Comedy

Byron Allen says losing Louie Anderson so closely on the heels of Bob Saget's death is a tremendous gut punch to comedians ... who were more like family than co-workers.

The TV mogul, who bonded with Louie over several decades, joined us on "TMZ Live" to take us behind the scenes of their most recent gig together ... the Byron-produced game show, "Funny You Should Ask."

Byron says Louie lived to make everyone laugh -- even when cameras weren't rolling -- and always preached kindness above all else.

There was one thing that especially stood out for Byron, though... he says every time they wrapped up their show, Louie would give him a hug and say "I love you. He would say goodbye to us as if it was the last time we were going to see him."

As we reported, Anderson died Friday morning after battling lymphoma -- and Byron explained why we've heard so many celebs -- especially comedians -- gushing about Louie and Bob.

He told us they're a tight-knit group, really a family, because they all came up together -- more than 40 years ago -- when no one knew their names.

Louie Anderson's death has one of his comedy peers remembering what's now an incredibly poignant moment ... when Louie and Bob Saget came together with their friend Gilbert Gottfried.

All 3 comedians posed together in a photo Gilbert posted Friday morning ... reacting to the loss of both men in such a short period. Gilbert said, "This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed."

It's unclear where and when they snapped the shot -- which shows Bob holding up a phone to take a selfie with his pals. Very meta.

As we reported, Louie passed away Friday morning in Las Vegas, where he'd been battling lymphoma. Bob died on Jan. 9 in his Orlando hotel room ... a few hours after doing standup in Jacksonville.

Louie actually appeared on Bob's podcast last May, and they shared some old stories from their gigs at L.A.'s legendary venue, The Comedy Store.

Iconic comedian Louie Anderson has died, after a battle with blood cancer ... TMZ has learned.

As we previously reported, Anderson had been battling this aggressive cancer. And, while it's not clear when he was diagnosed, the "Coming to America" star was recently being treated for Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a Vegas hospital.

Unfortunately, he lost that battle Friday morning ... according to his publicist.

Throughout his career of over 30 years, the 3-time Emmy Award winner became known as one of America's most beloved comics ... He was named “One of 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time” by Comedy Central.

Louie made his network debut as a stand-up comedian on "The Tonight Show" back in 1984. And since then, he has become a household name, acting in lots of TV shows and movies ... like "Baskets" and "Coming to America" to name a few.

Louie also made a name for himself, by touring and doing his own specials and sitcoms. He was shown to turn the ups and downs of his childhood into laughter.

Just last year, Anderson made headlines when he opened up about his weight loss journey and losing 30 to 40 pounds during the pandemic ... which, he says was a result of intermittent fasting.

Louie continued to tour worldwide before being hospitalized ... doing what he does best, making others laugh. His legacy will surely live on.

He was 68.

Well, chalk this up to, if you don't laugh you'll cry, because 'SNL' slayed with their cold open, where "President Biden" blamed COVID and pretty much every other problem plaguing on America on ... SPIDER-MAN!!!

Pete Davidson -- who's become the star of 'SNL' -- appeared in all his glory as Joe Biden in the real universe, and it's pretty hilarious.

But before that, Biden (played by James Austin Johnson) explained there's a cure for COVID, and it's not the vaccine ... simply put, "Stop seeing 'Spider-Man!'"

Biden's getting grilled like a cheeseburger at a White House news conference, connecting the dots by saying, "Now, think about it. When did ‘Spider-Man’ come out? Dec. 17. When did every single person get Omicron? The week after Dec. 17."

And then there was this advice from the Prez  ... "See anything else.” I saw the first half-hour of ‘House of Gucci.’ That’s more than enough movie for anyone."

As for how you know if you have COVID ... "You want to know if you have Covid? Look at your hand. Is it holding a ticket that says you recently went to see ‘Spider-Man’? If so, you have Covid."

Then Pete appears, baring his tattoo-covered chest and explaining why, in the real world, Biden was not President. It's funny, but treading on dangerous territory.

Bob Saget's widow, Kelly Rizzo, is speaking out for the first time since her husband's death -- and her tribute to him is both heartbreaking and touching.

