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Drake Bell is loudly and proudly living la vida karaoke, and while Ricky Martin might not be all that impressed ... the average bar patron drinking and shooting pool seems to love his singing!

The former Nickelodeon actor popped into a watering hole Tuesday night in Temecula, CA called ET's Classy Lounge ... where he was in the mood for some tunes, belting them out at the top of his lungs.

In the video you see Drake cranking out "Livin' La Vida Loca" at full blast -- and while he sounds pretty decent (dude's a professional singer too, BTW) there were a few bumps along the way ... which DB embellished hilariously.

As ya might be able to tell, we're told the guy was also knocking back a few cocktails while hanging with friends and shooting pool ... when he wasn't singing and snapping selfies with fans.

From all evidence here ... Bell's rebounding from last year's child endangerment case ... for which he pled guilty and got 2 years probation.

Hidden within this mangled snap is a well-known singer-songwriter whose career took off in 2016.

This low-key, humble guy is a Los Angeles native who hustled his way through the music industry with one of his immediate family members. Some of the prestigious artists he's worked with include Kid Cudi and Halsey. He has won numerous awards including an academy award and multiple Grammys.

Multi-talented himself ... he is dating a dexterous actress, host and YouTuber who is known for blogging all things personal and discussing her Polish roots.

There's a lot of actors these days who take their craft very, VERY seriously -- refusing to break character while on set ... a technique Mads Mikkelsen is calling absolutely absurd.

The Danish actor -- who most recently replaced Johnny Depp in 'Fantastic Beasts,' and who has a crap ton of other credits over the years -- let his honest opinions on method acting fly in an interview with GQ UK ... saying getting that into character for a role is "bull****."

In his sit-down with the mag, they say he was made aware of Lady Gaga reportedly continuing to act as Patrizia Reggiani in 'House of Gucci,' even when cameras weren't rolling. Ditto for 'Succession' star Jeremy Strong -- who's been reported to have taken things to uncomfortable extremes on different productions of his.

All the same ... Mads says he isn't impressed with the so-called commitment. While he does acknowledge he appropriately prepares for roles -- including learning a skill he might need to exhibit on camera -- he notes ... "But preparation, you can take into insanity."

He adds, "What if it’s a s*** film -- what do you think you achieved? Am I impressed that you didn’t drop character? You should have dropped it from the beginning! How do you prepare for a serial killer? You gonna spend two years checking it out?"

Mads essentially makes this distinction ... you're either a great actor, or you aren't -- and he believes that while Daniel Day-Lewis (the king of method) has, perhaps, pretentiously taken things too far in the past ... he also thinks the dude's just inherently fantastic at what he does, which is why it works. Not so much for the actual deep devotion to a role itself.

Of course, more and more actors are all in on method lately -- especially Jared Leto, who infamously stayed in character for a number of roles ... including when he starred as the Joker in 'Suicide Squad,' for which he reportedly caught flak from castmates and crew.

Even as recently as his shoot on 'Morbius' -- a character depicted as a disabled doctor-turned-superhero who can't walk properly -- Leto is reported to have stayed in character by using crutches everywhere on set. But when time was of the essence and he had to whizz ... the guy apparently hopped into a wheelchair and rolled himself to the John.

Indeed, it seems Mads' point here is ... you can do all the character-y stuff you want -- but a good actor, perhaps, doesn't necessarily have endure what their character does to churn out a good performance.

Chris Rock has shed a smidge of light on how he feels about Will Smith slapping him at the Oscars -- but says he won't reveal more until he receives one thing ... cold, hard cash.

The comedian told a live audience Friday that he would not be talking about the Oscars until he was compensated, presumably meaning somebody ponying up for his exclusive account ... this according to a report from the Palm Springs Desert Sun, which detailed his set in Indio, CA and the material referenced as Chris continues his national comedy tour.

Here's what Chris reportedly said in full ... "I'm OK, I have a whole show, and I'm not talking about that until I get paid. Life is good. I got my hearing back."

The strange thing ... if Chris means he's waiting on a network of some sort to pay him for a sit-down, ya gotta imagine he and his team have already been approached by every broadcast company in the game at this point. Maybe they just haven't offered enough???

Of course, another, slightly more sinister way to interpret his remarks ... perhaps he's talking about a civil lawsuit against Will himself, where he could potentially get paid that way too.

Or, he might just be joshing altogether ... it's unclear how serious this comment is, but considering the context -- Chris seems to be in good spirits and carrying on well. In any case, the Desert Sun has more deets about what's in Chris' set -- and it's interesting.

