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Tom Cruise wasn't born on the Fourth of July, but came close -- and on his special day, a filmmaking partner is honoring him by basically saying ... never change, you nutty bastard.

The actor turned 60 Sunday, and to ring in the milestone ... director Christopher McQuarrie posted a wild photo to celebrate TC and the death-defying stunts that he still carries out himself to this day ... including on the forthcoming 'Mission: Impossible' movie(s).

As you can see, there's Tommy dangling from the wing of an old-timey biplane ... without anyone in the cockpit, it seems. Just Tom hanging on solo, without much assistance.

McQuarrie didn't add much context to this pic -- other than wishing Tom a happy 60th -- but it's pretty obvious this is from either "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" or 'Part Two' ... both of which CMQ is helming with Tom in the driver's seat.

One description of this stunt -- which was reported on last year, as eyewitnesses saw Tom practicing in the U.K. -- explains he'll apparently slip out of the cockpit, make his way to the wing of the plane, hang there as the plane nosedives, and then do a barrel roll to boot.

Unclear if this will be featured in 'M:I 7' '8' ... but in any case, Chris seems to have thought its worthy to throw up as an homage to Tom -- who continues to live like a daredevil.

In fact, this plane thing is just a taste of what he'll do in the new flick -- as we learned from the teaser trailer last month, Tom is also going to jump off a cliff while on a motorcycle ... only to be saved by a parachute. Indeed, his reputation only gets cemented with each flick.

Lots of reasons to be happy if you're Tom Cruise today -- not only is it his born day, but his latest blockbuster, "Top Gun: Maverick," hit a huge benchmark that he's never achieved ... the film has grossed over a billion dollars worldwide at the box office. And, it's still rolling.

As for what the guy's up to today, he was actually spotted at the British Grand Prix ... where he did a stop-and-chat with Sky Sports' Martin Brundle and cheered on Lewis Hamilton.

Even on his bday, he's got time for an impromptu interview and is pleasant about it. Just one more reason we love Tom ... one of the last true iconic movie stars of this generation.

Michael Pena might be getting flashbacks watching this ... a cop throwing hands with an unarmed civilian, and losing his own gear to get on equal footing.

Check out this wild fight between a police officer and a regular schmoe from the streets ... where they both decide to square up and duke out whatever issue they're having. It's pretty nuts -- the cop actually takes off his vest (but still keeps his gun) to throw down properly.

They exchange minor blows for a good while, with the cop seeming to have the upper hand -- he's way bigger for starters -- and the dude in green coming back for more each round.

In the end, they appear to leave their differences right there on the pavement ... seemingly without further incident. Of course, many have pointed out that this doesn't look to have happened in the States -- where a civilian would surely be busted for scrapping with a cop.

Of course, the other observation here ... this is very much like a scene from the 2012 movie "End of Watch," in which both Pena and Jake Gyllenhaal star ... where they play wayward cops. At one point in the flick -- Pena's character, Mike Zavala, brawls with a perp.

Ricky Martin has been accused of domestic violence in Puerto Rico -- although it appears the alleged victim may be someone other than his spouse ... this per several reports.

Multiple Spanish outlets that operate in PR -- including Telemundo -- reported Saturday that a protective order is in the process of being filed and executed against the pop star in a municipality near San Juan ... citing law enforcement officials who confirmed the complaint falls within their Law 54 statute, which deals with DV.

The reports state an anonymous person -- who goes unnamed -- recently appeared before a judge in their own right to seek the TRO without going to the police first and without Ricky being present ... and the order was apparently granted based on the evidence presented.

The court reportedly scheduled a hearing on the matter between both parties for July 21.

Some reports are saying the alleged victim is a male, while others suggest it's a female. One outlet, claiming to have seen the docs themselves, says they read in part ... "The parties were related for 7 months. They separated 2 months ago, but the petitioner does not accept the separation. He calls him frequently. In addition, the petitioner has seen him hanging around his residence on at least 3 occasions. The petitioner fears for his safety."

That certainly doesn't sound like Ricky's husband of 5 years, Jwan Yosef -- with whom Ricky shares four children. The purported order goes on to reportedly say this ... "the petitioning party demonstrated that there is a substantial possibility of immediate risk of abuse."

As a result of the order reportedly being granted, Ricky has to steer clear of this person -- including avoiding all communication -- until this can get cleared up before a judge. As of Saturday, cops in Puerto Rico told AP they had not located Ricky to serve him.

Of course, Ricky has several residences ... including property in Puerto Rico. It's interesting this is surfacing now -- days after he was sued by his ex-manager, who claimed to have knowledge of a "career-ending allegation" from which she says she helped shield him.

