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Kevin Hart isn't one to embrace controversy for kicks -- which is why a one-on-one between Netflix's CEO and him is all the more interesting ... especially as the Dave Chappelle drama's still swirling.

Check out this photo TMZ obtained of the rock star comedian chopping it up with Ted Sarandos Monday evening in Beverly Hills. They were at the Waldorf Astoria, where eyewitnesses say the duo had dinner and talked extensively for quite some time.

Although you can't see Sarandos' face in the pic ... other entertainment big wigs who were around confirmed it was him.

What they talked about remains a mystery, but the mere fact they had a private little chat like this, especially amid all the Chappelle drama at Netflix, can't be ignored ... as Dave and Kevin are good friends, and anyone cozying up to Ted right now (especially comics) might as well be cosigning what DC had to say and what Netflix decided to do.

Of course, Kev already has a major relationship with the streamer -- a multi-year deal for movies and specials -- so maybe this had absolutely nothing to do with Dave at all ... but something tells us the topic came up.

There's also this ... Kevin himself was embroiled in an LGBTQ-related controversy a few years ago -- one that ended up costing him his Oscars hosting gig, this after he waffled on apologizing for years-old tweets that some considered offensive and anti-gay.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Patrick Mahomes will now not happen -- at least not this week -- 'cause the Packers star has contracted coronavirus and is now out of Green Bay's game against the Chiefs.

Rodgers tested positive Wednesday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, and told teammates just minutes ago that he'd be missing Sunday's tilt with K.C.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport added the quarterback is not vaccinated -- and that's why he's already been ruled out of the weekend matchup.

Much-hyped backup Jordan Love -- who the team took in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft -- is expected to start in Rodgers' place.

Rodgers hasn't missed a regular-season start for Green Bay since the 2017 season. In 8 games for this year, he piled up 16 passing TDs and just 6 INTs.

The Packers have been rocked by COVID recently ... just last week, they were without top wideouts Davante Adams and Allen Lazard due to positive tests.

DaBaby is A-OK to hit live stages again, because he's come a long way since his homophobic rants ... so says one LGBTQ org which is OK with his performing, but NOT Dave Chappelle.

The CEO for Relationship Unleashed, Gwendolyn D. Clemons, tells TMZ ... she and her cohorts at the nonprofit approve of DB's appearance at Rolling Loud NY last week -- and any future concerts -- as they feel he's learned a lot over the past few months.

Clemons says DaBaby met with them as well as 100+ other orgs that advocate for the LGBTQ community -- and insists they got through to him on why his diatribe about AIDS was hurtful and harmful.

RU gave DB a history lesson of sorts and educated the guy ... including how HIV/AIDS affects people in his native Charlotte, NC -- something Clemons thinks resonated with DaBaby, whom she believes did not understand what he was saying.

Clemons says DaBaby was coming from a place of ignorance, but she says now he gets it ...  and that's why Relationship Unleashed can cosign his latest Rolling Loud cameo, and others to come.

As for Mr. Chappelle -- she's not forgiving, telling us the comedian has not shown any empathy or remorse ... adding Dave knows exactly what he's doing. BTW, Dave would agree he knows exactly what he's doing, which is not to apologize because he says he is in no way shape or form transphobic.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed -- the armorer for "Rust" -- is making the bombshell suggestion that perhaps somebody intentionally put a live round in a box of dummy ammunition.

Gutierrez-Reed's attorneys Jason Bowles and Robert Gorence appeared Wednesday on "Today" to outline their "sabotage" theory, and went so far as to consider potential would-be culprits.

They revealed the person who could have slipped in the live bullet would have had access and opportunity to do so between 11 AM and 1 PM ... when the ammunition was left unattended outside on a tray.

They also say Hannah wasn't even in the church during the incident because it wasn't a filming session, nor a rehearsal, but an opportunity to figure out camera angles.

What they did admit, though, was that the gun's chamber was indeed inspected and spun by their client -- and they say she put in 6 rounds (thinking they were all dummies) ... and did not realize a live round had been placed in the mix. After that, she pawned it off to assistant director David Halls ... who then went into the church with Alec Baldwin and the rest of the crew.

This is way more info than what she initially offered last week -- when she delivered relatively brief remarks that expressed condolences for Hutchins' family ... but insisted she did not know how live rounds of ammo made their way onto the set.

