Table of contents for June 17, 2024 in Globe

SEA YA LATER! Fast & Furious gearhead MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ takes the plunge during a getaway in France SACKS MACHINE Former movie hunk MEL GIBSON gathers grub in Malibu as the Mad Max franchise moves ITTY BITTY DITTY COMMITTEE Plucky country cutie KELSEA BALLERINI plays around in Nashville as she’s honored for volunteering her talents at hospitals with Musicians On Call ROLLING ALONG Hip-hop heavyweight DJ KHALED doesn’t let his blubbery bod keep him from having a whale of a time at Miami Beach POUT OF CONTROL Flirty domestic diva MARTHA STEWART can’t stop puckering up for the camera! FAB FLOOR Music legend PAUL McCARTNEY poses before portraits of himself and his Beatles bandmates in London…

TALK star Jimmy Kimmel and second wife Molly McNearney are breathing a sigh of relief after their seven-year-old son, Billy, survived a THIRD open-heart surgery. The courageous kid was born with a diseased heart, but has been saved by docs, who just replaced a bad valve. The 56-year-old late-night comic, who also has Jane, 9, with writer Molly, 46, says: “We went into this experience with a lot of optimism and nearly as much fear and came out with a new valve inside a happy, healthy kid.”…

A SASSY Florida stripper really cleans up by dirty dancing and flaunts her phenomenal earnings online — recently boasting she took home nearly $16,000 for strutting her stuff over just six days! The Miami brunette beauty — who goes by the single name Caitlin in her cash-flashing social media posts — dishes she ditched her dull nine-to-five life to be “happier and wealthier” as an exotic dancer! And the hard-working hottie’s naked ambition has paid off. The 24-year-old, who refers to herself as a “midnight ballerina,” fans out a stack of hundreds in one of her jaw-dropping videos before delivering the details of her week’s windfall for “dealing with men all day.” Caitlin kicked off her schedule on a Tuesday, which saw her take home $1,650 — meaning she got…

SASSY Nicola Coughlan is finally getting the lion’s share of the spotlight in Netflix’s Bridgerton as her overlooked spinster character — a secret scandal sheet writer — Penelope Featherington finds love in season 3. The 37-year-old scored the high-profile role in the Regency-era series with a single audition. She recalls, “Two weeks later, I got a call offering me the job. I thought, ‘Where’s the catch?’” Here are ten things you don’t know about the blunt blabbermouth. 1 She was born in Galway, Ireland, and jokes, “I sometimes lie and tell people Ed Sheeran wrote the song Galway Girl about me — and sometimes they believe me and then it gets really awkward.” 2 Before her big break as anxiety-riddled Clare Devlin in Derry Girls, she made a living working…

CRAPPY crybaby Damian Kasten flung a feces filled diaper at his brother during an argument at their Florida home and was busted for domestic battery, cops say. According to an arrest affidavit, the 18-year-old stinker butted heads with his sibling over “ongoing” issues. Kasten, who’s paralyzed from the waist down, is accused of damaging walls inside their St. Petersburg pad and displaying aggression toward the family member and an unnamed witness. Authorities explain the two objects of Kasten’s anger carried the 200-pound bully outdoors for everyone’s safety — but that’s when the pissy perpetrator whipped off his nasty nappy, which was also drenched with urine, and tossed it at his target! An officer notes, “Remnants of the diaper were seen on the front porch and on the stomach of the…

CANCER-plagued Princess Kate’s ongoing absence from the royal spotlight has sparked shocking new fears that the palace is trying to hide the true extent of her physical and mental collapse! Prince William’s beloved wife vanished from public events six months ago, and the news blackout on her condition has triggered panic she is dying and may never be seen in public again! “The silence about Kate’s health crisis — believed to be ovarian cancer — is deafening,” a well-placed senior courtier tells GLOBE. “We’re terrified Kate’s way worse than the royals are saying. Could we wake up one morning and find she has suddenly passed?” And cancer may not be the only health crisis the Princess of Wales is fighting! “Kate’s disappearance has even generated palace whispers she’s been secretly…

COURAGEOUS soap star Johnny Wactor was shielding a female co-worker from three thieves when he was shot dead in cold blood in Los Angeles! Now, his devastated kid brother, Grant, is saying the gutsy final act of heroism by the 37-year-old, who played Brando Corbin on General Hospital from 2020 to 2022, was typical of the “Southern gentleman” born in Charleston, S.C. The shattering 3:25 a.m. shooting on May 25 came as Wactor, who worked as a bartender between acting gigs, was escorting his co-worker at a rooftop bar to their cars. He discovered three thugs with a tow truck attempting to steal a catalytic converter, which can be resold for hundreds of dollars due to rare metals inside, from his ride. He and the gal had parked about two…