Kelly took to IG Saturday with a lengthy statement, which was attached to a photo of her and Bob. She writes, "My sweet husband. After much reflection this week, I'm trying, really trying, to not think I was robbed of time. But instead to think: How lucky was I that I got to be the one to be married to THE MOST INCREDIBLE MAN ON EARTH."

She goes on to explain how in love with him she was, and how he deserves every ounce of credit and adulation he's getting in the wake of his death, 'cause he was that great of a guy.

KR adds, "Most importantly. I have no regrets. We loved each other so damn much and told each other 500 times every day. Constantly. I know how much he loved me until the very last moment and he knew the same. I'm so grateful for that. Not everyone gets that."

She continues to explain how much she appreciates everyone reaching out with love and support, explaining ... "Bob had so much more he wanted to do and so much more love to give. And to the best of my ability it will be my mission to share how amazing he was with the world, and try in some small way to keep spreading his message of love and laughter."

Kelly also made sure to shout out his passion for Scleroderma research, a disease he was fighting to eradicate ... this after his sister succumbed to it and died.

We thought you'd like to see this homage to Bob Saget -- because it's awesome!!!

It's a video from way back -- 2006 -- in which Jamie Kennedy and Stuart Stone are rapping that Bob is the king of Hollywood, and it's hysterical. It's called "Rollin' With Saget."

Bob is front and center in the music vid, as he muscles his way into a club with his pals, even showing security at the door who's boss.

A Paris Hilton lookalike joins in, and, get this, George Lucas is there! We're told George just happened to be shooting something in an adjacent sound stage, came over to see what's up and ended up appearing in the video.

Bob draws a gaggle of beautiful women in the club, before he and his buds jump in their SUV for a trip back to Malibu.

It's just another example of how beloved Bob was in life and in death. As we reported, hundreds of people showed up for his funeral, including Dave Chappelle, John Stamos, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen and many others from "Full House."

The pallbearers were John Mayer, John Stamos, Norman Lear, Dave Coulier, Jeff Ross, Judd Apatow, Ted Sarandos and Steve Hale.

Others who turned out ... Jodie Sweetin, Candace Cameron Bure, Kathy Griffin, Chris Rock, Seth Green, among many more.

John Mayer and Jeff Ross's trek through L.A. traffic to pickup Bob Saget's car got one of them a keepsake of their dearly departed friend. And, no ... we don't mean Bob's car.

The singer and comedian shared what was clearly a pretty emotional mission for them ... going to LAX to pick up the Prius Bob had left parked at the airport when he flew out of town.

In the video, they reveal how much they had to pay to get the car out of the parking structure -- it wasn't cheap -- but Jeff stepped up to cover the tab, and John explained it was all about getting the receipt.

Jeff admitted he wants to hold onto it as a memory of Bob. John went even deeper, saying it's a way to keep his hand on Bob's shoulder, now that they'll never see each other again.

TMZ broke the story ... Bob was found dead in an Orlando hotel room Sunday, apparently dying in his sleep without suffering.

His good friends are clearly still shaken by the loss, but Jeff did have a few jokes during the car ride to lighten the mood -- he is the Roastmaster, after all.

East Coast actor Chyler Leigh was still a teenager when she was cast as the nerdy girl Janey Briggs -- who has her swan moment at John Hughes High School and transforms into the school hottie -- in the super funny 2001 spoof film "Not Another Teen Movie."

Jaime Pressly as the rude cheerleader, Priscilla, Eric Christian Olsen as the bro-y best friend, Austin ... and of course Chris Evans as the hunky football star in a whip cream bikini, Jake Wyler.

Leigh can more recently be spotted on top TV shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Supergirl."

Kevin Hart's now on a Philly dream team -- joining Meek Mill and Michael Rubin to give back to their community with a $15 million donation to benefit students in the greater Philadelphia area.

The "Championships" rapper and 76ers partner added Kevin to the mix for another big charitable push -- pooling their funds to support 5,000 students from underserved communities who are attending private and parochial schools.

We're told the $15 mil donation will back the students at 110 schools for the 2022-23 school year.

As we've reported ... Meek's made a tradition out of playing Santa for Philly kids each Christmas -- but he's also put forth a year-round effort to support education in his hometown.

He and Michael launched a $2 million scholarship fund for Philly students back in December 2020, providing youth with critical resources during the pandemic.

