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The "Riverdale" series finale left viewers puzzled, putting the show's main characters in a four-way relationship ... a decision that's really pissed off the polyamorous community.

If you didn't catch the episode, it was a strange one -- which became par for the show -- but the "shocking twist" included a sequence where Archie, Betty, Jughead and Veronica were part of a quad-relationship.

Reactions were mixed, but many fans felt show creators only used the relationship for a "wow factor."

We spoke to Brett Chamberlin, Executive Director, OPEN (Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-monogamy) who tells us, though "tempting to celebrate every portrayal of non-monogamy in popular media," it needs to be done both responsibly and from a place of understanding.

He continues... "It's frustrating that Riverdale used its characters' non-monogamous relationship as a 'shocking twist' rather than engaging with an authentic portrayal of non-monogamy as simply being part of people's identities."

Chamberlin continues, "We didn't see or hear anything about why these characters practice non-monogamy, what it means for them, the substance of their relationship agreements and communication practices, or any of the other underlying motivations and work that makes relationships of any type function."

This week's Summer Hot Shots have been strung and positioned to perfection from Los Angeles -- where Zac Clejan AKA The Trap Violinist conducted some high-key shirtless shots poolside holding his instrument ... and the final product deserves a standing O!

When this lean machine isn't looking tuned while basking in the sun, Zac enjoys workin' on his fitness and playing chess, but his biggest passion is his work in music as a rapping violinist ... opening shows for some of music's hottest stars including Soulja Boy and Snoop Dogg.

"Fiddle Like It's Hot!"

Donald Trump and Martin Luther King Jr. have a lot in common, especially in their mugs -- at least that's what some on the right are saying ... on a momentous day, no less.

Indeed, this is a comparison that several conservatives on Twitter have actually been making over the last 24 hours -- which just so happens to fall on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington Saturday, when MLK delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech in D.C.

The reason so many of these right-wing figures are suggesting DT and MLK are one in the same here, apparently, has to do with how they look in the police booking photos.

Obviously, Trump comes across as angry and defiant -- and many are suggesting he's echoing the likes of other iconic American figures throughout history ... like Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin and, yes, even Dr. King. That's what FOX News's Will Cain said Friday, anyway.

He got pushback from FOX contributor Jessica Tarlov ... who said what Trump's going through in the criminal justice system right now isn't even close to what MLK put up with.

One would think it's an obvious apples-to-oranges case, but it sounds like A LOT of Trump supporters legitimately think he's a victim of political persecution ... and a target of Justice Department. That was true in Dr. King's case, no doubt, but the jury's kinda out on Trump.

Dr. King, of course, was arrested many, many times over the years (wrongly, and often without just cause) for trying to stand up for civil rights for Black Americans. His imprisonments were often carried out down in the South, especially in Alabama.

Like Trump, though, he was also arrested by Atlanta-area authorities during a protest sit-in in 1960. That's not much of a connection, but some are connecting those dots regardless.

Another weird thing that's happening with this Trump/MLK phenomenon ... a ton of AI art is being generated and circulated that shows the two of them cozying up and posing together.

Now, as you might imagine ... there's been a lot of outcry over the viral juxtaposition. The argument on the other side of this is ... Trump is not the martyr his base is trying to make him out to be, and he certainly shouldn't be mentioned in the same convo as MLK at all.

None of MLK's family members have responded to this side-by-side just yet ... which makes sense. A lot of them are down in Washington right now trying to honor his memory/legacy.

Barack Obama's kids are just like us -- hitting the grocery store on their own to stock up on grub ... which is exactly what Sasha Obama was doing this week.

The ex-First Daughter -- who's 22 years old now -- was spotted out in WeHo Friday doing a little supermarket pop-in at a Trader Joe's there ... and as you can see, she was venturing out solo for the food run, without a bodyguard in sight (more on this later).

Sasha had on headphones and was wearing a pretty relaxed 'fit -- crop top, etc. Nobody seemed to recognize her, and no one bothered her either. She was just doing her thing.

It might not seem fascinating on its face -- after all, we know Sasha's been living out here in L.A. for a quick minute now ... as she's often spotted hitting the town, especially Hollywood.

Ditto for her sister, Malia ... who's also living in L.A. now and working as a professional screenwriter. Both of the Obama girls are usually rolling solo -- without any SS protection.

