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Keke Palmer is getting the side-by-side treatment with Zendaya on Twitter after her starring role in Jordan Peele's new movie -- sparking a conversation about colorism in Hollywood.

Here's the deal ... Keke made a splash this weekend in "Nope" opposite Daniel Kaluuya, with some arguing this is her breakout moment in the mainstream. Yes, she's worked in TONS of movies/shows for years -- but prior to this, she wasn't really a known household name, generally ... JP's flick has put on her on the map like she's never been before.

That's where Zendaya enters the chat (metaphorically) ... someone on the bird app said Keke deserves the same hype and adulation Zendaya typically enjoys these days. And from there ... folks started talking about why one might perhaps have ascended earlier than the other.

Before we write this off as pitting two women of color against each other, let's just entertain the subject matter and substance of the argument ... because, frankly, it's an interesting one.

Someone floated the theory that colorism was why Zendaya has experienced more mainstream success than Keke has at this point in their careers -- even though they're around the same age, both have a Disney background ... and despite one having way more acting credits than the other (Keke>Zen), Zendaya's the name/face we know more in 2022.

Of course, there's backlash to the fact this is being discussed at all ... with Zendaya fans coming to her defense in what they say feels like a personal attack against their idol, but others say they're missing the point entirely -- and that this isn't about Zendaya, per se.

You can hop into the "Keke" or "Zendaya" trends and see for yourself how this discussion is taking shape -- but long story short, there seems to be a good majority who feel like Zendaya, through no fault of her own, has greatly benefited from her mixed-race heritage.

We should note ... Zendaya herself has acknowledged this on multiple occasions, saying she wants to help her community, the Black community, get on the same level in showbiz.

There's no easy answers here -- and we're sure this debate will continue. As for Keke, we'll say this ... she has indeed been killing it since forever, but "Nope" truly is something else. Star-making roles come about every so often, and this is certainly one of them. 🛸

We're sure we'll see a lot more of Keke very soon.

Gregg Popovich gave a speech at Jay-Z's social justice summit this weekend -- once again making his positions on the issue crystal clear in a rousing speech.

The Spurs coach was in NYC Saturday, where Roc Nation was hosting the event and honoring attorney Barry Scheck with an award for his work on the Innocence Project ... which helps exonerate wrongly-convicted people in the country.

Watch Pop's address here ... he sounds as passionate as he usually does when talking about this sort of thing. He talks about what he sees as the state of America and its persistent racism -- something he says he knew always existed, but never to the extent that's been revealed through RN's or Scheck's advocacy.

He goes on to praise the Innocence Project for the number of individuals they've been able to get out of prison -- upwards of 375, he says -- which got a round of applause.

It's an important matter, and it's cool to see GP so fired up about it. You can tell this stuff is top of mind for him these days -- that is, when he's not in the middle of a game.

Travis Scott made it to Rolling Loud after all ... yet another twist in this weekend's big bash.

During Future's headlining set Saturday, he brought out the MC to thunderous applause ... and an even stronger performance. Travis ran through at least two of his songs, perhaps more, and spent a good amount of time on stage.

The crowd was loving it ... and Travis certainly seemed back to his old self in a traditional festival setting -- this being more comparable to Astroworld than any show he's done since. For his part, TS was absolutely pumped ... and you could tell he enjoyed being here.

It made for a good litmus test of how concert-goers and festival-goers feel about Travis hitting the stage in this capacity again ... and the consensus is, they want him there.

While we're sure the Rolling Loud crowd who caught Travis was stoked, you gotta wonder why he wasn't hired to just hold this slot down if he was gonna be there regardless -- similar to Kanye, who also randomly showed up on Friday night for a cameo appearance ... this after bailing on his own scheduled appearance last minute.

"Naked and Afraid" contestant Melanie Rauscher has died under mysterious circumstances in Arizona -- her body was recently found near cans of dust cleaner, TMZ has learned.

Melanie, who appeared on 2 seasons of the popular Discovery Channel show, was dog sitting at a residence in Prescott, AZ while the homeowners were away on vacation, according to Corey Kasun, a rep for the Prescott Police Department.

The homeowners returned on the afternoon of July 17 and found Melanie deceased on the bed in the guest room, Kasun said.

