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The former NASA astronaut commanding the first civilian crew to the International Space Station is feeling good about the so-called space tourists, because they're handling zero gravity better than him!!!

Michael Lopez-Alegria, the decorated astronaut with 2 NASA records for spacewalks, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday to tell us how he and his 3 crew members handled their first weightless training flight.

It's pretty funny ... Michael says he was the one who felt the worst, while the philanthropists and entrepreneurs had a blast doing somersaults and backflips while they were experiencing zero gravity.

Larry Connor, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe are the 3 men who've dropped $55 million each to punch their tickets to the ISS and, so far, they're making their commander proud.

Axiom's Ax-1 mission -- the first private mission to the ISS -- blasts off in January with Michael at the controls. He admits he'll have a "tough needle to thread" during the 10-day mission with space newbies ... since he's their commander, but also ... kinda their tour guide in orbit.

It's a new challenge, for sure ... even for a guy who's logged more spacewalks than anyone else in history.

Drake Bell is in hot water in Ohio, where he's being charged with attempted endangering children ... but he says he's not guilty.

According to court documents, the "Drake & Josh" star is also facing charges of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

The docs say Cleveland Police arrested Drake ... and as you can see, he's already posed for a smirking mugshot at an Ohio jail.

Drake appeared in Cuyahoga County court Thursday, entering a not guilty plea and posting a $2,500 bond ordering him to have no contact with his alleged victim.

The alleged incident reportedly happened Dec. 1, 2017 ... the same day Drake was scheduled to perform at a club in Cleveland. Drake wasn't indicted until last month and he's due back in court on June 23.

Who's ready for some more football!?!?!?

The United States Football League -- which had an unforgettable run from 1983-85 -- is coming back to life after 37 years ... with plans to return to action in 2022!!

Of course, there were several big names to come through the USFL during its brief stint -- from future NFL stars like Herschel Walker and Jim Kelly to President Donald Trump, who was an owner of the New Jersey Generals.

This time around, the league will be teaming up with Fox Sports ... which will be the official broadcasting partner when games kick off in the spring of 2022.

"The relaunch of the USFL is a landmark day for football fans and Fox Sports," CEO Eric Shanks said in a statement.

"Football is in our DNA and the return of this innovative and iconic league is a fantastic addition to our robust slate of football programming."

The league plans to have at least 8 franchises and still holds on to the original team names -- which include the Los Angeles Express, Chicago Blitz, Tampa Bay Bandits, Houston Gamblers and more.

The USFL famously crumbled when it tried to become direct competition for the NFL in 1986 ... but that won't be happening with the reboot.

The league DOES face some competition from The Rock and the XFL, which also plans to launch in 2022.

Orlando-born actor Kirsten Storms was only a teenager when she was cast as the out-of-this-world Zenon Kar -- who is forced to acclimate to the ways of a teen on Earth while also devising a plan to save her UFO home space station -- in the 1999 Disney Channel original movie "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century."

Kirsten shared the small screen with Gregory Smith and Brenden Jefferson as Zenon's Earth pals, Greg and Andrew ... and of course Raven-Symone as the BFF, Nebula Wade.

Storms reprised her role in both of the Disney space follow-up films including the 2001 "Zenon: The Zequel" and 2004 finale "Zenon: Z3."

Clay Aiken knows what it's like to go from beloved celeb to despised politician -- by half of the public, at least -- and he's not sure The Rock or Matthew McConaughey are up for it ... so he's sharing his experience with political haters.

As you may know ... the former "American Idol" sensation ran for a North Carolina Congressional seat in 2014, and though he won the Democratic primary, he got beat pretty soundly in the general election by the Republican incumbent.

Clay joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday to share just a slice of what the experience was like, and it doesn't sound pleasant ... and definitely not something a couple of universally cherished actors would want to go through.

Ultimately, he thinks neither Rock nor McConaughey will opt to run, like Caitlyn Jenner already has -- but Clay's adamant she's already experiencing the blowback ... just for different reasons.

As we reported ... Bill Maher blasted the stars running for office or considering it, and though Aiken's not nearly as blistering with his take, the 2 seem to be on the same page -- just don't do it if fame's what matters.