If you've been wondering why that might be the case -- seeing how their mom and dad are always surrounded by government-sanctioned bodyguards, and will be for the rest of their days -- the answer lies in Secret Service policy ... which says the kiddos get cut off after 16.

This explains why Sasha and Malia are almost always on their own ... and look like ordinary citizens. At this point, in Uncle Sam's eyes -- they very much are. Also, remember ... Barack has publicly said his daughters didn't like SS trailing them when they were teens, jokingly saying they had "PTSD" from the whole experience. So, yeah -- they've outgrown it.

Dalton Gomez has remained out of the spotlight since he and Ariana Grande split -- but now, he's starting to pop up in public ... and the dude's looking blue.

The celebrity realtor -- who's now single after separating from his estranged pop star wife, and almost certainly headed for divorce -- was spotted at a Barney's Beanery in WeHo Friday night ... where we're told he was hanging out with a group of people ... shooting pool.

However, based on this photo -- obtained by TMZ -- you can tell he wasn't having the best time ... which is confirmed by eyewitness accounts. Our sources tell us Dalton looked incredibly sad the whole time he was there ... mostly keeping to himself and staying quiet.

More importantly, Dalton was ringless on a finger where he once proudly sported a wedding band -- confirming he and Ariana are dunzo ... something TMZ first reported back in July.

We haven't seen DG for a while -- even before word got out he and Ari had broken up ... safe to say, the guy's pretty private. Now, he's surfaced for the first time -- and if a picture's worth a thousand words ... there sure are a lot of ways to describe his demeanor here.

Ariana, meanwhile, seems to be getting a move on with her life ... like we've told you, she's already dating another man -- her fellow "Wicked" costar Ethan Slater, whom she started dating amid her and Dalton's uncoupling. The timeline's a little messy ... on both sides.

Since we broke the story that they were over ... Ariana has popped up here and there, and she's been all smiles, while also going ringless (a look she's been rocking for months now).

We know Ariana and Ethan are trying to navigate their new relationship delicately ... with her giving him a little space to work out his own divorce from his wife -- who's blasted Ari.

Of course, in the backdrop of all this is an apparent uncoupling of the professional kind. Reports are flying that Ariana's trying to dump Scooter Braun as her manager, although we're told she's still under contract with his company ... and they're negotiating a new sitch.

Tyrese is still sour about having to shell out a ton of cash to his ex in their bitter child support case -- evidenced in his new song ... which takes direct aim at the issue.

The singer/actor dropped a track this week called 'Love Transaction,' and it doesn't pull any punches in addressing what he views as a cold-hearted approach he feels his estranged wife, Samantha Lee, took earlier this year ... when she dragged him to court over money.

You might recall this, 'cause it was ugly. Tyrese was ordered to pay Samantha and her attorneys a whopping $636,000 ... this after refusing to pay $10k/month way back in August of last year, when he was ordered to do so by a Fulton County judge.

That's why he was in held in contempt in April ... where the court forced him to pay what was owed and then some. Now, Tyrese has something to say about it in song.

Take a listen for yourself ... Tyrese laments being gouged for thousands in child support, accusing Samantha of asking for way more than she really needs to care for their daughter, Soraya. He gets pretty specific here too ... talking hard figures and everything else.

He also says their kid is wondering why they're not together anymore ... and poses a rhetorical question -- was this love, or a transaction? Sam doesn't appear to have responded.

As we've reported ... Tyrese divorce from Samantha has been anything but amicable ... and it's not even over yet. Their case is still open, and they haven't finalized anything officially.

Busy night for Adele -- not only did she sing the praises of 2 of her contemporaries -- honoring them in unique ways -- but she continued to do her best Oprah ... and killed it.

The singer was performing Friday night at her residency show in Vegas, and there's a lot of footage making the rounds showing different highlights throughout the night ... including one moment where she gushed about Miley Cyrus, and tried her hand at being Beyonce.

On the former, check out this clip of Adele addressing the crowd and talking about how much she loves Miley's new track, "Used to Be Young," which is blowing up right now.

Adele says she's always been a fan of Miley's and adds that the song hit her in a very personal/emotional way. Welp, Miley caught wind of the compliment and responded Saturday, writing ... ".@Adele, I thought of you often while writing this song - always hoped that you would love it. This means the world to me. I love you. Mission accomplished."