We're told several cans of compressed air -- which can be used to clean dust off computers -- were found near her body. It's unclear if Melanie consumed the contents of the cans.

Cops say there were no obvious signs of foul play, and they did not find a suicide note or drug paraphernalia. The dog was okay.

The Yavapai County Medical Examiner will determine Melanie's cause of death.

Melanie was mainly a contestant on "Naked and Afraid" in 2013 and the spinoff show 'XL' in 2015. Close castmate Jeremy McCaa posted a touching tribute to Melanie on his FB page, saying he was "feeling broken."

Melanie was 35.

Dave Chappelle doesn't usually open for people, but he did on Saturday when he warmed up the crowd -- yeah, more like supercharged the crowd -- for Chris Rock and Kevin Hart.

It was a huge surprise to all over at Madison Square Garden in NYC ... Dave just came out on stage, cig in hand with no intro. He walked out to Radiohead's "Karma Police" and then talked extensively about cancel culture ... and the crowd ate it up.

There was an oblique reference to the venue that canceled his performance in Minneapolis a few days ago after protests erupted. Dave said, "Had to sneak my way in here," adding, "despite what you may have read about in the news, I’m okay, and I appreciate the support."

He wasn't just up on stage for a few minutes either ... it was a traditional opening set, which lasted more than 20 minutes. Dave talked about getting tackled at the Hollywood bowl, suggesting his bodyguards were slow on the uptake because they were wearing dress shoes ... grousing they were "sliding all over the place like at a bowling alley."

He made it clear ... he was pissed at news outlets that called the attack "alleged" ... it was, after all, captured on video.

As for his attacker's punishment, Dave said he hopes the guy gets monkeypox behind bars, adding, "not that he should die, but his ass should itch for four to six weeks."

When it was Chris Rock and Kevin Hart's turn, they killed for an hour, both referencing Will Smith several times. Chris also mocked cancel culture, saying, "Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face."

Kate Moss opened up about her critical testimony in the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial, and she says it's as simple as honoring your duty to be a truth-teller.

As you know, Kate shot down rumors that Johnny had pushed her down a flight of stairs when they were dating years ago.

Amber fueled the rumors on the stand, which opened the door for Kate's virtual testimony, in which she said not only did Johnny NOT push her, but after she fell he was an angel, carrying her back inside their hotel room and calling for help.

Kate told the Desert Island Discs, "I know the truth about Johnny. I had to say that truth."

Moss went on to say "fairness and justice" is what it's all about, so it wasn't difficult to take the oath and tell her story.

Johnny and Kate had dated for 3 years back in the '90s. There were rumors maybe they had rekindled their romance -- ala Ben and J Lo -- but that's not the case.

Rage Against the Machine has bodyguards that actually may be TOO on the ball, because an eagle-eyed hired muscle tackled a fan who rushed the stage and one of the band members got nailed as well.

It all went down Saturday night in Toronto, when Rage was playing its final song -- "Killing in the Name" -- and a fan (in a red shirt) sprinted toward the front of the stage, only to be blocked by security and hurled off into the crowd.

Thing is ... guitarist Tom Morello was collateral damage. Security made contact with him, knocking him to the ground close enough to the lip of the stage that he fell off.

It was a tense moment, as everyone waited to see if Tom was ok ... after a dramatic pause, he got up and waved to the crowd, which roared its approval!

Fact is ... security did its job and did it well. It happened really fast, so there was no time for precision. It's kind of funny ... Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, Dave Chappelle clowned his security at the Hollywood Bowl when he was tackled, saying they musta been wearing street shoes.

Xzibit is lying to the court about his financial situation simply to avoid writing some big checks to his estranged wife for spousal support ... at least according to her.

The former "Pimp My Ride" star's estranged wife, Krista Joiner, claims in new legal docs Xzibit is making it seem like he's fallen on tough times when in reality he's got millions in cash.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Krista claims Xzibit's brother told her he takes home over $1 million a month from cannabis companies and stores the cash in multiple locations using bank-sized vaults. She says the bro also told her he personally stored $20 million for Xzibit in various vaults and brings X cash on demand.

In the docs, she paints a much different financial picture of Xzibit than he has. As we first reported, the rapper claims he isn't making any money from his weed ventures and is struggling to make ends meet.