BTW, Clay's still taking on political and social issues ... on his podcast, 'How The Heck Are We Gonna Get Along.'

Even more people are diving in on "Friends" fever -- including one Robin Antin, the creator of the OG Ross and Monica dance ... who's here to give folks a proper lesson more than 20 years later.

The Pussycat Dolls founder got into her Playground LA dance studio Tuesday with Lisa Rinna and did her famous number that David Schwimmer and Courteney Cox performed at the turn of the century ... only this time, it's being served up to perfection by the maestro herself.

Check it out ... Robin and Lisa do what the Geller siblings did on TV back in '99 -- which Robin actually taught to the 2 actors back when she choreographed the iconic routine for the show. In case you didn't know ... RA was the in-house dance consultant for "Friends."

As you can see ... this is how the dance WOULD'VE been done, had pro dancers hit the floor. Of course, the comedy lies in Schwimmer/Cox not being as skilled ... which made for great laughs and a memorable "Friends" moment.

Still, it's fascinating to see "the routine" being done by the person who made it up from scratch in the first place ... because, honestly, it's not nearly as goofy as it was portrayed. It's actually pretty badass -- which should be expected since it's an Antin special.

It goes without saying, the dance went down in pop culture history ... and it even got a facelift courtesy of Courteney and Ed Sheeran -- who performed it while the reunion special was airing this weekend ... to much fanfare.

Ellen DeGeneres is never one to spare any expense for glitzy properties ... which makes this $2.9 million buy all that more interesting.

The talk show host just copped this modest yet modern Santa Barbara bungalow ... a stone's throw from the coveted Montecito Butterfly Beach and the famous Biltmore Hotel.

It's a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom contemporary jewel with huge glass doors that open up to lush landscaping. There's a cool water feature and fire pit on the sun-drenched patios.

There's also enough room for a pool or even a guest house. Either way ... privacy reigns thanks to fortification in the form of noise-reducing acoustic fencing.

The single-level home was built in 1954 and it's gone through several renovations. It's probable Ellen's buying this as an investment property.

Henry "Nacho" Laun -- the extreme eating star of "Wahlburgers" and one of Mark Wahlberg's OG entourage members -- has died after suffering a medical emergency a couple weeks ago ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Laun tell us he passed away Tuesday at a Massachusetts hospital.

We broke the story ... the reality star was on a road trip from Boston to Cape Cod in mid-May when he was found unconscious in his vehicle at a gas station.

Our sources say it's still unclear what caused his medical emergency, but after Laun was transported to the hospital his condition did not improve. We're told he was unresponsive and placed on life support because he couldn't breathe on his own.

We're also told family and friends had a glimmer of hope, as Nacho was showing signs of recovery in recent days -- but he took a final turn for the worse.

Laun was a fan favorite on "Wahlburgers" known for never shying away from an eating challenge and of course, for being Mark's buddy.

His attorney and friends have organized a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs.

Laun's attorney, James Neyman, declined to comment.

Laun was 54.

Marvel Studios' smash hit series "WandaVision" features a handful of kiddos ... some of whom took home a nice fat paycheck to appear in just one episode.

According to his contract, 12-year-old Gabriel Gurevich -- who played young Pietro -- took home the lion's share among the pint-sized group ... banking $7,673 for a couple weeks of work.

Meanwhile, Wanda Maximoff and Vision's twins -- played by 8-year-old Gavin Borders and 7-year-old Baylen Bielitz -- each earned $3,836 for one week on the job playing the roles of Tommy and Billy at 5 years old.

It looks like Gavin and Baylen had the same weekly rate as Gabriel, but GG's contract guaranteed him 2 weeks of pay. It looks like they each appeared in one episode, though.

Last but not least is 13-year-old Sophia Gaidarova ... she was on set for just one day to play Young Wanda, and got paid $1,105.

The kids' compensation is all laid out in their minors' contracts, which must be filed in court. It's not clear if any of them are coming back for Season 2 ... but if they do, they should expect to see at least a slight pay bump.