There was another big moment during Friday's show ... Adele attempted to do the viral "mute" challenge that's been going down at Bey's concerts lately ... where she sings "Energy" and the audience goes completely silent when she hits the lyric, "Everybody on mute."

It's all the rage these days, and Adele wanted to see if her fans could do as well as some of the ticketholders for the "Renaissance" tour (especially Atlanta, who really did it best).

Unfortunately for her (and them, we suppose) ... the Vegas crowd wasn't up to the task.

No matter though, because Adele once again proved to be a great showman through and through -- yes, that means she stopped and chatted a lot throughout her performance ... and very much came across as a naturally gifted talk show host, not unlike an Ellen DeGeneres.

We mean that quite literally ... 'cause Adele was going around and interviewing audience members with a mic and everything -- and a certain one-on-one she had with an expecting mom is noteworthy to say the least. Take a listen for yourself ... Adele makes a revelation.

12:09 PM PT -- CBS just spoke on Bob Barker's passing, saying ... "We lost a beloved member of the CBS family today with the passing of Bob Barker. During his 35 years as host of THE PRICE IS RIGHT, Bob made countless people’s dreams come true and everyone feel like a winner when they were called to ‘come on down.’ In addition to his legendary 50-year career in broadcasting, Bob will be remembered as a dedicated animal rights activist. Daytime television has lost one of its most iconic stars."

10:42 AM PT -- PETA -- with whom Barker had been involved for years in an advocacy role -- just sang his praises in the wake of the tragic news, telling TMZ, "Bob's influence on the entertainment industry is indisputable, but what mattered to him most was using his voice and prominent position to protect animals. Of course, everyone is familiar with his "spay and neuter your pets" sign-off on The Price Is Right—a show where he refused to allow fur prizes—but he was also one of the first stars to go vegetarian, more than 30 years ago.

"He joined PETA in urging families to stay away from SeaWorld, demanded the closure of cruel bear pits masquerading as tourist attractions, implored Hollywood to take action to protect animals used in film and TV, and, as a Navy veteran, called for the end of military medical drills on live animals.

"His generous donation allowed PETA to open its West Coast headquarters, the Bob Barker Building, in 2012, and it stands as a testament to his legacy and profound commitment to making the world a kinder place. To us—and to so many animals around the world—Bob will always be a national animal rights treasure."

Bob Barker, the iconic American game show host and animal rights activist, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Barker died peacefully at his home Saturday morning in L.A. His rep tells TMZ Bob died of natural causes.

The longtime host of "The Price Is Right" actually got his start in game shows after legendary producer Ralph Edwards discovered him while listening to Bob's radio show and hired him for TV.

Barker started off hosting the iconic hit, "Truth or Consequences" back in 1956, on which he starred until 1975. He also hosted a number of other game shows and programs over the years, including "Dream Girl of '67," "Tattletales," 'Miss Universe,' and most famously ... "The Price is Right," which he produced and hosted until 2007.

Drew Carey took over as host, and the show continues to be extremely popular to this day.

Barker has appeared in a number of other TV shows and films over the years, oftentimes starring as himself. He got into a fight with Adam Sandler in "Happy Gilmore," stood in as Neil Patrick Harris' would-be biological father in "How I Met Your Mother," and played himself in lots of other shows like "Futurama," "Spongebob," "The Nanny," "Martial Law" and many others.

He had several minor bouts of skin cancer over the years, and suffered a nasty fall in in 2015 and 2017 that sent him to the ER. He fell again in 2019, and was treated once more at the hospital. On top of that, he was transported by ambulance twice in 2018 for back issues.

Safe to say, he's had a lot of health scares over the years, especially of late. Of course, when the pandemic hit in 2020 ... we checked in with him to see how we was dealing -- and were pleasantly surprised to learn he was taking it in stride. Self-isolating wasn't a problem.

We last saw him out in the streets of Hollywood back in 2016, when he was complaining to us about a bad foot he was dealing with. We chopped it up with him about TV, residuals, his basketball-playing days, and ... a potential Sandler rematch. He was such a good sport and a sweet guy.

