moynahan, he sent her a public birthday message!

"Happy birthday Bridget Moynahan," Brady posted Wednesday on his IG along with a 2018 photo of the actress with their son, Jack ... "We hope you have a great day."

Remember, Moynahan gave birth to Jack after they broke up back in 2006 -- a few months after Brady began dating Gisele.

Everybody involved has publicly acknowledged the situation was challenging at first -- but over the years, they've essentially become one big happy family.

Tom has since had 2 more kids with Gisele. Bridget married Andrew Frankel in 2015.

Jack made headlines earlier this year when he shared an unbelievably sweet moment with Tom after the QB's Bucs team won the NFC championship game back in January.

Tom and Jack hugged it out and swapped "I love you's" in a video that went viral within minutes!