Gutierrez-Reed also insisted she and the head prop master gained control of all the guns on set each day, while saying she never saw anyone use the guns or put live rounds in them either. She says she never would've allowed that, as safety is her top priority on the job.

What's interesting about that claim is live rounds and dummy rounds do look the same from the front. In fact, the purpose of a dummy round is to be shown on camera when a scene calls for showing someone holding a bullet or to show a bullet in the chamber of a gun.

Gutierrez-Reed has also pointed out she was tapped for 2 positions on "Rust" -- which she says made it difficult to focus on her armorer duties ... something her attorneys say she fought back against, but was overruled by production.

Her attorneys made no bones about where the blame lies -- arguing it is NOT with Hannah. They say, "The whole production set became unsafe due to various factors, including lack of safety meetings. This was not the fault of Hannah."

Of course, there are a lot of eyeballs in her direction -- especially seeing how many believe she should've been the one to personally hand Alec the gun, and to also properly check it.

There's also the fact that she'd recently appeared to express some doubt about her abilities when it comes to the gig itself ... acknowledging she was pretty green to being a head armorer.

Britney Spears made it clear Tuesday night ... her animosity for her mom runs at least as deep as it does toward her dad.

Britney raged against Lynne Spears, calling her the brains behind the conservatorship. In a shot that hits both parents, Britney said, "My dad is not smart enough to ever think of a conservatorship," adding, "...what people don't know is that my mom is the one who gave him the idea."

It's true ... Lynne was the one who actually engineered the temporary conservatorship after Britney's second 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold.

And, keeping with her theme over the last few months that her family was leeching off her, she said, "It's been 13 years ... It was a family business before, it's no longer that anymore."

And then, she looks to the future ... "I was BORN today cause I get to SMILE ... so thank you for exiting out of my life and finally allowing me to live mine! PS do I know how mean I sound? Yes ... I 100 billion percent I do."

She railed not just on her mom, but on her former business manager, Lou Taylor, whom many on the inside say was the one pulling the strings ... "She secretly ruined my life, and yes, I will call her and Lou Taylor out on it. So take your whole 'I have NO IDEA what's going on' attitude and go f**k yourself. You know exactly what you did."

Britney deleted the post several hours later, but that's the oldest trick in the book once it's out there.

Cynthia Bailey and Mike Hill are denying allegations he sent nude photos and videos to another woman ... and he says the anonymous accuser needs to seek help for spreading lies.

We got the former 'RHOA' star and her sportscaster husband Tuesday at LAX and our photog asked how annoying it's been for the couple to deal with claims of infidelity.

Cynthia and Mike are clearly bugged by the rumors ... they both say there's no truth behind the allegations and they're not sure how this even came to be.

In case you missed it ... there was a social media user claiming Mike sent a woman nudes on Snapchat ... but the account that made the cheating claims has since been deleted.

Cynthia tells us things between her and Mike are great and the rumors are just rumors ... and they don't know who is behind it all.

Stores selling Las Vegas Raiders merchandise are yanking Henry Ruggs items from their shelves ... with several outlets already removing the receiver's jerseys, shirts and memorabilia after his fatal DUI incident.

TMZ Sports spoke with an employee at the Locker Room by Lids in Vegas, who told us they were given direct orders to cease all sales of Ruggs-related merch just hours after the tragic incident.

The Raider Image -- the team's official online store -- has completely scrubbed Ruggs from its site ... and a search for "Ruggs" or "Henry Ruggs III" comes back with zero results.

To compare, a search for Ruggs' backup, Bryan Edwards, shows his jersey is available for purchase.

We also spoke with another local shop that sells Raiders merch ... and while they say they haven't been told to pull Ruggs items just yet, we're told it's just a matter of time.

We broke the story ... Ruggs was arrested on charges of DUI with serious bodily harm and reckless driving with death/serious bodily harm after crashing his Corvette into a Toyota RAV4 early Tuesday morning.

A 23-year-old woman died as a result of the accident.

Influencer Nenobia Washington, also known as "The Queen of Brooklyn," appears to have fallen to her death from a building ... at least that's what the police investigation's turned up so far.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police and paramedics responded around 7:40 PM Saturday and found Nenobia unconscious and unresponsive in front of an NYC building.

We're told she was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Our sources say the preliminary investigation revealed Nenobia's injuries appear indicative of a fall from an elevated position, and it's believed she intentionally jumped from 6 stories up, but the investigation is ongoing and the Medical Examiner has not yet determined the official cause of death.

