Comedy

Jon Stewart's passionate pleas for Congress -- especially GOP Senators -- did not fall on deaf ears ... as the Senate reversed field and resoundingly passed a bill to help veterans exposed to burn pits.

The former 'Daily Show' host turned up the heat on Republicans like Senators Ted Cruz and Pat Toomey after the PACT Act was shot down in the Senate last week ... and it looks like Jon's strategy paid off.

Last week's 55-42 defeat of the legislation suddenly became an 86-11 victory Tuesday when the bill was put to a new vote. The GOP tried to pass amendments to address what they claim was a "budget gimmick" Democrats cooked into the bill, but those efforts failed.

Despite that, the Republicans flipped and voted in favor of the PACT Act -- designed to expand healthcare coverage for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins during their service.

Remember ... Jon put GOP leadership on blast after last week's defeat, calling Sen. Toomey "a "f***ing coward."

Toomey and other GOP Senators, like Cruz, said they voted against the bill because they claimed it would create $400 billion in unrelated spending.

Sen. Cruz tried blaming the Democrats when we got him after the "no" vote ... and our clip lit another fire under Stewart.

It didn't take long for him to respond, calling BS on Cruz's claims.

Jon also got into a heated shouting match over the bill Monday just outside Capitol Hill, squaring off with media personality and conservative commentator Jack Posobiec.

Right before all this, Jon was being floated as a serious presidential nominee in 2024 ... an idea JS continues to shoot down -- but it's hard to argue his impassioned, vocal pressure didn't play a role in the Senate turnaround.

Chance The Rapper is dismissing all negativity thrown his way after his last solo album, “The Big Day,” didn’t meet fans’ expectations, and says none other than Dave Chappelle advised him.

Chance hit "The Breakfast Club" Tuesday and said Dave once put things in perspective for him … comparing album and touring periods to yearbook photos -- they capture moments in time but don’t “define” one's career.

Pretty sound advice from someone with real-life experience on the matter … Dave recently dealt with protestors' demands to shut down his show in Minneapolis.

Chance was also excited to plug his Black Star Line Festival -- the event he and fellow Chicago rapper Vic Mensa will co-headline together in Ghana next year, and stunt on the haters.

Chance reminded his detractors ... artists who “fall off” don’t get booked for BC and Fallon … where he later performed his “Highs and Low” single with Joey Bada$$.

Chris Rock made a joke of that slap during his stand-up show, but was mum on Will Smith's apology.

Chris took the stage in Atlanta at the Fox Theatre this weekend ... his first appearance since Will's apology, and his jokes were on point.

He kinda brilliantly took a big issue in our country and weaved it into Oscar's greatest hit ... "Everybody is trying to be a f---ing victim. If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims. Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith -- I went to work the next day, I got kids."

Chris wasn't done ... "Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face!"

As you know, Will apologized to Chris during his video apology, saying Chris wasn't ready to have a chit-chat with him. As we reported, our Chris Rock sources told us -- pre-Will Smith vid -- Chris was not going to talk to Will or accept his apology. We don't know if the video softened his position, but based on what we've been hearing ... Chris has moved on.

Dave Chappelle was letting it rip this weekend -- smoking and singing songs next to Snoop Dogg up in Northern California ... and the guy's wife was in on the fun as well!

The comedian was on hand Friday night at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa Valley, where he took the stage next to SD to not just tell jokes and talk ... but to actually flex his pipes a bit. Indeed, they were rapping and crooning together -- and it's pretty funny.

Of course, Dave was also kind of in scavenger mode -- smoking what appeared to be a blunt with Snoop -- and the Doggfather actually comments on it at the end of the clip.

Essentially, Snoop says Dave was transforming into himself right before his eyes the more weed he took in -- and he goes on to explain that's why he doesn't like toke up with that many people ... otherwise, there'd be a crap ton of Snoop Doggs running around. 😆

BTW, DC's wife, Elaine, was also there during the festivities ... and it looks like she was having a ball alongside her hubby. There's photos of the two of them hugging up on each other, but this shot here kinda captures the vibe of the night in full.

