Tough Love

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was off the mark in his scathing critique of "The Bachelor," because love blossoms the same way on TV as it does in real life ... so says a contestant.

We got "Bachelor in Paradise" star Jared Haibon -- who's been on 2 seasons of "BIP" and 1 season of "The Bachelorette" -- and he says the idea that people aren't their true selves on the reality shows mirrors what happens with everyone on a date ... they put on a good but sometimes false face.

Jared's got a point ... but it seems like Kareem was getting at something a lot deeper than being phony for the cameras. Kareem rails on the shows, saying it portrays "cartoonish physical and mental restrictions" on relationships. He also comes close to calling the shows racist, saying, "If you're black ... you're usually kept around as a courtesy for a few weeks before being ejected."

Britney Spears had an interesting liaison Friday night ... playing grabsees with ex-fiance Jason Trawick's best buddy.

Britney was at XS nightclub in Vegas when she and Cade Hudson got cozy in the DJ booth and on the dance floor.  She bear-hugged him and generally looked pretty intimate.

We're told cops busted Royce with the stolen goods at her friend's house in Arizona ... the same friend who called the cops on her in the first place.

The friend in question -- a girl named Carolyn Clare -- tells us, it all started with a friendly sleepover gone wrong ... everything started out fine ... but after the two woke up the next morning, Clare noticed her expensive boots and makeup collection had gone missing.

We're told Royce -- real name Kelly Jean Stasilli -- denied stealing anything ... but her pal called the cops anyway.