David Jackson, father of Nenobia's son, tells TMZ ... he was told she fell from a window, but the family has gotten varying accounts about what happened from people who claimed to have witnessed the incident.

While there were reports Nenobia went missing before her death, Jackson tells us she talked to their son, Tyeleck, the night before her death and she was never missing.

Nenobia, who went viral after a 2015 interview with HotNewHipHop, will be remembered in a private ceremony and public memorial in New York, where fans can drop by and pay respects.

A GoFundMe to crowdsource for her memorial service has raised $28,000 and counting ... and Jackson says any leftover funds will help take care of the kid.

Nenobia was only 38.

LL Cool J isn't just receiving his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he's also giving back to the org by donating something special ... with horsepower to spare.

You might've seen clips of the Queens-born rapper doing his thing on stage when he got the huge honor this past weekend, but what you didn't see is LL hooking up the HOF with a red Audi that's near and dear to his heart.

The whip was featured on the cover of his second album, "BAD" -- which came out in 1987 -- and LL sought out the help of custom auto body shop Unique Rides in NYC to restore it for the Hall.

The shop's owner, Will Castro, tells TMZ ... LL approached him about this last year during the pandemic, asking if the UR crew could help him out.

Little back story on the ride -- it was one of LL's first big purchases after signing his initial Def Jam record deal ... which explains why he held on to it after all these years. Castro says it was being stored at LL's grandma's house in NYC for nearly 3 decades!!!

He says it was in pretty bad shape -- it's an '87 Audi 5000, after all, and as you can see, it was pretty torn up from the inside out.

We're told the tweaks made include ... new bodywork, a fresh paint job, installing a custom 2-tone black leather interior with red piping, a full stereo system with Blaupunkt cassette deck (truly old school), amps and subs, red lighting, putting in OG BBS wheels and a full engine rebuild.

Raiders star wide receiver Henry Ruggs III -- the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- was involved in a serious car accident in Las Vegas Tuesday morning.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... 22-year-old Ruggs was in a wreck in the central Las Vegas Valley area around 3:40 AM.

No word on if cops believe alcohol or drugs played a factor in the accident. It's still unclear what Ruggs' condition is. There is a local report that says there was at least one fatality in the crash.

Prior to the crash, it appears Ruggs was at a local Top Golf location in Vegas, he posted video from the facility just before midnight.

Ruggs was a superstar for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2017-19 ... winning a national championship in 2017. The Montgomery, AL native is having a breakout year for the Raiders ... with 24 receptions, 469 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Ruggs has previously spoken out about his inspiration to play football ... saying it was a childhood friend who encouraged him to try out. The friend tragically passed away at 17 years old, and the receiver has honored him with a salute after every touchdown.

We've reached out to Ruggs' camp and the Raiders for comment. So far, no word back.

Before this happy young man was living the good life on television, he was just another cute kid ready for fall growing up in Dallas, Texas.

This smiling sweetheart is best known for his portrayal of a philosopher taking on all the existential questions of life after death ... which he explores alongside fellow funny lady, Kristen Bell. He was even nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for the role.

Now, you can find this love-able actor starring in the second season of an HBO show premiering new episodes every week.

R&B legend Ronnie Wilson, a founding member of The Gap Band and "Uncle" Charlie Wilson's older brother, is dead ... TMZ has confirmed.

Ronnie's wife, Linda Boulware-Wilson, tells TMZ ... he died at 10:01 AM Tuesday at his home in Tulsa, OK. We're told he died peacefully and Linda was holding his hand as he took his last breath.

Linda says Ronnie suffered a stroke last week, and it put him into a semi-coma and he never recovered. We're told he suffered several strokes throughout the years.

In a Facebook post, Linda remembered her late husband as a "genius with creating, producing and playing the flugelhorn, trumpet, keyboards and singing music."

Ronnie and his brothers, Charlie and Robert Wilson, formed The Gap Band back in the 1970s in Tulsa, OK ... and their music picked up the baton from huge acts like Stevie Wonder, George Clinton and Earth Wind & Fire.

The Gap Band was huge in the 1980s and they are most famous for their hit song, "You Dropped a Bomb on Me."

Ronnie was 73.

Jamie Spears is throwing in the towel on all things related to Britney Spears' conservatorship -- making it crystal clear to the judge in the case that he's tired of fighting ... and is all good with ending the conservatorship STAT.

