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Chris Rock isn't hiding his relationship with Lake Bell any longer -- the duo is out and about in L.A. for all to see ... and we gotta say, they look pretty good together!

The comedian and actress were hitting the town this weekend, popping up at Giorgio Baldi together in Santa Monica where they chowed down. And on Sunday, the couple grabbed a bite at Coast Restaurant in the same neighborhood ... dining with just the two of them.

We're told there was no obvious PDA here -- ditto for the Baldi outing, BTW -- but they certainly seemed to be flirty and in good spirits.

The fact we're seeing Chris and Lake all over the country together now suggests they're dating, and apparently serious. You'll recall ... they were recently spotted at a Cardinals game in St. Louis, where they were sitting in the same box trying to lay low.

As we noted then, both stars are currently single and fresh off long-term relationships. Even in the baseball game instance, though, they didn't appear to be truly hiding anything ... and now, the cat's outta the bag.

James Cameron has a message for folks who might complain about a long runtime for his new 'Avatar' movie -- pipe down and stop fussing ... unless you gotta wiz.

The esteemed director did a wide-ranging interview with Empire -- where he says, among other things, that he might not actually direct 'Avatar 4' or '5' ... but instead opt to pass the baton to other filmmakers, as he apparently has other stuff he wants to get to.

Cool, cool, cool ... but another even more interesting quote also surfaced in this sit-down -- namely, JC apparently getting preemptively irked about future viewers who might bitch about a likely 3-hour plus movie ... for which he has some words, and even a solution.

Cameron says in part, "I don't want anybody whining about length when they sit and binge-watch [television] for eight hours ... I can almost write this part of the review. 'The agonizingly long three-hour movie...' It's like, give me a f***ing break. I've watched my kids sit and do five one-hour episodes in a row."

He also adds this ... "Here's the big social paradigm shift that has to happen: it's okay to get up and go pee." This part doesn't actually make much sense, unless he's advocating for people to be willing to miss parts of his movie rather than just pee their pants.

Of course, we can't pause films in theaters ... so that seems to be what he's getting at. Now, one way to deal with this organically is to work in a hard intermission, like in the old days.

Even though his other really long movie, 'Titanic,' didn't have an intermission built into the theater screenings when it played in the '90s -- the VHS versions did indeed split the movie into 2 parts. Might not be too lousy of an idea if James is anticipating bladders bursting.

Brittney Griner is speaking for herself for the first time in a long time as she's been detained in Russia pending a trial -- and her words are an emotional plea to President Biden.

Excerpts of a letter sent to the White House this week on behalf of Griner were published Sunday, through reps for Griner, and it consists of bullet point thoughts she's expressing as she faces years behind bars for allegedly bringing hash cartridges into the country.

Griner writes to Joe, in part ... "… as I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I'm terrified I might be here forever."

The WNBA star goes on to say that on the 4th of July, she has a tradition of honoring service members -- including within her own family -- but that this year ... freedom means something completely different to her amid her circumstance.

The final excerpt reads, "I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don't forget about me and the other American Detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you."

Griner ends with this final thought for POTUS ... "I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore. I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home."

BG's wife recently said while she felt the administration was acting in good faith to bring her back -- she still felt they weren't doing enough, and Griner's own words reflect that.

Bette Midler has embraced an argument some are invoking to address the abortion crisis in the country -- bringing up transgender people to make a point ... a lightning rod one at that.

The actress has been very active on Twitter these past couple days, blasting the Supreme Court for reversing Roe v. Wade -- mostly hitting out at Clarence Thomas, it seems -- and in the same breath ... she's speaking up on women's rights. Emphasis on that first part.

BM writes, "WOMEN OF THE WORLD! We are being stripped of our rights over our bodies, our lives and even of our name! They don’t call us 'women' anymore; they call us 'birthing people' or 'menstruators', and even 'people with vaginas'!"

She adds fervently ... "Don’t let them erase you! Every human on earth owes you!" Of course, that gets to trans/non-binary people ... and some are calling this POV transphobic.