English actor Amanda Pays is best know for her role as the sexy scientist and girlfriend Tina McGee -- who cranks out cool inventions to help The Flash in his missions to keep the streets safe -- in the fast-moving '90s television show "The Flash."

Pays was cast alongside Norfolk native John Wesley Shipp who played the Central City Police scientist Barry Allen who becomes Flash after a lab accident and lightning strike.

AP is also well known for her character Theora Jones in the glitchy science fiction show "Max Headroom" in the '80s.

Courteney Cox isn't quite done with the whole "Friends" reunion thing ... because she partnered with Ed Sheeran to recreate one of the greatest TV dances ever!!!

If you didn't know where this dance came from it would still be awesome ... but there's history here, folks.

You recall the dance where Monica and Ross appeared on Dick Clark's "Rockin' New Year's Eve" show? Well, Courteney hasn't lost her moves one bit ... and Ed was more than up to the task. BTW, the OG dance number was choreographed by Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin ... so, those are pro moves they're putting down!

Ed reflected ... "Had a reunion of our own this weekend @courteneycoxofficial #theroutine #iknow #friends4eva #obviouslybetterthanross"

There was one small technical error ... Courteney overshot the jump into Ed's arms and they crashed to the ground. Otherwise, perfect!!!

Chadwick Boseman wanted to get Howard University students up to speed on the entertainment biz early and often, which is why he came up with a great idea for his alma mater ... one it's now bringing to fruition.

HU Prez Wayne Frederick tells TMZ ... the university is going to be rolling out a masterclass template for the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts that's actually inspired by the man himself -- who presented his concept to head honchos before he passed away last year.

Here's how it'll work ... students enrolled in the fine arts college are going to be introduced to a tweaked curriculum in the near future, which will help them get familiar with their specific fields of study. We're told they'll be working with pros, currently working in the industry, who can share real-life experiences.

Now, Howard has always had professionals come by for guest lectures -- including famous alums -- and they already have a great mentorship program too. But, Fredrick says the masterclass is going to be more structured ... weaving the guests into day-to-day learning and coursework on campus.

Frederick tells us Chadwick wanted to help spearhead the program -- he actually signed paperwork to get it started -- and would've likely been very hands-on, if he were still alive.

Frederick says there's no question that CB's own experience at HU is a big part of what made him pitch this in the first place ... including the memorable tale of Denzel Washington once paying for Chadwick's tuition back in the day.

Joe Lara -- the star of "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures" -- has died after a small plane he, his wife and a few others were on crashed into a lake this weekend.

The private jet -- said to be a Cessna 501 -- took off Saturday from Smyrna Airport, just outside of Nashville, and was reportedly headed toward Palm Beach, FL ... but somehow plunged into Percy Priest Lake not too long after takeoff.

Fire and other rescue crews were dispatched to the scene -- but, after an all-night operation -- authorities say the passengers were found to be deceased ... and their families were notified. An investigation is underway to determine what might've caused the crash.

Lara was one of seven people who were killed. The others are his spouse -- Christian diet guru Gwen Lara -- Jennifer J. Martin, David L. Martin, Jessica Walters, Jonathan Walters, and Brandon Hannah, all of whom are locals and reported to be part of the same church.

JL is famous from his TV days, when he played the king of the jungle between 1996 and 2000 ... starring as Tarzan for a total of 22 episodes, including a TV movie that came out years prior called "Tarzan in Manhattan" -- which catapulted him into the role.

He'd been in other action/fantasy projects over the years -- including "Steel Frontier," "Sunset Heat," "Gunsmoke: The Last Apache," "American Cyborg: Steel Warrior" "The Magnificent Seven," "Baywatch" and "Tropical Heat," among several others. Lara had 28 acting credits to his name.

Lara married Gwen Shamblin in 2018 -- who's famous for founding the Remnant Fellowship Church as well as the Weigh Down Workshop ... a weight loss program that was big in the '80s and '90s among churchgoers and others.

Gwen and Joe leave behind three children. He was 58 and she was 66.

The "Rugrats" reboot features an openly gay character and the actor who voiced Tommy Pickles tells us the OG cast always sensed Betty DeVille was lesbian, but it was hush hush.