They say he took a lot of shots at celebs and politicians, including Hillary Clinton, the Kardashians, Meghan Markle and others. He also reportedly made fun of corporations and their diversity initiatives -- while also invoking his family life, being single and cancel culture ... as it relates to offending people these days. The DS says he got a standing O in the end.

It does seem Chris is opening up more and more as his tour rolls on -- remember, in his initial shows out in the East Coast ... all he said was he's still processing the smack.

Now, it appears he's finding some humor in the whole thing -- that, or just masking how he really feels with his comedy chops. Time will tell if/when Chris speaks on this officially.

Will Smith won't be able to attend the Oscars for 10 years -- and while some think that's mega, David Spade is here to say, whoop-de-doo ... suggesting it's not a big deal at all.

We got the comedy legend -- and good pal of Chris Rock -- Friday at Avra in Bev Hills ... and of course, we had to get his take on Will's decade-long ban, which had just been handed down by the Academy hours earlier.

Check it out ... David actually seems to be okay with the punishment -- saying the movie honchos had to do something, and this seems fitting. But, when we pressed on whether it was too harsh ... he scoffed.

In Dave's eyes ... not being able to attend the ceremony or vote for future flicks doesn't really come off as a major consequence -- and he says himself, "Who cares?"

DS also reveals if he's spoken to Chris yet ... and indeed, he certainly has. He refuses to dish on what his buddy thinks, though, respecting the guy's confidence and privacy. As for what he thinks the Academy can do to make it up to CR -- he's got a hilarious response.

BTW, just to give you a sense of how close David is with Chris ... check out this podcast appearance the latter made on Spade's "Fly on the Wall" back in January, which he hosts with Dana Carvey. Chris told an interesting story about being bullied in childhood.

There've been other reactions to the 10-year ban as well ... including from 'Dodgeball' star Chris Williams, who says it's a stiff sentence -- but one that makes sense considering the conduct.

Just like David, CW also thinks Will is going to land on his feet in the long run ... and that he can get past this with some time and healing -- and the forgetfulness of society as the next big thing captures our attention.

We also asked if Williams thinks Smith's got another Oscar in him amid this 10-year ban -- and the guy says, hell yeah ... predicting he may actually win one after his final year.

As pop culture continues to clash with our political landscape, so too has rock and roll -- leaving Kid Rock and Dee Snider on opposite ends of the line drawn in the sand.

First, KR ... who's made it known, in no uncertain terms, he's a conservative -- and a big supporter of Donald Trump. No surprise on that front ... but what is surprising is the fact Rock was able to snag a cameo from 45 in a pre-show message -- which is ... interesting.

The Kid's on tour right now ... and a new viral video shows that he's apparently opening his concerts with a pre-recorded message from DT himself -- and the guy's audience loves it.

Trump starts out with, "Hello, everyone ... I love you all. I know you're having a great time at the Kid Rock concert tonight. Quite frankly, he's amazing. All of you in attendance are the great backbone of our country -- hard-working, God-fearing, rock and roll patriots."

Trump also pokes fun at Kid's golf game, but says he's a great entertainer ... and then says "Let's Make America Rock Again," with a MAGA hat. KR took the stage right after that and performed. As you know, they're tight ... but the Trump plug's still sorta impressive.

Then comes Dee Snider ... whom some in the GOP might've *thought* was a bastion of conservatism -- but were proven wrong this weekend by the guy himself, hilariously so.

A republican named Jerrod Sessler -- who's running for Congress -- tweeted he was bummed to learn Dee was behind some liberal policies ... despite the fact that his Twisted Sister song, "We're Not Gonna Take It," made him think he was all about traditional American values.

Unclear why this dude might've believed the TW tune was in any way a theme song for conservatism, but Dee fired back ... "You think i wrote a song in support of 'traditional American values'? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! You funny."

Dee followed up by pointing out some telling lyrics in the song itself, saying ... "The first line of my song is WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE! Can I count you amongst us pro-choice people? Now that's a Republican I can support!"

Sessler responded, kinda getting holier than thou ... "Do you think the folks that wrote the Bible knew that God was writing through them? I doubt it. I believe God can even use @deesnider and his hair for good! BTW - nice flag"

Courtney Tailor -- the model who was covered in blood after her boyfriend was brutally killed -- got a temperature check on how the public feels about her ... and it ain't good.

A video has surfaced that shows someone filming a blonde woman in the lobby area of Miami's Grand Beach Hotel Friday night -- with the camera person saying she will NOT stop recording and arguing this woman (whom she believes is Tailor) has no business being there ... especially since her BF, Christian Tobechukwu Obumseli, was slain just days ago.