Interestingly, her comment piggybacks on a now-viral op-ed published in the NYT this weekend, titled "The Far Right And Far Left Agree on One Thing: Women Don't Count" ... in which the author makes similar arguments about cisgender women being "erased" on the extremes of both sides of the aisle ... either for inclusivity's sake, or outright oppression.

While some might agree, others say it's a false equivalency to compare trying to be sensitive to trans people/using mindful language to what the GOP seems to be doing (banning abortions) ... suggesting one is clearly a far more serious and dire threat than the other is.

In any case, we know where Bette stands on the issue. She seems to be very much an old-school feminist who's pretty pissed off about all this. One crisis at a time, though, perhaps.

Tristan Thompson is living the single life, partying it up in Vegas ... with at least one lovely lady hanging off his arm.

The NBA star was seen hanging out at the Marquee Nightclub in Sin City early Sunday morning (around 1:30 AM), where we're told he was with a posse of 3 ... one dude, who seemed to be his wingman for the night, and a couple of girls. One for each guy.

Eyewitnesses tell us the group was definitely together the whole time and seemed to be having a good time -- dancing with each other and chatting up with drinks in tow.

At one point, we're told the woman that Tristan appeared to be in lockstep with actually danced up on him ... and that they were very touchy-feely. As you can see in this video, obtained by TMZ, Tristan looked to be holding on to her tight, and whispering in her ear.

Eventually, we're told the crew left around 3 AM. Unclear who any of these people with Tristan might've been -- they're certainly not anyone we recognize in his immediate circle.

Now, we know what everyone must be thinking ... what about Khloe?!? Fact is, this isn't nearly as scandalous as it might appear ... as people well know, Khloe and Tristan are not romantically involved at the moment and they simply co-parent, which we've seen.

Michael Rubin is one of the few people on earth who can get Hollywood's richest and most famous in one place at one time -- and this year was no exception in his patriotic blowout.

The Fanatics CEO hosted his annual 4th of July White Party in the Hamptons this weekend, where all sorts of talent (musically and sports-wise) flocked to rage and share in a good time ahead of the big holiday.

Per usual, it was a who's-who of fame -- the performers were top-notch ... including appearances from Drake, Travis Scott, Meek Mill, 21 Savage, Lil Durk, Lil Baby and others.

Speaking of Champagne Papi, he actually carried a toast of sorts to honor the get-together ... shouting out Mike for pulling it off once again. It sure looks like everyone was having a good time ... especially the Philly boys themselves, aka Joel Embiid, James Harden and P.J. Tucker.

Indeed ... tons of basketball stars were in attendance. Not just these guys above, but Devin Booker was there, as was Draymond Green, Immanuel Quickley, Carmelo Anthony, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, CJ McCollum and more. Just about everybody in the league!

BTW ... that was just the tip of the iceberg as far as celebs. Others in attendance ... Jay-Z and Beyonce, Kendall Jenner, Charlie D'Amelio, Robert Kraft, Fat Joe, Yo Gotti, Emily Ratajkowski, Kaia Gerber and Ryan Seacrest, no less. Like we said ... hella star-studded.

Joey Chestnut's inner dog wasn't going to be deterred by a would-be human torpedo, who tried derailing his wiener gobbling mid-competition ... but failed, 'cause the guy won anyway.

The reigning Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champ successfully defended his title Monday in Coney Island, where year after year he comes back to devour dozens of dogs in a matter of 10 minutes. This year, he did it again ... downing 63 franks, far ahead of the competition.

But something nuts happened about midway through ... a dude in a Darth Vader mask made his way onstage and made contact with JC -- and the King didn't take too kindly to that!

Check it out ... rather than let security haul the poser away (which they eventually did), Joey took care of this punk himself -- putting the whipper-snapper in a headlock and yanking him around a bit, before getting back to stuffing his face. He didn't even think twice about it.

We got video of the aftermath ... namely, this poor sap being dragged away to be dealt with -- but it's insane that Joey still won the race even with this major interruption.