Brit's father filed new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, in which he lays out his position as clearly as possible. Attorneys for Jamie write, "Jamie unconditionally loves and supports his daughter. Full stop. As he has done for her entire life, Jamie will do everything he can to protect and care for her. For the last 13 years, that included serving as her Conservator. Now, it means ending her Conservatorship."

The filing goes on to explain Jamie is not seeking any further compensation or a release for what went down during the conservatorship, adding that he's willing to be fully transparent in handing over all of his files on the conservatorship in order to officially close the book on this chapter.

With that said, he does insist the way in which he's administered Britney's estate has always been in her best interest -- which is obviously in debate right now -- but in any case ... he's fully on board with getting his daughter out of the legal apparatus now.

One last note from Jamie's side here, which is pretty astounding ... "This conservatorship should end. Now. There is no reason for another second of delay. Jamie is willing to stipulate to the immediate termination of the Conservatorship without reservation or exception."

Alec Baldwin clearly doesn't believe the conditions on the set of "Rust" were chaotic or unsafe leading up to the fatal shooting -- he's shining a light on at least one crew member who insists the film had normal hiccups ... and one major accident.

Baldwin just reposted a long message from a woman claiming to have worked on the film, who's attesting to safety meetings and normal working hours on the set -- as well as defending the hiring of armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

The post reads, "The story being spun of us being overworked and surrounded by unsafe, chaotic conditions is bulls**t." As we reported, the film's camera crew had walked off set just days before the accident after complaints of long hours and no provided hotel accommodations.

The crew member Alec reposted claims the crew had hotels, they just didn't think they were "fancy enough."

As for Gutierrez, the post says, "Was she the most experienced person? No. Were her qualifications typical for a Tier One? Yes ... But how do you supposed anyone will get that experience? We all had a first and second job at one point or another."

Finally, the reposted crew member speaks to what she wishes she had done differently that could have saved Halyna Hutchins' life. She says, "I'd call out an AD who was handing a gun to an actor. Not because that's my job, but because I never want to lose someone I love to this again."

Baldwin spoke with photogs over the weekend in Vermont, telling them the Hutchins accident was "one in a trillion" and that the "Rust" set was tight. He also said the Santa Fe Sheriff's Department warned him NOT to speak about the case.

While Alec himself isn't providing this account of the "Rust" set ... he's at the very least cosigning on it by reposting, which could tick off investigators.

Two of the families whose loved ones perished in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash just agreed to settlements with L.A. County over the alleged sharing of crash site photos of remains -- but Vanessa Bryant is still at war.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $2.5 million to be split between the families of Christine Mauser and Keri, John and Alyssa Altobelli ... according to docs. Mauser's husband, Matthew, gets $1.25 mil, and the Altobelli's 2 surviving children get the same.

According to the L.A. Times, which first reported the settlement, counsel for the county suggested settling with the families would be the best route as they continue to deal with Vanessa's lawsuit, and one from Chris Chester ... whose wife and child died in the crash.

The outlet says the lawsuits have already cost L.A. County an estimated $1.29 million in legal fees.

Meanwhile, Vanessa and Chris' suits are still playing out in court ... and could be headed for trial in the near future. Speaking of them, a judge denied L.A. County's motion seeking psychiatric evaluations of Vanessa and Chris, ruling it came too late in the case.

The county argued that the psychiatric evaluations would help determine if their emotional distress was actually related to crash photos that she and the public have never seen.

There's a new Hollywood twist to the Britney Spears conservatorship ... turns out the judge on the case is the mother of a famous producer, and now he's breaking his silence on death threats aimed at his mom.

Prentice Penny is an executive producer on the HBO hit show "Insecure," starring Issa Rae ... and he recently jumped on the "Clay Cane Show" to talk about his mom, The Honorable Judge Brenda Penny.

TMZ broke the story, Judge Penny faced online death threats after she decided against immediately suspending Jamie Spears from the conservatorship back in August. However, Prentice says it wasn't only death threats his mom got, but racist attacks as well.

While he didn't want to get into specifics, because Judge Penny is still on the case, Prentice told Clay, "I think it’s sad that whomever would use it as an excuse to espouse racist names and ideas, feels sad and it feels unnecessary."

Nonetheless, Prentice says his mother can absolutely weather the storm from pissed-off Britney fans. As he put it ... "My mom's a black woman in America, she's a tough lady."

Of course, there's a big decision coming from Judge Penny next week when she could decide if Britney should be let out of the conservatorship or not -- and whether that decision will include a mental evaluation for Britney.