PETA clearly believes the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is the wurst ... as it tells TMZ Sports it's planning to crash the annual shindig this week in an effort to sway people from partaking in the glizzy engorgement.

A spokesperson for the animal rights org. says PETA mascots -- including Tommy Tofu and "his PETA pals" -- will be outside of the event at Nathan's Famous in Brooklyn on Friday afternoon in the hopes of deterring fans from eating tube steaks.

We're told they'll be handing out vegan hot dogs ... challenging "hungry spectators to enjoy a free, flavorful Fourth that is also animal-friendly."

Fourth of July sparked a bit early at a California warehouse Tuesday night .... when the building -- storing fireworks -- caught fire and exploded ... igniting a blaze that burned through the night.

Check out the wild footage -- the eruption sends a fierce plume of smoke into the air ... with rogue fireworks shooting off into the sky amid a field of flying debris.

The explosion happened in Yolo County, northwest of Sacramento ... and according to Esparto Fire Protection District, the blaze is still burning and evacuations are in place as of Wednesday morning.

Juneteenth is a time to celebrate across the United States, and figures like Kendrick Lamar have hosted events in commemoration of the holiday.

However, its roots lie in the country's history of slavery and oppression of African-Americans throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

To mark this special day, we're diving into the events that led up to the founding of the United States' newest federal holiday, before looking at one of the largest cultural events ever associated with the occasion.

Diddy once had a sick, twisted Christmas gift idea for his then-girlfriend Cassie when they were dating ... a "freak-off."

The jury in Diddy's federal criminal trial was shown text messages in court Monday from January 2013, including one in which Diddy asked Cassie if she wanted to belatedly celebrate Christmas by having a freak-off ... which numerous witnesses in the case have described as essentially sex marathons in hotels with a hired male escort.

The conversation began with Diddy texting Cassie, "You horny" ... to which Cassie responded, "Lol yeah".

Joey Chestnut is getting hungry ... telling TMZ Sports he's ready to "drop the hammer" in his big return to the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest come July 4 -- and he's got an INSANE goal in mind.

We caught up with the world's greatest eater fresh off the news he would again be competing in the Independence Day tradition after a year away due to sponsorship drama ... and he's looking to make up for lost time.

"You have to go without something in order to know how much you appreciate it," Chestnut said. "I'm definitely hungry for this year. Two and a half weeks, I'm going to be putting down some hot dogs."

Justin Bieber says anyone thinking about testing him or his family better really question that choice ... 'cause he's not a dad who's going to take that treatment lying down.

The singer-songwriter took to Instagram to post about his approach to fatherhood on Father's Day Sunday -- and, he used some colorful language to ward off anyone looking to take a run at him.

Bieber shared a black and white pic which it appears he added a middle finger emoji to ... and, the caption reads, "I’m a dad that’s not to be f***ed with."

It’s Father’s Day, and Hollywood is showing love to dads everywhere — whether they’re raising the next generation of stars or are famous fathers themselves.

Celebrities took to social media to share touching tributes to their own dads and sweet snapshots with their children, flooding timelines with fatherly love and gratitude.

Oprah Winfrey kicked things off with a moving message about her father, writing, "My father is the root of all my successes -- personal, physical, financial -- because he understood intrinsically that fathering is a verb. It requires action, and acting according to the child you’re raising."

David Beckham marked Father’s Day with a heartfelt tribute to his role as a dad -- including a rare nod to all four of his children, even amid family drama with his son, Brooklyn.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the soccer star shared a touching post celebrating life as a father. "My most important and favorite job in life is being a dad," he wrote. "I’m so proud of all of you. Like daddy -- sorry boys -- tells you every day, I’ll always be here for you no matter what."

David also gave a special shoutout to wife Victoria writing, "Mummy, thank you for the most important part -- making me a father. There’s no greater gift in life."

Everyone wants Joey Chestnut back in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest -- from fans to his opponents and even Jaws himself ... 'cause last year's champion tells TMZ Sports the glizzy king "definitely" wants to make a comeback!!

We chopped it up with Patrick Bertoletti fresh off our report about the ongoing talks between Major League Eating and Chestnut ... and he told us his good friend is hungry to be back onstage in Coney Island this Fourth of July.

"If they're talking, that's a good thing," Bertoletti said. "And I think it's a better competition overall if he's there."

Joey Chestnut could very well make his return to Coney Island on the Fourth of July -- the world's greatest eater is currently in talks with organizers to compete in the Nathan's Hot Dog contest this year.

TMZ Sports is told Jaws and Major League Eating are actively negotiating to get the 16-time champion back doing what he does best on Independence Day ... and from the sounds of it, both sides want to get it done.

We're told the initial rift that caused Chestnut's absence from the 2024 contest -- his sponsorship deal with Impossible Foods -- is not a factor in discussions.

As the first week of testimony in the Diddy trial draws to a close, TMZ has obtained more never-before-seen footage of Diddy and his A-list pals chillin' and chowin' down on some bird at Thanksgiving dinner in 2017.

Check out the footage... Diddy is hosting Thanksgiving dinner at his L.A. mansion, and the guest list is just insane! Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa can be seen on a couch chatting with some folks -- and both seem to be havin' a good ol' time.

Usher is also in the house ... at one point, the R&B singer is seen shaking hands with Diddy, who is smiling brightly as the two shoot the s**t. .

The M in MLB might as well have stood for Mother on Sunday -- 'cause a bunch of players, including Phillies star Jose Alvarado, put their love for their moms on full display during their afternoons on the big league diamonds.

Take a look at Alvarado's cap as he came out of the bullpen during Philadelphia's 3-0 win over the Guardians at Progressive Field ... he had an adorable note written to his mom in silver ink.

"Happy Mother's Day," the message read. "I love Mom."

Jennifer Lopez is in a celebratory mood ... because she just finished shooting her upcoming film, "Office Romance," and she's now hitting the beach for some R&R.

The actress/singer gave everybody a sneak peek at her day at the beach in a video she uploaded to Instagram Sunday. Wherever she is, the place looks like paradise and J Lo seems ecstatic to be there.

Check out the video ... J Lo, clad in a white bikini top and pink maxi skirt, pirouettes on the sand near the water as music plays in the background. She writes in the caption, “That FREE feeling… it’s a wrap #OfficeRomance.” The romantic comedy, which will be released on Netflix, stars J Lo and actor Brett Goldstein, who also co-wrote the movie.

Halle Berry isn't bashful about discussing her sex life — especially on Mother's Day!

The actress hopped on Instagram Sunday to post a video, which showed her snuggled up next to her boyfriend, Van Hunt, in bed underneath the covers.

Check it out ... Hale is absolutely giddy as she holds up her intimacy gel, "Let's Spin," and speaks into the camera, saying she's going to tell us how her Mother's Day is gonna end.

Wendy Williams' official Instagram account posted for Mother's Day ... though there's no reference to her own son, Kevin.

A new clip was posted to Wendy's social media Saturday ... a short video spreading Mother's Day love to all of Wendy's followers -- though it doesn't feature the former talk show queen.

The photo was captioned, "HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY TO ALL MOMS. We’d also like to take this time to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you who have gotten behind exposing this horrific situation. Every prayer, every like, every comment, every video, every signature on our petitions, WENDY THANKS YOU!!! We ask for your continued alliance as we continue to push forward with actions. Updates coming soon!!"