Will Smith has spoken out on camera for the first time over slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, and he clearly feels a lot of shame and remorse.

Smith posted his mea culpa on Facebook, answering questions from fans about the moment that shocked millions of people.

Smith says he didn't go ballistic because Jada Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes at Rock's joke ... he says he did it on his own because he felt the joke was insulting and disrespectful. He also made it clear ... he and Chris Rock had 'history," and clearly not in a good way.

Smith said he has suffered trauma, primarily for disappointing his fans and others, saying "I didn't live up to people's image and impression of me."

As for why he didn't apologize to Chris, he says he reached out but Chris wasn't ready to talk to him, but he apologized in the new video.  The 2 haven't spoken since the Oscars.

He went on to say ... "I am human and I made a mistake and I'm trying not to think of myself as a piece of s**t."

As for his former good friend Tony Rock, Chris' brother, Will apologized to him and conceded the damage done is probably "irreparable."

Jeff Ross isn't surprised -- isn't surprised at all -- at Jon Stewart's overflowing emotion after the Senate turned thumbs down on a critical bill to help our veterans ... because he says comedians feel pain more than most.

We got Jeff Thursday in Bev Hills at Judi's Deli ... and he could not have been more supportive of his fellow comedian. Part of Jeff's admiration seems to be rooted in Jon's character, but there's also the DNA of comedians ... to feel and project not just their own pain but the pain of others.

Jeff says he's totally down with Jon running for President in 2024 -- something that's kinda become a thing online and elsewhere ... despite Jon flatly rejecting the idea.

Nonetheless, it seems that Jeff thinks lobbying Jon to run wouldn't be a bad idea.

Comedian Lil Duval was in no joking mood Tuesday night ... he got into a car accident in the Bahamas and had to be airlifted to a hospital.

Duval, who's a regular on MTV's 'Guy Code' and VH1's 'Hip Hop Squares', posted a video to IG, showing himself covered in bandages and strapped to a gurney as he's wheeled out of an ambulance onto an airstrip.

Medical personnel tended to LD before he was lifted into a small plane. The video ends with LD lying on the stretcher while flying over the Bahamas at night.

Several hours ago, LD gave a brief update to his 3.8 million IG followers, saying he was hit by a car while riding his 4-wheeler. "Now my leg broke and i gotta get flown over to nassau and have surgery."

Duval is also a rapper who has worked with Snoop Dogg and T.I.

T.I. responded online to the bad news, sending his well wishes, "Maaaaaan I'm gon pray that you get well first. Then find it in yo heart to sitcho old ass down somewhere & rest big bro.... Amen [praying hands emoji]."

2 Chainz, Bun B, Angela Simmons, Jamie Foxx, Michael Blackson and other celebs also showed support for LD and hoped for a speedy recovery.

We've reached out to LD's reps and the police for information on his condition ... so far no word back.

Dave Chappelle recently hit a minor setback when protestors essentially forced his Minneapolis show to switch venues -- but Fat Joe thinks Dave's critics should realize he's an equal opportunity offender.

We caught up with the Don Cartagena Monday in NYC on Monday, and he said comedians like Dave Chappelle always intend for their jokes to hit the funny bones without striking emotional nerves. He also feels Dave tells jokes about everyone, not one particular group more than another.

Call it a game of Comedy Operation ... Joe acknowledges there are sensitive subjects to address -- especially within the LGBTQ+ community -- but he feels laughter is the best medicine for most issues.

Minnesota protestors, particularly angry over Dave's Netflix special lineage, successfully thwarted the comedic legend from doing his show at First Avenue, forcing him to move to a new venue with just a few hours notice. Joe wishes those angry about Dave would understand love outweighs hate when it comes to comedy.