Neither Ricky nor Jwan have commented on the reports. We've reached out to Ricky's reps and attorneys, so far no word back.

Joey Chestnut is the G.O.A.T. of eating food really fast, and he's ready to put another G.O.A.T. to the test ... telling TMZ Sports he would love to get in a head-to-head showdown with Tom Brady!!

We spoke with the 38-year-old tube steak titan ahead of his Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on the 4th of July ... and he said he takes inspiration from TB12's longevity and ability to compete in his 40s.

But, when Joey name-dropped Brady, we had to ask if the guy is willing to do a TB12 method-approved food showdown ... and since this is the food-eating king we're talking about, he naturally accepted the challenge.

Of course, avocado ice cream is one of TB12's favorite desserts -- and Chestnut has actually had some before ... although it sounds like he'd like to stay away from that food item at all costs.

"It's not the best," Chestnut said this week. "It's better than other weird ice creams like garlic ice cream."

Chestnut seems confident in whatever's put in front of him against Brady ... saying, "I don't know what he can out-eat me in."

"It would be awesome to eat against him in any food."

For now, Joey is focused on the glizzys at Coney Island ... and plans on beating his previous record of 76, if it's not too hot.

"If things go really bad, I'd be happy with 70 but if things are going really, really good, that 77 number looks very doable."

If Chestnut takes home first place, it will be his 15th championship and seventh consecutive win.

Marilyn Manson's legal situation with Evan Rachel Wood -- who's accused him of abuse -- is being compared to Johnny Depp's ... this as a Twitter thread linking the two is going viral.

The thread -- consisting of several tweets that attempt to paint MM as an abuser -- got started Friday ... with the author, who says she's an IPV survivor/advocate, laying out what she claims is evidence that she insists backs ERW's horrific allegations against her ex.

At a few different points in her deep dive, the Twitter user mentions ties between Manson and Depp -- including the fact that they're close friends ... while suggesting Manson may be ripping a page out his JD's playbook by taking his accuser to court with a defamation suit.

As TMZ reported ... Manson accused Wood of concocting her claims against him in an alleged elaborate scheme he says was meant to ruin his reputation and career. He's denied all of her allegations, including those from the other women who've also accused him.

Back to Johnny for a minute, though, because there's a debate raging about whether the claims he leveled against Amber Heard -- which were found to be mostly true by a jury -- are, in fact, comparable to Manson ... who is also alleging his accuser is making all this up.

The Twitter user notes that the cases are totally separate with differing evidence and allegations -- but throughout, she appears to be implying that JD has established a dangerous precedent for men accused of abuse ... including Manson.

A handful online agree -- namely, that the support Depp amassed throughout his trial could backfire by automatically lending itself to other stars in similar scenarios ... in this case, Manson, who some believe has been credibly accused, considering the deets of his case.

Others, however, are standing firm that supporting Depp doesn't automatically mean support for Manson ... and that trying to conflate the two cases just because they're pals is wrong.

What almost everyone seems to be missing is that Johnny was within his right to take his accuser to court and have the facts laid out ... as is Manson, as is anyone else. It's called due process -- and everyone is entitled to exercise it if they have a legal bone to pick.

Khaby Lame, who just dethroned Charli D'Amelio as the top TikTok star, says acting's always been his ultimate goal ... and he hopes a movie with Will Smith is in his future.

We got Khaby with his project manager -- who translated his Italian -- in Beverly Hills where he told us TikTok fame has him looking for his break in acting, and yeah ... he wants to do it big Willie style.

He says "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" was an early inspiration for him, so a gig with Will would really bring things full circle.

About Will's Oscars slap from earlier this year, Khaby tells us he still respects him as an actor. He thinks people deserve second chances, and if Will wants a comeback, Khaby would be honored to be part of it.

The guy's gotten over 145M followers on TikTok, passing every other creator on the platform, despite the fact he doesn't speak in his posts. He explained why staying silent has actually played a big role in his success.

Gotta say, it's working for him -- Khaby's quiet comedy and universal body language makes millions laugh across the globe.

A tourist's photo-op with an orangutan turned super intimate when the chimp started grabbing both of her breasts and kissing her cheek ... and it's all on video.

The wild interaction went down June 27 at Safari World in Bangkok, Thailand ... where caretakers allow orangutans to roam free for photos with visitors.

As you can see, the woman is sitting on a swing when the orangutan walks up behind her and cups one breast, then the other ... even appearing to give them a squeeze.

The chimp apparently wants more -- smooching her on the cheek several times as she laughs and they both smile. Good luck topping this social media post!!!

The Burger King employee who hasn't missed a day of work in more than 27 years could start a new career if he pleases ... he's getting flooded with job offers.