Krista, who filed for divorce in February 2021, also says X is lying about her going behind his back to get a new lease on a 2021 Bentley, dragging her feet on the sale of the family home and living in the mansion with her new boyfriend.

She claims Xzibit is full of baloney ... and she's accusing him of trying to sway the court's opinion so he doesn't have to cut her huge monthly checks.

His estranged wife says she's the one having a tough time financially ... claiming she recently lost her job and has no earnings to support herself or their son.

And, get this ... Krista claims Xzibit has been ignoring her requests for gas money, food and haircuts for their son, and says she had to go through attorneys to beg X to pay for their kid's inhalers.

Malik Monk may no longer be a Laker, but he says his old team will be just fine with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook all returning ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks the big three will work things out this season.

The Lake Show made news this week after reports of a three-way phone call between the superstars ... in which they allegedly expressed their commitment to figuring out how to coexist.

We spoke with Monk -- who recently signed a 2-year, $19-million deal with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason -- out at LAX on Tuesday ... and he says he's confident his old teammates can bounce back and have a better season.

"They grown men," Monk said. "Especially when they have convos like that, it’ll work out for them. They all great."

Of course, the 2021-22 season was a mess for the Lakers -- they missed the playoffs as AD missed a ton of games due to injury ... and Russ' production was a serious issue.

Despite all that, Monk had the best season of his career ... and said the leader of the Lakers deserves some credit for it.

"LeBron had a big part of everything," Monk said when asked how James shaped his career. "He had a big part in me coming to L.A."

"It's Bron, bro. He gon' try to help every teammate he comes in contact with. So, I have nothing bad to say about him."

"You got to play at a level he plays at," Monk added. "If not, you going to get surpassed. That’s why he’s so great."

As for his new team, Monk has a message for NBA fans ...

This week's Summer Hot Shots comes from the sweltering streets of Los Angeles where 12x World Record-holding international showgirl Marawa strapped on a pair of her signature-heeled skates ... and the photos are wheely, wheely hot!

When this SoCal smoke show isn't turning heads with her skate shots ... Marawa spends her time honing her skills on hula hoops, jump ropes, aerial rings and even a pinch of magic for her audiences both live and on her Instagram and TikTok!

That's how She rolls!

We are continuing to whip up our Summer Hot Shots for 2022 from a distance and have collaborated with some mind-melting hotties from around the world for your viewing pleasure!

'Fast & Furious' director Justin Lin just got several million dollars richer ... cause he's found a buyer for his penthouse condo in the heart of Los Angeles.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... Justin Lin accepted an offer on the condo this week, and the price tag is definitely a come-up from the $2.6 mil he paid back in 2012.

Justin was using the 3-level penthouse as an office for his production company, Perfect Storm Entertainment over the past few years ... and, the third floor was used as a small apartment.

From the looks of it, the new owner is gonna enjoy some pretty amazing views of downtown L.A., along with some cool features ... including a 24-hour concierge, a newly remodeled gym, swimming pool and a rooftop that's fully decked out!

It's really done up ... exposed brick with an industrial feel. Very cool.

Although he recently stepped away as director of 'Fast & Furious 10' -- slated for a May 2023 release -- Lin has a busy schedule, so selling this place is one less thing to worry about!

Josh Groban's looks over the years are simply harmonious!

Here is a 21-year-old version of the multi-Grammy Award-winning musician serving up a fresh and young look at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles back in 2002 (left). This was just a year before debuting one of his biggest hits "You Raise Me Up."

And, 20 years later ... the singer turned actor is still rockin' his wavy locks and recently attended the 2022 Young Arts New York Gala at The Metropolitan Museum in New York City (right).

Mr. Groban has kept his curls intact!

The question is ...

Saweetie called out one of her fans in the middle of a show -- but it wasn't to reprimand him or anything ... it was to point out that she thought the dude was right up her alley!

The rapper was performing at Rolling Loud in Miami Friday, and at one point during her set ... Saweetie took a breather and looked out into the crowd. Before long, she locked eyes with a handsome fella down toward the front row -- and actually started talking to him.

Check it out ... Saweetie addresses a young buck in a white tank top, plucking him out of the audience and asking him to step forward so she can get his name. It's Will, BTW.