We got E.G. Daily at SunLife Organics in Malibu and asked her if Betty's sexual orientation was a bit of an open secret back in the show's '90s heyday.

E.G. says the cast and crew didn't really talk openly about Betty being gay, even though many thought the writers were basically implying that. She says everyone could kind of tell back then, but now society's progressed to where a kids' show can have an openly gay character.

In the reboot, Betty owns a café, loves football and jokes about her ex-girlfriends ... and E.G. says the whole cast is embracing the character's newfound freedom to truly be herself.

The OG "Rugrats" ran from 1991 to 2004, and E.G. tells us the reboot is changing with the times in other ways too. Pay attention to Grandpa Lou ... sounds like he knows his way around the internet now.

"Blue's Clues & You" just put out a sing-along for kids that features an animated version of a "RuPaul's Drag Race" star ... who leads a song about Pride Month and inclusivity.

Nickelodeon posted the video Friday -- just days ahead of June 1, which marks the beginning of Pride -- and it features a cartoon rendering of Nina West, who's a fan fave from 'Drag Race,' leading on vocals -- narrating a parade that's passing her in the background.

The song touches on the makeup of different families that fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella ... including households with two dads, two moms, non-binary children and more.

Words like "ace," "queer," "trans," "bi, "pan" and other identifying terms used in the community are sprinkled throughout -- and the song doesn't shy away from them ... noting that they can all be part of a family that loves one another. All the families are made up of different animals -- alligators, sharks, turtles, birds, cats, etc. -- that wave/rock rainbow flags.

Now, the overwhelming reaction to this appears to be positive ... with many taking to social media to praise 'Blue's Clues' for being progressive -- and taking proactive steps to teach kids about different family structures in a fun, catchy way that appeals to young children.

On the other hand, there are some who are clutching their pearls over this ... but they're mostly being drowned out by folks saying this is a great thing that Nick/Nick Jr.'s doing.

Gavin MacLeod -- a veteran TV actor, famous for roles on "The Love Boat" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

MacLeod passed away overnight early Saturday morning at his home in Palm Desert, CA -- where he was surrounded by loved ones and caretakers ... this according to Gavin's nephew, Mark See. We're told he'd been in and out of the hospital these last few months with varying illnesses -- and it's unclear what exactly might've caused his death in the end.

That said, See tells us it was not COVID-related. MacLeod's ex-wife, Joan Devore, confirmed all of those details, except for the location of his death.

The guy is perhaps best known for playing Murray Slaughter on 'TMTS' -- in which he played the head writer of the fictional TV station that Mary worked at. He was a main character on the series ... appearing in all 168 episodes over seven years, opposite the lead actress.

MacLeod is also just as famous for portraying Captain Merrill Stubing on "The Love Boat" for a decade ... appearing in 250 episodes, plus spin-off made-for-TV movies from the franchise.

His TV career was pretty much second to none -- the guy had roles on hit shows like "Hawaii Five-O," "Hogan's Heroes," "Perry Mason," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "McHale's Navy," "The Untouchables," "Peter Gunn," "Cain's Hundred," "The Andy Griffith Show," "My Favorite Martian," "The Big Valley," "It Takes a Thief," "Charlie's Angels," "Scruples," "Murder, She Wrote," "Oz," "JAG," "That '70s Show," "Touched By An Angel" ... and dozens more over his 7-decade career.

MacLeod was a familiar face on late night shows, talk shows, game shows, variety programs and TV specials in his heyday -- having made memorable appearances on "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Merv Griffin Show," "Dinah!," "The Jim Stafford Show," "Tattletales," "Celebrity Sweepstakes," "Celebrity Bowling," "Hollywood Squares," "The Mike Douglas Show," "Donny and Marie," "All-Star Family Feud," "Late Show," "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" ... and others.

GML was also a devout Christian ... and appeared in several Christian-themed shows and movies over the years -- this on top of other activism he had partaken in throughout his life.

MacLeod has over 100 acting credits to his name -- and is probably one of the most prolific actors from the 20th century. He's survived by his wife of several years, Patti, their four children and grandkids.

He was 90 years old.