ONCE the queen bee of TV talk, sourpuss Ellen DeGeneres is eating humble pie, tattle sources, as she struggles to make a come-back as a stand-up comic — starting at rock bottom. The toppled 66-year-old, who plummeted to the pits over charges her top-rated chat show was a toxic workplace, is in the midst of a new comedy stand-up tour where she pokes fun at herself and tries to make light of her shocking fall from grace. But sources say she’s eating crow and hating it! “The one good part of all this is that, by returning to standup, Ellen actually has an outlet for some of the anger she feels about how things ended,” spills an insider. “And she gets to play to her strengths, because Ellen is still…

ONETIME model Crystal McKinney claims she’s got dirty laundry on Sean “Diddy” Combs and still has the unwashed clothes she wore 21 years ago when the hip-hop mogul allegedly plied her with drugs and subjected her to a vile sex assault! McKinney is the fifth person in six months who’s slapped the hitmaker with a civil suit for abuse or misconduct — but critics say the Georgia gal’s garments could be the smoking gun that does him in! She claims five years after winning MTV’s Model Mission reality show in 1998, she was invited to meet Combs in the Big Apple and was told the Sean John fashion founder could “advance” her career. According to her lawsuit, a person only referred to as “the Designer” ensured her roots were touched…

Now that Beef miniseries star ALI WONG is canoodling with former SNL funnyman BILL HADER, she’s Bill & Ali finalized her divorce from JUSTIN HAKUTA, filed two years ago. Olympic hoopster TRINITY RODMAN, daughter of NBA icon DENNIS RODMAN, has officially revealed her romance with NFL hunk TRINITY BENSON. She calls them: “Trinity squared.” After nearly dying in a 2023 snow plow accident, action man JEREMY RENNER, 53, says he’s doing stunts for his TV crime show Mayor of Kingstown. Balloon-lipped, bootylicious blond TV personality JESSICA ALVES promises to become “America’s Sweetheart” hosting a new NBC chatfest. Rapper NICKI MINAJ left English fans fuming after canceling a concert. She was late after being delayed at a Dutch airport for allegedly “carrying drugs.” She was fined and set loose. Flamboyant ANTONIO…

KING CHARLES and his heir Prince William are in dead-serious talks about stripping renegade Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, of their royal titles, but insiders say they fear a massive public backlash. Sources say the loss of titles would be a blow to Duke of Sussex Harry, 39, and Duchess Meghan, 42, who reportedly were “delighted” that chairs for a public appearance were “labeled” with their titles during a recent trip to Nigeria, where they were treated as royals despite their visit not being officially tied to England. Harry and Meghan were officially called “royal highnesses” after their 2018 marriage when they performed official duties representing the monarchy. But they lost those titles after they dumped their jobs as reps of the royal family in 2020 and went to…

MASSIVE crooner Jelly Roll may have just revealed the secret behind his 350-plus-pound figure — the munchies he likely got from smoking pot, which he credits for saving him from booze and hard drugs. The 6-foot-1 rapper turned country star reveals that toking weed kept him “sober” and off more dangerous substances. “This is a hot button topic, but, truly, marijuana has kept me sober,” insists the 39-year-old Son of a Sinner singer, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord. “I get in trouble for this, all the time, but my stance on marijuana will always be the same: I believe marijuana has helped me in so many regards, with my anxiety. “I think a world without weed, Jelly Roll’s drinking codeine and popping Xanax and snorting cocaine again, but…

SEX CREEP CAPERS SADLY PROVE GALS STILL AIN’T EQUAL! SEAN “DIDDY” COMBS is a hip-hop music mogul and Vince McMahon is a former boss of professional wrestling, but they’ve got lots in common, according to gals who accuse them of being rich and powerful sexual abusers and traffickers. Diddy, 54, is accused of a string of sexual assaults, the latest by model April Lampros. He recently settled, for an undisclosed sum, a suit by singer and former galpal Cassie Ventura, 37, who had accused him of horrific acts including rape and forcing her to have sex with male hookers. Diddy denied her charges, but a recently surfaced 2016 surveillance video shows him viciously kicking Cassie in an L.A. hotel. He now apologizes for the attack after initially trying to brazen…

MADONNA has been kicked to the curb by her latest toyboy — but insiders blab the sex-hungry pop cougar has licked her wounds and is already on the prowl for her next young cub! The 65-year-old Papa Don’t Preach songbird had her claws sunk deep into hunky boxing coach Josh Popper, 30, for the better part of two years, but sources say he KO’d their love-in, leaving her in the dumpster — but now she’s back on the hunt. “Madonna took a little bit of a break after she split up with Josh, who pulled the plug because he wasn’t feeling it anymore and wanted to enjoy his freedom,” spins the source. “It was a big ego blow, but she’s now back to the same old routine where she pretty…