They go back and forth for a little bit, and it sounds like either Saweetie or her DJ/hype man says he's just her type. She asks Will if he heard her verse on Mozzy's "In My Face," but it's unclear what she was trying to communicate ... although it seems provocative.

Eventually, the guy's friends start chanting his name at Saweetie's request -- and Will here was loving it. Later, Saweetie posted an interesting IG ... feet out the window, asking "Wya?"

A NYT piece has Twitter buzzing about a question regarding cannibalism, and why it's so trendy now ... ominously reminding people of an old movie touching on just this topic.

The story published by the paper Saturday is titled, "A Taste for Cannibalism?" ... and the Times' tweet promoting it reads ... 'Cannibalism has a time and a place. Some recent books, films and shows suggest that the time is now. Can you stomach it?"

The whole premise explores why eating people has appeared so prevalently in our pop culture these past few years -- whether it's in newer movies like "Raw" or "Fresh," shows like "Santa Clarita Diet" and "Yellowjackets" ... or even novels of late that delve into the subject.

It's an interesting read -- different theories are mulled, like cannibalism being embraced anew in fiction as a response to angst over the pandemic, climate change, food shortages, capitalism, eating disorders, politics or just old-fashioned thrills from societal taboos.

But as the Times also notes, cannibalism in media is nothing new ... with depictions of it dating back to olden times -- but more recently in films like 'Silence of the Lambs,' or perhaps more prominently in 1973's 'Soylent Green' ... which is trending right now over this.

Naturally, the memes are flying ... with some jokingly pointing out 'SG' actually takes place in the year 2022, and that all this cannibal content might be a forecast of what's to come.

Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett gave a powerful speech about mental health after his big win at UFC Fight Night in London ... revealing he found out on Friday his friend took his own life.

Pimblett won a hard-fought battle against Jordan Leavitt via submission in the second round ... and after briefly celebrating the victory, his demeanor quickly changed while speaking to Michael Bisping in the post-fight interview.

"I woke up on Friday morning at 4 AM to a message that one of my friends back home had killed themselves," Paddy said. "This is 5 hours before my weigh-in. So Ricky lad, that’s for you."

"There’s a stigma in this world that men can’t talk," he added. "Listen, if you’re a man, and you’ve got weight on your shoulders, and if you think the only way you can solve it is by killing yourself, please speak to someone. Speak to anyone."

"People would rather, I know I rather they cry on my shoulder than go to his funeral next week. Men start talking."

Paddy -- who was clearly overcome with emotion -- then collapsed to the canvas and broke down in tears ... finally allowing himself to grieve over the loss of his friend.

Pimblett -- who also dedicated his fight to 4-year-old Baby Lee Hodgson, who tragically passed away from cancer last month -- was in tears as he left the arena ... with the crowd cheering in support.

Pimblett improved to 19-3 with the win ... and says he will return to the Octagon before the end of the year.

Bill Maher misses the days of old -- especially when it comes to James Bond ... whom he says has gone soft and mushy in the Daniel Craig era, going so far as to call him "woke."

The 'Real Time' host dished his thoughts on the fictional spy character during the most recent episode of his podcast, "Club Random with Bill Maher," where he was chatting with YouTuber Hannah Stocking about how he feels Bond has changed ... for the worse.

Watch ... Bill says they've turned 007 into a watered-down stud, who's deeply in love and in a committed relationship in this last installment, "No Time to Die" -- which BM says is so unlike Bond and counterintuitive to the spirit of the OG character by author Ian Fleming.

To make his point, he recalls when Denise Richards starred in "The World Is Not Enough" -- Pierce Brosnan's 2nd-to-last go-around -- and killed it by playing a hottie scientist/the love interest.

It's unclear if Bill's suggesting that actress Lea Seydoux, who's Craig's GF in the last two flicks, *isn't* hot -- because that's just wrong, she totally is -- or if his beef is more so with the dynamic in these newer Bond movies ... aka, lovey-dovey. In any case, he doesn't dig it.

Bill even says Bond bringing his gal (and their kid) along for the climactic mission at the end is super weird -- joking the MI6 agent might as well have stopped off for tampons.

Of course, not everyone agrees with Bill's take -- there are a lot of folks who actually like how Bond has progressed over these past several years ... with some saying he's perhaps more fleshed-out, complex and interesting than any other iteration before this.