Bob's wife, Dorothy Jos, died of lung cancer in 1981. They had no children, and he never remarried. Bob does, however, have extended family that have helped care for him in his later years.

Bob was 99. RIP.

Metallica is in town -- performing in the City of Angels -- and Hollywood's biggest stars made sure they were front and center to catch the all action ... including a rowdy Jason Momoa.

The legendary rock band stopped off in Los Angeles Friday night for one of two concerts they're doing here at SoFi Stadium -- with Pantera and Mammoth WVH opening -- and it looks like JM wanted to be among the people as they head-banged and jumped for dear life.

Watch ... there's footage circulating showing Jason in a mosh pit as Pantera was performing, and the dude was thrashing around with all the normie fans who scored good tickets.

As you can imagine, it was a pretty surreal scene -- but the dude's super down to earth, and he was certainly being embraced by the metal-head Angelenos ... perhaps even being bumped into a bit! He's a big guy, so he can hold his own.

Jason was far from the only famous face on the scene there at SoFi -- TONS of other celebs attended ... and they were all trotted out in none other than Pantera drummer Charlie Benante's IG, where he posted a lot of photos with stars who made their way backstage.

Among the A-listers who were craving rock and roll and feeling snap-happy ... John Travolta, Tom Sandoval, Adria Arjona, John 5, Tommy Lee and others. JM was in the mix too.

It's cool to see so many celebs coming out for an older group like Metallica ... these days, it feels like folks will only pack a stadium for the likes of Taylor Swift, Drake or Harry Styles -- but this just goes to show, there's still a lot of fandom for the great acts of the 20th century.

Like we said, Metallica's got another concert on Sunday ... we'll see who shows out for that.

Some of 'Love & Hip Hop's stars got busted in Atlanta last night -- and based on this video of the brawl ... they should consider a name change, 'cause there was no love here at all.

Erica Mena and Bambi Richardson -- of 'L&HH: Atlanta' fame -- were taken to jail alongside 'L&HH: Hollywood's' Zellswag ... where they all posed for mug shots and got booked on a slew of charges, ranging from obstruction of law enforcement to battery on a police officer.

Mena is the only one being charged with attacking a cop, BTW ... Zellswag is facing a simple battery and obstruction charge, while Bambi was just charged with obstruction.

As for what the hell happened here, Atlanta PD says they got a call to respond to the Lucca Lounge Friday over a dispute between some patrons and the security guards ... and when they arrived, the officers claim all hell broke loose as they tried deescalating the situation.

APD claims the patrons -- who ended up being Mena, Bambi and Zell, plus a male pal of theirs -- became combative ... and that much seems to be clear in the clip TMZ obtained.

You can see officers trying to rip people off each other ... as others in the lounge rush over to get involved. It looks like some black-shirted security guards were in the mix as well -- all this while Usher's "Nice & Slow" plays loudly. Nothing nice or slow about this, though.

Steve Harvey asked fans which comedian they thought was the worst , and it sounds like word of that just made its way back to the man himself ... 'cause he's apologizing.

The veteran comic and jack-of-all-trades host hopped online with a personal video Friday -- showing that he's out in nature -- and he addresses a recent tweet posted by his personal account. A simple question was posed ... "A Comedian you don't find funny at all?"

Steve says he's got official social media people handling his accounts, and insists it wasn't him who posted it ... going on to lament the tweet as mean-spirited and downright negative.

It's unclear what sorts of names people responded with ... but the fact Steve felt he needed to clarify his/his team's intent suggests it got some traction on X.

A screenshot of the since-deleted tweet shows that it was viewed at least a million times, so folks definitely saw it.

Anyway, Steve says the explanation he got from his handlers was that they were just trying to get some engagement ... but he adds they're gonna be needing new employment now.

Britney Spears and her (remaining) team are taking steps to make sure she's cared for, especially when it comes to her health ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Britney tell us ... she recently hired 2 new staff members at her Los Angeles-area home. We're told one of those staffers has a history working in medicine -- which is obviously really important, considering Britney's needs.

Our sources say the staffer with medical experience will have a wide range of responsibilities, but the primary job is to make sure she stays healthy. A key responsibility is making sure she takes her meds.