The duo partnered with REFORM Alliance just last month, hosting a special VIP experience for more than 25 children negatively impacted by the criminal justice system -- the kids went to a 76ers game, and even got to shoot around on the court.

This should erase all doubt Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are the real deal -- the kinda PDA they put down during date night is the kind that screams: This. Is. Serious.

The couple was all loved-up -- holding hands, chatting and hugging each other tightly while waiting for ice cream Tuesday in L.A's Fairfax district. Nothing high falutin either -- they stopped by a Rite Aid after dinner for an ice cream dessert.

Interestingly, we really hadn't seen much in the way of PDA between the two during previous dates -- but what we saw last night was a clear sign their relationship is getting more comfortable and more intense.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim and Pete grabbed pizzas at Jon & Vinny's on Fairfax Tuesday night -- sitting at a back table and using the private entrance -- before heading out for Thrifty's ice cream at the Rite Aid.

When things were still fresh with Pete and Kim back in November, lots of people assumed it was a publicity grab, but it's almost impossible to keep arguing that point now.

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson appear to be spending as much time together as possible, grabbing some hot eats followed by a cool treat on their latest date night.

The couple hit up Jon & Vinny's on Fairfax Tuesday night -- an Italian-inspired spot famous for pizza and pasta -- where they dove in on some 'za. The two were pretty discreet, sitting at a table in the back and entering and exiting from the restaurant's rear entry.

From there, we're told Pete and Kim journeyed on over to a local Rite Aid where they each grabbed some Thrifty ice cream for dessert.

The pair has been inseparable over the last few weeks -- spending time in L.A. before Christmas and heading down to the Bahamas with some friends after NYE.

Pizza seems to be a popular date choice for Kim and Pete, it was back when the two first started dating when Pete took Kim to a favorite spot of his in Staten Island for pizza and pasta.

Jimmy Kimmel remembered Bob Saget Monday night ... in an emotional monologue that left him in tears.

Jimmy broke down as he reminisced about Bob ... describing his friend as "the sweetest man" as he gave us a glimpse into his character ... “He always had a compliment. He’d write sometimes just to tell me he loved me and I know he did that for many people … He had something funny to say about everything and nothing bad to say about anyone."

He read one of Bob's emails, reflecting on their families and kids ... "One night soon let’s go out and have some meat and some good damn drinks and talk about how lucky we are that we have them."

Saget was 65 when he died in his hotel room Sunday in Orlando. As we reported, although the cause of death will not be known for several months, investigators say there is evidence Bob might have died from a heart attack or stroke.

Bob Saget wasn't just "America's Dad," he filled that role in the stand-up comedy community too, always going above and beyond for fellow comics ... according to Adam Carolla.

The comedian and radio personality joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" and talked about Bob's legacy ... the one that was going on behind the scenes at comedy clubs across the country. As Adam put it, "Comedy attracts a lot of broken toys, sometimes ... but it also attracts some really interesting, deep, loving people. And, Bob was just one of them.”

Bob and Adam have a history of performing at the same stand-up events ... Bob also appeared on Adam's podcast "The Adam Corolla Show". And, though Bob's death is a huge, huge loss in comedy and television, Adam says, in a way, he will live on forever.

"I was listening to his last podcast today, hearing his voice as if he was still here ... and I thought in a weird way ... do you really die anymore?” He said in this day and age with podcasts, hours of shows tweets etc., "In a way, you can go back and get to know Bob Saget all over again".

Tributes are still pouring in for Bob from folks like D.L. Hughley, who we ran into at LAX. He reminisced about the last time he saw Bob -- coincidentally they were on their way to Orlando and both staying at the Ritz hotel ... where Bob would eventually die.

Bob Saget has died at the age of 65 ... TMZ has learned.

Multiple sources connected to the iconic comedian and actor -- most famous for his starring role as Danny Tanner in 'Full House' -- tell us he passed away Sunday at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando.

The Sheriff's Department and the fire department responded to the hotel around 4 PM ET ... after hotel security had found Bob in his room. We're told he was pronounced dead on the scene, but the circumstances of his death are still unclear.

Bob's been touring the country lately, hitting a lot of destinations throughout the state of Florida, including in Orlando, which got started in September and was supposed to take him through May.

On Saturday night, he was in Jacksonville doing a show at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall ... where he actually shouted out the crowd early Sunday morning.