Kevin Ford, who went viral after posting a video of the mediocre gift bag he got on his work anniversary, tells TMZ ... potential employers have been hitting him up left and right, offering a wide range of career changes.

Kevin says he got a job offer from a company that restores classic cars, but he says it's not his thing so he passed.

While Kevin lives in Vegas, he says one job offer rolled in all the way from Charleston, SC, where a manager at a restaurant told him it would be an honor to work beside him. The manager's pitch, which Kevin also turned down, was working at a beachside restaurant with "unbeatable" tacos.

Kevin tells us he has no plans to leave his steady job at Burger King, but if he ever gets the itch, he's got help ... he says a woman from Texas who specializes in resumes reached out, offering to craft him a new resume gratis.

There is one place Kevin would leave BK behind for ... he says his dream job is making music.

UFO expert Jeremy Corbell says at least 100 crafts from out of this world swarmed a fleet of Navy warships ... pushing back against a Naval chief who told Congress it was just drones.

Corbell -- who's long been calling on the U.S. government to take UFOs seriously -- says a dozen crewmembers on the warships told him the unknown objects showed otherworldly capability and definitely weren't drones.

The documentary filmmaker told the Daily Mail the UFOs present a serious national security issue and should not be dismissed out of hand ... in response to Deputy Director for Naval Intelligence Scott Bray, who told Congress he's reasonably confident the objects captured on video back in July 2019 off the Southern California coast are drones.

Corbell says the videos, which have been verified by the Pentagon, show UFOs hovering above Navy warships for hours on end, with at least one disappearing into the ocean without a trace.

While the Navy told Congress during last month's historic UFO hearing the objects were likely battery-powered drones, Corbell says the flight maneuvers would rule out drones ... he says witnesses in the Navy told him the objects moved from air to sea and even darted up into the upper atmosphere. He also says the objects were in the air for at least 4 hours, with flashing lights the entire time, which would drain man-made batteries in way less time.

Olivia Rodrigo used her festival set in England to take a shot at the Supreme Court Justices who overturned Roe v. Wade ... saying they couldn't care less about women's freedom.

Olivia brought out Lily Allen to sing her famous song "F*** You" and dedicated it to five members of SCOTUS ... Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Brett Kavanaugh.

In speaking out against SCOTUS overturning the 50-year-old precedent that legalized abortions nationwide, Olivia told the crowd she's devastated and terrified ... warning many women and girls are going to die because of the change.

Folks at the Glastonbury Festival cheered as Olivia dedicated "F*** You" to the five Justices she says "showed us at the end of the day they truly don't give a s*** about freedom."

Lily sent a message to the highest court in the United States too ... flipping a double bird.

Now ex-"Black Ink Crew" star Ceaser Emanuel is being investigated by animal services and local law enforcement after the video of him allegedly abusing dogs picked up traction online.

A rep for Fulton County Animal Services tells TMZ ... they've been working hard with South Fulton PD to look into what went down outside Ceaser's home.

CE's lawyer's already told us the viral video was recorded during the COVID lockdown ... but Fulton's animal services say, under the statute of limitations, there is still time to charge him.

Animal rights groups have been furious ... PETA Sr. Vice President Lisa Lange tells TMZ, "Animal abusers are often repeat offenders, and this dangerous person must be held accountable and barred from owning any animal."

As we reported, Ceaser was kicked off the VH1 series Thursday for the incident, but when we spoke to him hours later ... he insisted the video doesn't reflect his true self.

He claims his dogs were fighting and he was just trying to separate them.

Ceasar's rep tells us the Fulton County police have already questioned Ceasar, and the rep claims cops found nothing wrong and that his dogs are safe, healthy and show no signs of abuse.

Further, Ceaser's team claims it was an ex-girlfriend who reported him to cops, and leaked his surveillance video online ... all for revenge because he broke up with her and cut her off financially.

The rep adds, "Although his actions were not appropriate at all, [Ceasar] is sincerely apologetic and feels extremely bad. He is dealing with death threats which is causing him fear and depression. His only goal was to build an empire to help build jobs and bring the black community in the tattoo industry successful given that the community is limited there."

"Black Ink Crew" star Ceaser Emanuel wants to set the record straight about the viral video of him abusing his dog, and he's claiming someone set him up.

Ceaser was out in NYC Thursday night -- hours after TMZ broke the story VH1 fired him over the horrible video of him at home hitting one of his pets with a metal folding chair. He claims the video isn't what it seems, and he was simply breaking up a fight between his dogs -- until one of them went for him.

He does say he wishes he could take it back, but adds, in the moment, he felt like he had to back down his dogs any way he could, and was afraid of what could happen next.