As for Britney's remaining support system -- her attorney, Mat Rosengart, and manager Cade Hudson -- we're told their focus is keeping Britney occupied. Our sources say she's been working on music as well as ventures outside the house. We're told Britney doesn't like being alone, so getting her out and about is important.

Britney recently posted a series of photos and videos from what many thought was her divorce party -- surrounded by shirtless men -- but we're told that was actually an old video.

Spain's soccer honcho Luis Rubiales was just temporarily barred from participating in football events around the globe ... this after he planted an unwanted kiss on a player after his country won the World Cup last weekend.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee issued a statement Saturday, saying Rubiales was provisionally suspended from "all football-related activities at national and international level." His initial suspension is for 90 days, pending the results of an investigation launched on August 24.

Rubiales' troubles stem from an incident that occurred last Sunday after Spain beat England 1-0 to snag the FIFA Women's World Cup.

During the ensuing medal ceremony, Rubiales approached one of Spain's players, Jenni Hermoso, and gave her an unsolicited kiss, which was caught on camera.

He was also photographed carrying another player over his shoulder and grabbing his own crotch.

FIFA says Rubiales -- president of the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation -- might have violated rules pertaining to "offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play."

As for Rubiales' response, he initially apologized for his actions, but, after that didn't work, he turned defiant, refusing to step down from his post despite calls for him to do so. In fact, the women's soccer team threatened to go on strike if FIFA failed to suspend him.

Nicki Minaj fans are on the hunt for "Stephanie Bell," who has a warrant for arrest after allegedly swatting the rapper, but lots of folks with the same name are getting caught in the crossfire.

Here's the deal, Stephanie Bell just isn't the most unique name, and ever since Nicki name-dropped her alleged harasser ... everyone with that name is taking it on the chin, at least on social media.

Some of the Stephanies are coming forward to air their grievances.

One wrote, "I've never been so angry at another Stephanie Bell. You're f***ing it up for all of us.." and another said, "Why y'all still in my inbox."

For what it's worth, some Stephanie Bells online know all about Nicki, but not about her swatting issue ... so, they're pretty confused about why the Barbz are swarming.

BTW, it doesn't sound like anyone getting dragged is the real Stephanie in question ... at least, not yet.

As we reported, law enforcement sources told us Bell, who Nicki put on blast Wednesday, is facing 2 charges of deliberately reporting a false emergency.

We also confirmed there is, indeed, a warrant out for her arrest, as Nicki claimed.

TMZ broke the story, cops told us the attempted swatting occurred in June, with an anonymous caller claiming child abuse was going down at Nicki's L.A.-area home.

Miguel put on a spine-tingling performance at his album party Friday night ... getting hooks inserted into his back before he was hoisted high up in the air by suspension equipment.

The singer hit the stage at Sony Studios in Los Angeles for a 4-song set to promote his upcoming album, VISCERA, after the crowd was told beforehand Miguel would be putting on an innovative, "boundary-pushing" show.

And the dude wasn't lying. Check out the video ... Miguel, shirtless, parked himself on a sitting cube as three assistants stuck two metal hooks through temporary piercings in his skin on either side of his back.

The hooks were then connected to a suspension machine, which lifted Miguel off the ground and close to the ceiling as he belted out his tune, "Rope."

After hovering for about 4 minutes, the machine lowered Miguel to the stage, where his assistants removed the hooks from his back.

The audience loved it and wildly clapped at the end.

We're told Miguel prepped for this event for months, doing test runs with his team of experts who specialize in body suspension.

President Joe Biden rubbed salt into Donald Trump’s wounds Friday, chuckling about his rival's now infamous mug shot while making a snarky remark.

JB poked fun at DT after he walked out of a Pilates class in South Tahoe, California, and answered a few questions from a gaggle of reporters waiting outside.

Biden was asked if he saw Trump’s booking photo and he started laughing, saying he caught the image on TV.

POTUS then mocked Trump, calling him a “handsome guy, wonderful guy.”

Some observers didn’t take kindly to Biden's remarks and booed him, showing the deep divide between voters and just how ugly our politics have become.

And Trump is in the middle of it with his myriad of legal woes stemming from the last presidential election. As you know, the 45th President has been indicted on state and federal charges in four jurisdictions around the country.

This past week, Trump posed for his historic mug shot at the Fulton County Jail in Georgia, where he stands accused of trying to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election.