Olympics

LeBron James and Coco Gauff didn't let rain ruin their big moment at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony ... the two raised the American flag high and proud on the Team USA boat -- with big smiles on their faces!!

The tennis superstar and future basketball Hall of Famer were selected to be the flag bearers earlier this week ... and when it came time to shine on the Seine River on Friday -- they didn't disappoint.

The pair rocked white Ralph Lauren Olympic fits -- and despite sleeting rain -- they grabbed the Star-Spangled Banner and led the way for all of the Americans who will compete in the upcoming Games.

The Olympics opening ceremony kicked off with one of its wildest starts ever -- a castle full of beheaded Marie Antoinettes rocking out to heavy metal ... and boy, was it a sight.

The performance over in Paris Friday was electrifying -- heavy metal band Gojira teamed up with opera singer Marina Viotti to kick things off for a head-banging revolution ... while all the Marie Antoinettes sang along to the famous revolutionary song "Ah! Ça Ira!"

Red fireworks -- meant to symbolize blood, of course -- shot into the sky ... while actual fire and each band member staggered onto a different windowsill brought the performance to life.

Lady Gaga has officially kicked off the Olympics opening ceremony -- putting on a showy performance on the steps of the Seine river ... and she did so by herself, for now.

Check it out ... the singer belts her heart out as she sings an all-French classic, known as "Mon Truc En Plume." Gaga seems to pay tribute to singer Zizi Jeanmaire with her performance -- which is filled with over-the-top pink feathered fans, dancers dressed in all-black, and a full jazz band.

Remember, Zizi memorably performed "Mon Truc En Plume" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" decades ago ... where she wore all-black and was joined by dancers carrying massive feathered fans. See the resemblance???

Lady Gaga is gearing up for her performance at the Olympics opening ceremony ... cramming in one last rehearsal before the big show.

The singer was seen practicing her number for the highly-anticipated performance ... as she was photographed singing on golden steps alongside the Seine in Paris. Gaga pulled out all the stops for her gig, too ... as she performed in a chic all-black ensemble next to dancers and a full jazz band decked out in similar monochromatic looks.

Gaga and her dancers rounded out the choreography by integrating over-the-top pink feathered fans ... reminiscent of the famed Moulin Rouge cabaret.

Dutch volleyball star Steven van de Velde, a convicted child rapist, is slated to compete in the Paris Olympics this week ... and the IOC is now facing serious pressure to investigate how he was able to be included in the Games despite his disgraced past.

Van de Velde allegedly raped a 12-year-old back in 2014 -- when he was 19. Authorities claimed he initially met the girl online -- and then flew from Amsterdam to London a short time later to have sexual relations with her -- this despite him being aware of her age. In 2016, he was convicted of rape and sentenced to four years in prison.

However, after serving 12 months behind bars in Britain, he was transferred to the Netherlands, where he was resentenced. Roughly a month later, he was released. Following his time served, he told a local media outlet he was not a pedophile.

Getting drunk and bragging about causing chaos at the 2024 Paris Olympics is a pretty dumb move for an alleged Russian spy -- but French cops say that's exactly what happened before they arrested the guy!

Police in the French capital hauled away 40-year-old Kirill Gryaznov from his apartment after he popped up on the radar of European intel officers who were keeping a close eye on him for months, according to French outlet Le Monde.

Gryaznov had been kicked off a flight from Istanbul to Paris back in May, reportedly because he was totally wasted.

Celine Dion certainly knows the power of love ...reveling in the adoration she's getting from fans as she returns to the spotlight -- people were eating it up ahead of her Olympics gig.

The singer, who's set to perform with Lady Gaga at the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics, received the warmest of welcomes from fans Thursday night in the City of Lights.

CD was decked out in full Dior ... and greeted with screams and chants as she left her hotel. The singer blew kisses to the crowd and took a few photos.

Thousands of travelers looking to get to Paris ahead of the start of the Olympics have been stranded ... after French officials say railways in the country have been hit by a series of coordinated arson attacks.

According to the SNCF -- the organizer of France’s high-speed train network -- the "malicious acts" took place overnight Thursday ... and appeared to be a planned "massive attack" by people who had the goal of crippling public transportation just hours before the Games' Opening Ceremony goes down in Paris later Friday.

So far, authorities don't seem to have any leads on suspects ... although the public prosecutor's office said it's launched an investigation.

Snoop Dogg's blazin' in Paris ... or, at least his left hand was -- 'cause the dude carried the Olympic flame Thursday marking a huge moment for himself and hip hop culture.

The rapper carried the torch through the northern Parisian suburb Saint-Denis ... and check out the pics 'cause Snoop looks like one proud pup while doing his part to get the flame to its final destination.

Snoop -- clad in an all-white tracksuit with "Paris 2024" and the Olympic rings splayed across the back -- waves to the crowd during his portion of the jaunt, staring at the torch in awe.

With an influx of visitors heading to Paris for the 2024 Olympics, French police are cracking down on prostitution ... and we've learned an anti-pimping brigade is even leading the charge.

The Press Office for the Police Prefecture tells TMZ ... authorities are doing what they can to combat illegal sex work in the City of Lights. We're told checkpoints and other road operations are targeted to try and put a stop to pimping in the Bois de Vincennes, Bois de Boulogne and Belleville sectors.

A formal brigade -- known as the BRP -- has even formed ... and we're told they will make their presence seriously known in the area. There is also a group in charge of surveilling night establishments, such as cabarets ... where anti-sex work laws will be reinforced.

Flavor Flav says as soon as Snoop Dogg emerges in Paris with the Olympic torch in hand on Friday -- no one in the hip hop community will ever forget it ... explaining this week it'll be "a very, very big moment for rap music history."

Flav, of course, will get to see it all go down in person ... as he made the trip to France this month as part of his role as the official sponsor of the USA women's water polo team.

He told Charlie Neff and Towanda Robinson on "The TMZ Podcast" that watching Snoop with the flame is actually the "main thing" he's "really, really" looking forward to in the buildup to the Paris Games -- because he thinks people will be talking about it decades from now.

Celine Dion is in France for her big comeback, Jennifer Aniston is beefing with J.D. Vance and Tom Brady is NOT dating a swimsuit model ... all this on today's TMZ TV Hot Takes.

First up on "TMZ Live," Harvey and Charles look at Celine's warm welcome in Paris, where she is set to perform for the first time in years ... kicking off the opening ceremonies for the Paris Olympics.

Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci was only 14 years old when she skyrocketed to stardom after becoming the first gymnast to score a perfect 10.0 at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

In addition to her perfect-scoring status, the gymnastics icon scored six MORE perfect 10s and grabbed 3 gold medals. To no surprise -- but extremely difficult to do so -- she qualified for her 2nd games in 1980, taking 2 more gold medals and two 10.0s back to Romania.

Today, she's still recognized and respected as a gymnastics legend and continues to use her platform for leadership roles.

The Olympics red carpet in Paris is glittering, and it ain't the shine off the metals 'cause those haven't been won yet ... it's all the superstars twinkling at a pre-Olympics event.

Some of the biggest athletes and entertainers in the world -- from LeBron James to Serena Williams to Snoop Dogg and everyone in between -- pulled up to the Prelude to the Olympics ... a star-studded party open cohosted by some of the world's most powerful people before Olympic Opening Ceremonies kick off tomorrow.

Two blonde Hollywood bombshells -- Charlize Theron and Elizabeth Banks -- hit the red carpet in a couple fabulous dresses ... CT looked angelic in all white while EB pulled off a black cocktail dress with a blue accessory draping down from her hip.