The person filming also makes clear their opinion on the matter -- namely, that she believes Tailor may have been the one who did the stabbing ... something CT has yet to be accused of by cops or law enforcement officials at this point in the investigation.

Their IG caption is also telling ... "@mpdpolice does this look like a mentally unstable person to you, as she claims?" She's referring to the fact Tailor was placed in a psychiatric hold after threatening suicide when she was brought in for questioning. Clearly, she's been released from that hold from nearly a full week ago ... and is out and about, not in custody.

Courtney's attorney, Frank Prieto, confirms to TMZ ... yes, this is, in fact, his client -- but he defends her being there, and says this is just an example of people running with theories without knowing the full facts.

He says, in part ... Courtney was there that night with her father, who simply wanted to pop in and have a drink in private -- which was disrupted by this woman who started filming.

Prieto also says this ... "It is unfortunate that a member of the public, knowing absolutely nothing about circumstances and events surrounding the death Mr. Obumseli, would take the opportunity to harass the Clenney family during a time that they are trying to be supportive for Courtney."

He also drops a bombshell allegation, telling us he believes Courtney is the victim of "physical, emotional, and mental abuse at the hands of Mr. Obumseli," while also suggesting she may even have been a "victim of human trafficking," without elaborating much further.

Prieto also makes this clear -- he believes his client was fighting for her life during the domestic disturbance that got cops sent out that fateful day. He claims, "At the time of the incident, Mr. Obumseli was committing a forcible felony. He had gained access to Courtney’s apartment without permission on several occasions in the days leading up to this incident."

He adds, "Courtney acted in self-defense; the investigation by both the City of Miami Police Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office will conclude such. With that said, we would ask for the public’s understanding about observing the family’s privacy at this time."

We've reached out to attorney Lee Merritt, who is working with Christian's family, for comment on Prieto's allegations about DV and self-defense ... so far, no word back.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are going to trial next week -- and the latter says she's unplugging from the world as she heads into court to defend herself against his claims.

The actress opened up on social media Saturday, just a couple days before she and her ex-husband are set to face off in front of a judge and a jury in Virginia Monday ... where they'll hash out once and for all if Amber defamed him by suggesting she was a victim of DV.

AH writes, "I’m going to go offline for the next several weeks. As you may know, I’ll be in Virginia where I face my ex-husband Johnny Depp in court. Johnny is suing me for an op-ed I wrote in the Washington Post, in which I recounted my experience of violence and domestic abuse."

She notes she never named him, but discussed the price women pay for speaking against powerful men, adding, "I continue to pay that price, but hopefully when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny. I have always maintained a love for Johnny and it brings me great pain to have to live out the details of our past life together in front of the world."

She finishes ... "At this time, I recognize the ongoing support I've been fortunate to receive through these years, and in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever."

Of course, Amber is referring to this article, where she says, in part ... "[T]wo years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture’s wrath for women who speak out," going on to detail how she felt she'd been blackballed for speaking her truth ... this in the wake of her tumultuous 2-year marriage with Depp.

Interestingly enough, JD has also argued he's been blackballed from the industry ... and the proof is kind of in the pudding -- especially as it relates to his 'Fantastic Beasts' recasting.

At any rate ... he's looking for a much-needed W here in the States -- his reputation took a major hit after he lost his libel case in the U.K. ... where he was labeled a "wife-beater" by a newspaper there, and which a judge ultimately agreed was "mostly true" after trial.

As we've reported ... their witness list is a who's-who of Hollywood, with the likes of Elon Musk, James Franco, Paul Bettany and others who are expected to take the stand.

Like we said -- this thing is set to get underway in about 48 hours or so, and it'll be interesting to see where the dust settles when it's all said and done.

Will Smith's 10-year ban from the Oscars has left many in the Academy with mixed feelings -- some think too harsh, others think too lenient ... and some think it's just right.

THR published several reactions from a handful of members -- none of whom are on the Board of Governors -- with many going on the record with how they feel about the decision doled out this week ... namely, making WS persona non grata at the ceremony for a decade.

A good amount of these folks actually stuck up for Will, saying the punishment doesn't fit the crime -- including Stephen Potter of the Sound branch, Harry Shearer of the Actors branch and Beverly Walker of the Marketing/PR branch ... who all felt this was punitive.

Harry (famous from "The Simpsons") says, in part ... "If Will Smith, or any other A-list actor, had run on stage and simply pulled down his pants and defecated, I seriously doubt he'd/she'd be back on that stage in 10 years, or ever ... A decade-long ban seems oddly parental, as in, he'll have outgrown his slappin' phase by then."

Beverly was firmly in Will's corner, or rather ... very much so NOT in Chris's -- or any other comedian the Academy might hire as a host/presenter to roast the crowd.