Saget wrote, "Loved tonight’s show @PV_ConcertHall in Jacksonville. Appreciative audience. Thanks again to @RealTimWilkins for opening. I had no idea I did a 2 hr set tonight. I’m happily addicted again to this shit. Check http://BobSaget.com for my dates in 2022."

Saget played the patriarch on the hit ABC sitcom for almost 10 years, landing the lead star role in 1987 and finishing out its first iteration in '95 -- opposite stars John Stamos, Dave Coulier, of course ... not to mention his TV daughters, Candace Cameron, Jodie Sweetin as well as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who swapped the duties of portraying Michelle.

While his turn as the quintessential family man is what a lot of people will remember him for -- truth is, Saget was a pretty raunchy guy ... especially in his stand-up comedy. BS's comedy contributions were put on full display in his memorable Comedy Central roast ... where a ton of his longtime comic buddies tore him a new one, kiddingly and with love.

He proved to be a good sport ... taking shots from the likes of Gilbert Gottfried, Norm Macdonald, Greg Giraldo, Jon Lovitz, Jeff Ross, Brian Posehn and others. He even had some jokes of his own to fire off ... making for perhaps one of the most memorable roasts in the Comedy Central vault -- speaking to Saget's influence on the craft.

In addition to his stand-up and 'Full House' fame ... Saget will also be remembered as a fan fave on "America's Funniest Home Videos," of which he served as host from '89 to '97, running concurrently with his time/tone on 'FH.' Speaking of Mr. Tanner ... he reprised his role for Netflix's reboot of the franchise, "Fuller House," which ran for 4 years and ended in 2020.

Bob's other notable acting credits include ... a recurring role on 'Entourage,' in which he played a zany version of himself, the narrator's voice of 'How I Met Your Mother,' another sitcom he starred in called 'Raising Dad,' one of the penguins in "Farce of the Penguins," the lead in "Surviving Suburbia," and a standout cameo in 'Half Baked' as a recovering crack head ... among many, many other appearances on film and television over the years.

Lately, he's been getting back to his roots with a podcast series called "Bob Saget's Here for You," and was even featured as one of the celebrity guests on the "Masked Singer" not too long ago.

The last time we got him out was in late 2019, when he was laughing it up with fans and paps outside of Craig's in West Hollywood ... while also taking photos and signing autographs.

He wished Jeff Ross a happy 41st birthday, and seemed to be in really good spirits.

Bob is survived by his wife, Kelly Rizzo, and 3 children.

RIP

Pete Davidson whipped a crowd into a frenzy Friday night, when he jumped on stage and performed with Jack Harlow!!!

Jack was performing at The Novo in L.A. when he invited Kim Kardashian's BF to join him, and Pete didn't miss a beat. They danced around the stage as they performed "SUVs (Black on Black)."

You hear folks in the crowd saying they can't believe Pete joined Jack. It just underscores how Pete's celebrity has skyrocketed since hooking up with Kim. It's not to say Pete wasn't a celeb before, because he was, but Kim brought the whole thing to another level.

Patton Oswalt has nothing to apologize for when it comes to cozying up to Dave Chappelle, 'cause it's a comedian thing ... and that's it, according to fellow comic Aries Spears.

We got the comedian/actor Monday at LAX where we asked what he made of Pat posting a follow-up apology for his NYE photo with DC ... directly addressing those who were clearly offended, especially the LGBTQ community.

Aries says it’s a shame we live in a time where Patton felt the need to say sorry for hanging with a friend ... especially one as accomplished as Dave.

Check out the analogy AS drops on us -- he compares the 2 comics to masters of their crafts, who just wanted to have a bit of sparring fun ... and if Dave asks you to join him to perform with him or just hang with him for a night, you do it.

Aries' view is ... any comedian would, or should.

Of course, it’s quite possible Pat did, in fact, feel bad about taking/posting the photo after the fact ... and wasn’t just capitulating because he had to, as Aries suggests here. After all, he did say himself ... he doesn’t agree with Dave’s stance on trans issues -- so you kinda gotta take the man at his word.

'SNL' star Michael Che's also weighing in on Dave and Patton, and is definitely in Aries' camp -- as he put it, "celebrities love their fans way too much." He added some keywords for emphasis.