As for the video, Ceaser says the clip came from his home security camera -- and he thinks someone had it out for him, since the video was leaked online.

Of course, none of that is an excuse for abusing an animal.

Ceaser also claims both dogs are fine now, but says he had to give one away ... and get the other into some serious obedience training.

David Spade seems moved by the Burger King employee who got a mediocre goodie bag in recognition of 27 years without missing work ... giving him money and making him laugh.

Kevin Ford, who went viral this week after showing off his company gifts, tells TMZ ... his daughter let him know someone named David Spade donated $5,000 to his GoFundMe, but he wasn't sure it was the comedian himself, until he checked his Instagram inbox.

David slid in Kevin's direct messages ... telling him to keep it up after 27 years on the job without a break, and even cracking a joke about waiting a few more years before finally taking a day off.

Kevin tells us he's a huge fan of David's, so to get a donation plus some fun back and forth with Spade is surreal.

With David's $5k donation, Kevin's GoFundMe has now raised over $30,000 ... with the money going to help him visit his daughters and grandkids in Texas. He also says he wants to use the dough to buy a new Ford hybrid.

J.K. Rowling fell victim to a Russian-made prank while talking to who she thought was Ukrainian President Zelenskyy ... but ended up being one big troll.

The author jumped on a zoom call with -- not the president -- but Russian-based comedy duo Vovan and Lexus ... the two have been known for prank-calling high-profile names, like VP Kamala Harris and Prince Harry.

The person on the other end of the Zoom call obviously kept their camera off for the interview -- major red flag. She was planning on talking to Zelensky about her charity work for Ukraine, but the guys had other plans.

In the video, the impersonator tells J.K. they've been writing "Avada Kedavra" on their missiles -- referring to the most deadly spell in her wizarding world, often called the "killing curse." She tells them it's a brilliant idea.

They also ask about Dumbledore's sexual preference, someone she's previously said was gay. "Zelensky" says they're hoping Dumbledore hasn't slept with a transgender -- poking at Rowling's strong beliefs on trans people.

VH1's "Black Ink Crew" star Ceaser Emanuel has been fired from the show after a video surfaced allegedly showing him abusing dogs ... TMZ has learned.

A spokesperson for VH1 tells TMZ, "We have made the decision to cut ties with Ceaser Emanuel from Black Ink Crew New York. Since next season was close to finishing production, this decision will not impact the upcoming season."

Sources familiar with the situation tell us they are wrapping production, but keeping it open in order to properly address the situation in the show. We're told producers also found the viral video appalling.

A video surfaced Wednesday that allegedly shows Ceaser beating and abusing dogs -- the clip made many fans sick to their stomachs, instantly.

Ceaser's co-star Donna Lombardi reposted the clip online and said "I don't even get into the life of this man, but this video made me so upset."

She called on the network to cancel him completely ... adding "I pray the people see you, @ceaserblackink, as the monster you are."

The show is currently in production for its 10th season, and Ceaser's been a part of the series since its 2013 premiere.

The show follows the daily operations of his shop, Black Ink tattoo, in Harlem ... the guy also owns studios in Brooklyn, ATL, Orlando and Houston.

The Burger King employee celebrating 27 years on the job says he felt let down by a mediocre goodie bag from his company, and yet ... he's still expressing incredible gratitude. Ya might wanna grab some tissues.

We spoke to 54-year-old Kevin Ford -- who works as a cook/cashier at the BK in the Las Vegas airport -- about how his employer chose to mark his anniversary. While the video of him showing off the bag contents went viral, Kevin doesn't want anyone thinking he's ungrateful ... he just found the reward a little lackluster.

He tells us HMS Host, the company from which Burger King hires, sent him what felt like stuff they had lying around the office.

Kevin's been around long enough to know that pre-COVID, employees would get checks for their anniversaries with the company.

That being said, Kevin told us he's just thankful to have a job in these difficult times, and doesn't want to throw shade at his company.

The good news is that with more than a quarter-century under his belt, someone DID step up to show appreciation -- Kevin's daughter.

He got emotional while telling us about his daughter's GoFundMe fundraiser for him to visit his grandkids in Texas, and it's already passed the $3,000 mark. Kevin says he'll use it to take a day off and possibly get a new car -- American and hybrid. Smart.

A spokesperson for Burger King tells TMZ ... "The Burger King brand and its many franchisees nationwide are committed to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of the thousands of people serving across a wide range of roles — all dedicated to providing our Guests a world-class experience."

They continue, "Following review with this location’s franchisee, we’ve learned that this video depicts a Team Member in receipt of a peer-to-peer reward in recognition of a short-term positive performance/experience. The franchisee offers its Team Members a robust employee recognition program, which includes the recognition of tenure milestones and monetary awards."