SITCOM star Patricia Richardson reveals her hit ’90s TV series Home Improvement was canned by bigwigs after she demanded equal pay with leading man Tim Allen. The actress, who played Tim’s wife, Jill Taylor, claims ABC and Disney wanted to run the show for a ninth season beyond 1999 but only offered her half of Tim’s $2 million per episode for 25 segments. Instead, she demanded equal pay and the final season was scuttled — costing her the $25 million they’d offered, she says.…

HEAVYWEIGHT Lost star Jorge Garcia is losing the battle of the bulge, and alarmed pals reveal the 300-plus-pounder’s refusing to diet, despite serious fears for his health. The 5-foot-11 actor, best known for playing curly-haired lottery winner Hugo “Hurley” Reyes in the scifi TV series that ran from 2004 to 2010, was recently photographed running errands in Los Angeles and appeared bigger than ever. “He’s always struggled with his weight, but has now given up trying to lose and says he’s happy the way he is and isn’t going to endanger his health with crash diets anymore, even though he must be well over 300 pounds now,” spills a spy. The 51-year-old Hawaii Five-0 actor reportedly dropped nearly 100 pounds due to health concerns during the six-season run of Lost.…

MARGARET CHO The sheer elegance of the comic’s ethereal hanbok is ruined by her distracting tats SANDRA LEE We wish the TV chef cooked up something more exciting than mini mutton sleeves! CHERYL HINES We can’t curb our enthusiasm for the sitcom siren’s smart-looking floral frock! UMA THURMAN With a staid top and a riot of ruffles, the Pulp Fiction moll displays a split personality DIANE LANE Unfaithful’s leading lady runs circles around the competition in a vibrant shirtdress…

POLLUTED Portsmouth Police Officer Carmen Johnson was blotto on booze when she hopped behind the wheel in Virginia and attacked a cop who tried to corral her, authorities allege. According to a criminal complaint, Johnson narrowly avoided a crash as she zipped past a traffic stop in Hampton, and as detectives pursued the speed demon, her vehicle topped 100 mph! Arresting lawmen claim the tippler admitted to having a single drink but showed clear signs of impairment, such as glassy eyes and slurred speech. They also claim Johnson had an open container on her vehicle’s back seat, failed a field sobriety test and was found to have a blood alcohol level over the legal limit! But the complaint states the liquored-up lawgal still tried to tried to pull away during the…

New weapon KOs herpes ✚ REVOLUTIONARY gene editing may finally put herpes to bed! The incurable virus, which causes either cold sores around the mouth or painful blisters near the genitals, lies dormant in nerves and can reactivate at any time. But researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center discovered gene-modifying molecules injected into the bloodstream of mice appeared to destroy the DNA of up to 97 percent of infections! Dr. Keith Jerome says the treatment also reduced viral shedding — making the bug less transmittable! Potheads drive badly ✚ AFTER smoking just one joint, marijuana users should put the brakes on driving for at least four and a half hours, researchers say. Scientists at University of California, San Diego, had cannabis consumers operate an auto simulator and found most pot…

CURVACEOUS rapper Cardi B flipped off haters who called her fat — by chowing down on a stack of plate-sized pancakes! The Bodak Yellow babe, 31, didn’t butter up critics who blasted her as blubbery following a Las Vegas concert that saw her take the stage in a skintight catsuit. Instead, the sarcastic former stripper posted a revenge video on social media of her digging into fluffy flapjacks! “I’m getting body-shamed. I’m so sad,” the multimillionaire moans in the clip while squirting whipped cream onto her high-calorie feast. “Everybody saying that I look fat and that my ass is so fat,” she adds with a fake sniffle. The booty-shaking hitmaker shovels in forkfuls of syrupcovered food before licking her lips and jokingly whining, “Everybody hates me!” Fans ate up the…

OOPS! Wannabe hip-hop star Raleigh “Rylo Huncho” Freeman accidentally blew his brains out in Virginia while making a tough guy video. The poser was 17. A GREAT white shark took only 99 days to swim 6,900 from South Africa to Australia! FRENCH dictator Napoleon Bonaparte hung Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa in his Paris bedroom for four years. THE dog that played Toto in The Wizard of Oz earned $125 a week, which would be about $2,900 today. HOMO sapiens have been around for only about 300,000 years — and have ruled the planet for only about 50,000. JELLY beans, a harmonica, Lego toys, Luke Skywalker’s lightsaber and a pizza delivery have all been sent into space.…