Ya gotta wonder if it actually affected the number of sausages he was ultimately able to inhale. While 63 is nothing to sneeze at -- and way more than anyone else got to -- it doesn't compare to his record 76 hot dogs from last year.

Maybe the dark side did actually get to Joey after all. Oh well ... congrats, man!

Harry Styles is devastated by the mass shooting in Copenhagen, where he was supposed to perform just hours later.

Harry canceled his concert Sunday ... after a gunman opened fire at Field's shopping centre, which is less than 2 football fields in distance away from the venue where Harry was supposed to perform later that night.

Harry said he was feeling utter "devastation" ... "I'm heartbroken along with the people of Copenhagen. I adore this city. The people are so warm and full of love."

He went on ... "I'm devastated for the victims, their families, and everyone hurting. I'm sorry we couldn't be together. Please look after each other. H."

Police say the shooter was a 22-year-old Danish man, and they believe he acted alone. Authorities have not ruled out terrorism.

The gunman entered the mall with a rifle and then began firing randomly at people inside the mall.

Pope Francis is strongly in support of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, comparing abortion to "hiring a hitman to solve a problem."

The Pope reiterated the position of the Catholic Church ... that life begins at conception.

He spoke from his residence at the Vatican ... "I ask, is it legitimate? Is it right to eliminate a human life to resolve a problem?"

Then the 85-year-old Pontiff was asked about a hot topic in the Church -- whether someone, like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is pro-choice should be allowed to get communion. FYI ... Pelosi was denied communion by the archbishop in San Francisco where she lives, although she received the sacrament at the Vatican last week.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem did her best to deflect how she and her state would handle the case of a 10-year-old girl who became pregnant after being raped.

Gov. Noem appeared on CNN Sunday and discussed her state's anti-abortion law, which prohibits such procedures except to save the life of the mother.

The Governor immediately tried to change the subject and talk about how a monster could do such a thing and how people like him needed accountability. CNN's Dana Bash pressed her to get back on topic, and the Governor danced around the subject.

The 10-year-old lives in Ohio, and was 6 weeks and 3 days pregnant ... 3 days too late to get an abortion in that state. She reportedly traveled to Indiana for the procedure.

Bash couldn't pin the Governor down ... she asked, "Because [the] trigger law [in South Dakota] was passed before you became governor, I wanted you to be clear: Will the state of South Dakota going forward force a 10-year-old in that very same situation to have a baby?"

Noem's answer ...  "You know what I think is incredible, Dana, in this tragic story? What’s incredible is that nobody’s talking about the pervert, the horrible and deranged individual, that raped a 10-year-old. What are we doing about those individuals that do this to these children?​"

She added ... "Every single life — every single life is precious."

It seems the Governor is saying the little girl should be forced to give birth ... "What I would say is, I don’t believe a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy. And so there’s more that we have got to do to make sure that we really are living a life that says every life is precious, especially innocent lives that have been shattered, like that 10-year-old girl."

Josh Duggar is set to spend the next 12 years of his life behind bars, and while it was assumed it wouldn't be easy ... we have details now on just how strict his prison day-to-day will actually be.

Duggar is expected to keep his cell and surrounding area squeaky clean -- he'll need to have his bed made military-style by 7:30 AM on weekdays -- as well as complete daily chores that include sweeping and mopping floors, cleaning walls and emptying the trash.

While he's serving his sentence in a low-security prison, the strict conduct rules also state inmates must stop all loud talking, card, domino and game playing at 9:15 PM. Prisoners must return to their rooms by 11 PM and all noise, including TVs, must be off by midnight.

The facility, the Federal Correctional Institution in Seagoville, Texas ... issues each inmate a set of 5 shirts, 5 sets of underwear, 1 pair of shoes, 5 pairs of trousers, 1 belt and 5 pairs of socks that must remain clean and tagged with the inmate name and registrar number ... or the inmate faces discipline.

There are also jobs available around the prison -- like painting, welding, landscape detail and food service.

D.L. Hughley says Donald Trump belongs behind bars for his role in the insurrection ... strongly believing any lesser outcome signals the end of justice as we know it.