She takes issue with "the Academy's longstanding habit of hiring comedian/hosts to march out and insult or make fun of the very people being celebrated," adding, "there have undoubtedly been some who would've liked to make some sort of protest" ... and finishing by saying, "What Rock said was egregious and he had to know it would not be appreciated."

Others took aim at Academy leadership itself -- especially Prez David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson ... whom many felt had screwed the pooch by failing to respond in the moment.

Mitchell Block -- a doc-maker -- put it well ... "The board of governors should have reviewed why David Rubin and/or Dawn Hudson failed to have Will Smith immediately removed from the theater after he physically attacked one of the hosts." He adds, "Their poor judgment demonstrated an inability to lead and be proactive under pressure and respond to this behavior. I am deeply disappointed that the governors did not censure them."

And yet, even more came out swinging ... saying Will deserved more severe consequences, like criminal charges and maybe outright disqualification from all things Oscars, forever.

Steven Scott summed it up like this ... "I also am disappointed that Chris Rock and The Academy decided not to press charges for Will's attack. What message are we sending -- that when we're assaulted, it's best to just keep our 'composure' and not complain?"

He also addressed the whataboutism that has bubbled up -- with many drawing comparisons over what happened to Will with others who they feel have perhaps done worse.

To that, Scott says ... "Before someone tells me that other Hollywood A-listers have done awful things, yet kept their Oscars, none of them did their crimes live, on air, from the Academy home stage on our special night, in front of all the world to see."

He adds, "There is no precedent for Will's horrific physical and verbal assault, and the punishment should have been unprecedented as well. I am disgusted by my Academy's appallingly weak, amoral, kowtowing-to-an-A-lister response."

As you know ... Will is OK with the Academy's decision. And, while he can't attend Academy Awards ceremonies or official events for 10 years -- he can still be nominated for Oscars and even win Oscars ... they'll just have to mail him any would-be statuettes if that occurs.

He also gets to keep his Oscar -- so all things considered, really not all that bad.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins tragically passed away early Saturday morning ... after being hit by a car. He was just 24 years old.

Law enforcement in Florida released a statement this morning announcing they were investigating a deadly crash in the area where Haskins was tragically hit and killed.

"Florida Highway Patrol is working a fatal vehicle vs pedestrian crash on westbound I-595 at I-95. Westbound lanes of I-595 will remain closed during this investigation."

Haskins was a star at Ohio State ... leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl victory in the 2018 season.

Dwayne went on to be the 15th overall pick in the 2019 draft to Washington, where he spent two seasons. He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021.

Haskins was in Boca Raton, Florida training with his Pittsburgh teammates -- including Najee Harris, Chase Claypool and Mitchell Trubisky -- this week ... and several players posted video of the workout session.

Haskins proposed to Kalabrya Gondrezick, a former Michigan State basketball player, in 2021 ... and the couple got married several months later.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin released a statement ... saying, "I am devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins. He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community."

"Dwayne was a great teammate, but even more so a tremendous friend to so many. I am truly heartbroken."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kalabrya, and his entire family during this difficult time."

The NFL also released a statement ... saying, "The NFL family mourns the tragic loss of Dwayne Haskins and we extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones."

Haskins' Buckeye teammate, Joe Burrow, shared his condolences on Twitter ... saying, "Tough to find the words ... you will be missed."

Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt also shared memories of his former teammate ... saying, "The world lost a great person today. When Dwayne first walked into the locker room I could tell he was an upbeat guy. He was always making people smile, never taking life for granted. His impact on me will last a forever."

Ron Rivera, who coached Haskins in Washington, added ... "I am absolutely heartbroken to hear the news of the passing of Dwayne Haskins Jr. Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him."

"This is a very sad time and I am honestly at a loss for words. I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed. Our entire team is sending our heartfelt condolences and thoughts and prayers to the Haskins family at this time."

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are giving it another shot -- the pair are engaged -- nearly 20 years after Ben first asked Jen for her hand in marriage.

J Lo shared the news with her fans via a video message on her newsletter Friday, she's teary-eyed and simply says, "You're perfect" before you can catch a glimpse of her beautiful green diamond ring.

Of course, we noticed Ben may have popped the question already when J Lo was spotted out furniture shopping with her daughter and was wearing a massive diamond on THAT finger. Interestingly enough, she tried to flip the diamond into her palm when she saw a cam.

The engagement comes on the heels of another very significant step for the couple -- they recently plunked down around $55 million on a massive Bel-Air estate together.

The home has plenty of room to blend their families with 20,000 sq ft. 10 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms ... not to mention a pool with stunning views.