We got the comedian/social activist at LAX and asked about the January 6th hearings, including shocking recent testimony about Trump's actions on that fateful day.

D.L. says he's already seen enough evidence to conclude Trump committed sedition ... and he says if the Department of Justice does NOT indict Trump and everyone else who was involved, the idea of justice in America is dead.

The way D.L. sees it ... Trump weaponized the mob that stormed the Capitol and he was also behind the fake electors' scheme, committing the very election fraud Trump wouldn't shut up about.

D.L. says the hearings show the insurrection was way worse than Watergate ... and he says the reluctance of Trump and his defenders to go under oath speaks volumes.

It's clear Canelo Alvarez doesn't like Gennady Golovkin ... 'cause the boxing star tells TMZ Sports GGG is a straight-up "a**hole" who talks too much -- and he's planning to KO the guy because of it.

"He's a f***ing a**hole," Canelo said of his upcoming September opponent. "He's not honest. He pretends to be a good person and be different but he's not."

Canelo says his opinion of Golovkin basically boils down to this -- he believes the 42-1-1 boxer is just flat-out two-faced.

"He talks a lot of s*** about me," Alvarez said. "He'll say, 'I respect him, his career.' And, other part, 'He's an embarrassing boxer, he's embarrassing for Mexican boxing.'"

"I hate that motherf***er because of that."

Earlier this week, GGG told us he knew Canelo felt that way about him ... but he believed it was because the 57-2-2 fighter can't handle his honesty.

The beef will all be settled on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas when the two square off for the third time in their careers ... and, according to Canelo, he'll get the last laugh.

"My goal is to end this fight before the 12 rounds," Canelo said.

After that, Canelo said he'd like a rematch with Dmitry Bivol -- the only boxer he's ever lost to outside of Floyd Mayweather.

"I'm 100% focused on this fight [with Golovkin] because it's a dangerous fight," Canelo said, "but 100% looking for a second fight with Bivol."

Ignite your patriotic flame and get into the 4th of July spirit with these stars who have slipped into their finest American flag swimsuits!

Celebs are showing off their bods with pride, and now you have full access to the 'American Flag Suit Show' ... taking place at a beach or swimming pool near you!

Sammy Hagar makes most of his money from booze, books and bars ... which he says is the precise reason he enjoys rocking out with his band. We will explain.

The Red Rocker joined us on "TMZ Live" and we asked if he made more money outside of music ... he does, and he tells us how his success in the business world benefits his art.

Sammy says the only reason he's still playing shows with his band, The Circle, is because he doesn't have to play music to pay the bills ... a big bonus for a 74-year-old rock star.

The former Van Halen frontman says whenever he plays a show nowadays, it's for fun and not about the paycheck. His wealth allows him to pay his band more, making everyone happy and giving him the feeling they're just like a good ol' garage band.

In addition to being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Sammy's a savvy businessman ... with legendary restaurants like the Cabo Wabo Cantina, where he sells his own lines of spirits. He also writes books, including his latest, "Sammy Hagar's Cocktail Hits: 85 Personal Favorites from the Red Rocker."

Adam Hicks, the former child star of several Disney movies and TV shows, is living life on parole after doing time for second-degree robbery.

Hicks was arrested in 2018 for allegedly pulling a bunch of armed robberies in Burbank, CA -- and eventually, in July 2021, got sentenced to 5 years behind bars.

He caught a major break though, because the judge gave him credit for 1,460 days he served while awaiting sentencing, and he was released back in March.

TMZ broke the story ... Hicks, who starred in "Zeke and Luther," "Pair of Kings," and "Lemonade Mouth" and his girlfriend Danni Tamburo were arrested after cruising the Burbank area and pointing a gun at pedestrians -- taking their cellphones, money and other property.

While Hicks got 5 years in prison, his GF got off with 3 years of probation.

The actor had shown a history of violence before his arrest -- he once shot himself in the leg while hanging out with friends, and court docs said he was "very uncooperative" with police.