Jack White is an impatient man ... he proposed to his girlfriend and then married her. That's not unusual, except that he did both the same night, in the middle of his concert!!!

The famed rocker was performing in Detroit Friday night, when he summoned his GF, Olivia Jean, onto the stage for a White Stripes "Hotel Yorba" duet.

White, ring in hand, popped the question. Olivia said yes, and then Jack inquired of the crowd, "It's been such a great day, mind if we get married right now?"

Jack's parents, bandmates and an officiant then did their thing, and poof ... Jack and Olivia were hitched!!!

Loved the officiant ... "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." Sound familiar?

Jack's done this before ... this is his third marriage.

Pete Davidson has a lot in the works these days, but his future is set to include reality show appearances as well ... including his GF's brand-spankin' new show.

Cameras were rolling for "The Kardashians" Hulu show Thursday night in Hollywood when Kim, Pete, Khloe, Kourtney, Kylie, Kris and more hit Goya Studios for the season 1 premiere. Kim and Pete arrived together ... and their entrance was captured by the show's cams.

What's more, cameras were rolling when Kim and Pete interacted through the night -- including when they got in the car together and left for dinner at Jon & Vinny's.

A Hulu source tells us season 1 has already wrapped and it's in the hands of the streaming giant ... so fans hoping to get a glimpse of Pete on the show will have to wait for season 2.

We do know one thing ... Kim will discuss her relationship with Pete in season 1 -- but he won't get any face time.

Bill Maher is angry -- really, really angry -- because people seem to care more these days about hurting someone's sensibilities way more than free speech, so he has developed a lecture to drive home his point -- Explaining Jokes to Idiots!

The "Real Time" host used a blackboard and a pointer to demonstrate how free speech is not just on the chopping block -- it's already been chopped, as evidenced by the reaction and debate over Chris Rock's joke that triggered the slap.

Bill has made his position clear ... the joke at its core was about Jada Pinkett Smith looking like another beautiful woman -- Demi Moore, and NOT about alopecia. As BM put it, "It wasn't an alopecia joke any more than the chicken crossing the road is about bird flu."

He points out Will Smith's initial, genuine reaction to the joke -- laughter, but then he realized he had to "conform" to what someone else was feeling, and he did a 180 to blind rage.

Now the broader point ... "Comedians have been under attack for some time. So I must defend my tribe. This war on jokes must end."

As Bill explained to the humor-challenged community -- which is ever larger -- many jokes -- arguably the funniest -- have an offensive element. We used to laugh at that, but now the comedians who dare to tell these jokes are derailed and canceled.

He points to a Vice study that certain colleges now screen prospective comedians they might bring on campus to make sure they aren't telling offensive jokes. As Bill put it, colleges used to be a place to lose your virginity. Now it's a place to lose your sense of humor.

Bill is making a bigger point ... the walls are closing in on free speech, the essence of which requires you to allow people to make comments that you find offensive or even abhorrent.

Lady Gaga's dog walker is weighing in on the bungled release from jail of the man who allegedly tried to murder him.

Ryan Fischer called for the accused, James Howard Jackson, to turn himself in. As TMZ reported, he was released this week due to some sort of clerical error, and he's still on the loose.

Ryan says, "While I'm deeply concerned at the events that led to his release, I'm confident law enforcement will rectify the error. I ask for Mr. Jackson to turn himself over to the authorities, so resolution to the crime committed against me runs its course, whatever the courts determine that outcome to be. Thank you to everyone who is supporting me during this time."

The 19-year-old Jackson allegedly shot Ryan in the chest as he and others attempted to nab Lady Gaga's 3 French bulldogs as he was walking them in a residential area.

TMZ obtained the video which shows the brutal scene. Jackson allegedly took 2 of the dogs and left Ryan bleeding on the street.

The dogs were returned, but Ryan had a much tougher time. He suffered from a collapsed lung and is still enduring the physical and emotional aftereffects of the shooting.

Boris Becker has been convicted by a jury of his peers who believed he committed bankruptcy fraud, and he could spend years behind bars as a result.

The 54-year-old tennis great was convicted on multiple charges, including concealing assets and debts, and we're talking about more than a million bucks in debt.

It wasn't a total loss ... Becker was acquitted on 20 additional charges, including allegations he failed to turn over his Olympic gold medal and Wimbledon awards to the bankruptcy trustee.

Boris now faces 7 years in prison. He's free on bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for later this month.

Becker was mum on the verdict. As you probably know ... he was an unstoppable force in tennis, winning 6 Grand Slams.

During the trial, Becker admitted he squandered his fortune -- $50 mil -- on his first divorce, child support and an extravagant lifestyle.