Dave Chappelle doesn't usually open for people, but he did on Saturday when he warmed up the crowd -- yeah, more like supercharged the crowd -- for Chris Rock and Kevin Hart.

It was a huge surprise to all over at Madison Square Garden in NYC ... Dave just came out on stage, cig in hand with no intro. He walked out to Radiohead's "Karma Police" and then talked extensively about cancel culture ... and the crowd ate it up.

There was an oblique reference to the venue that canceled his performance in Minneapolis a few days ago after protests erupted. Dave said, "Had to sneak my way in here," adding, "despite what you may have read about in the news, I’m okay, and I appreciate the support."

He wasn't just up on stage for a few minutes either ... it was a traditional opening set, which lasted more than 20 minutes. Dave talked about getting tackled at the Hollywood bowl, suggesting his bodyguards were slow on the uptake because they were wearing dress shoes ... grousing they were "sliding all over the place like at a bowling alley."

He made it clear ... he was pissed at news outlets that called the attack "alleged" ... it was, after all, captured on video.

As for his attacker's punishment, Dave said he hopes the guy gets monkeypox behind bars, adding, "not that he should die, but his ass should itch for four to six weeks."

When it was Chris Rock and Kevin Hart's turn, they killed for an hour, both referencing Will Smith several times. Chris also mocked cancel culture, saying, "Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face."

Bill Maher misses the days of old -- especially when it comes to James Bond ... whom he says has gone soft and mushy in the Daniel Craig era, going so far as to call him "woke."

The 'Real Time' host dished his thoughts on the fictional spy character during the most recent episode of his podcast, "Club Random with Bill Maher," where he was chatting with YouTuber Hannah Stocking about how he feels Bond has changed ... for the worse.

Watch ... Bill says they've turned 007 into a watered-down stud, who's deeply in love and in a committed relationship in this last installment, "No Time to Die" -- which BM says is so unlike Bond and counterintuitive to the spirit of the OG character by author Ian Fleming.

To make his point, he recalls when Denise Richards starred in "The World Is Not Enough" -- Pierce Brosnan's 2nd-to-last go-around -- and killed it by playing a hottie scientist/the love interest.

It's unclear if Bill's suggesting that actress Lea Seydoux, who's Craig's GF in the last two flicks, *isn't* hot -- because that's just wrong, she totally is -- or if his beef is more so with the dynamic in these newer Bond movies ... aka, lovey-dovey. In any case, he doesn't dig it.

Bill even says Bond bringing his gal (and their kid) along for the climactic mission at the end is super weird -- joking the MI6 agent might as well have stopped off for tampons.

Of course, not everyone agrees with Bill's take -- there are a lot of folks who actually like how Bond has progressed over these past several years ... with some saying he's perhaps more fleshed-out, complex and interesting than any other iteration before this.

Jo Koy says he's back in the friend zone with Chelsea Handler after their split ... but he's still got love for his ex.

We got the comedian at LAX on Thursday and asked him about his recent split from Chelsea, which came just shy of one year of dating.

Jo tells our photog everything is good between him and Chelsea despite the breakup ... he says they remain great friends.

As we reported ... sources close to the former couple tell us their busy schedules weren't allowing them to spend enough time together to sustain a romantic relationship.

Jo is still promoting his upcoming movie, "Easter Sunday," while Chelsea's about to launch a comedy tour ... he says he's just concentrating on the film and isn't entertaining the idea of jumping back into the dating pool.

Tristan Thompson was put on BLAST at the ESPY Awards by Lil Rel Howery, as he told one Olympian with a Kardashian-sounding name to steer clear of the guy.

The ESPYs were full of laughs from athletes Wednesday night at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, and Lil Rel didn't hold back when he got on mic and congratulated snowboarder and 2-time Olympic gold medalist, Chloe Kim.

He says he knew she'd be successful just because her first and last names are the same as 2 of the Kardashians ... he gave her some advice, too -- "Watch out for them Tristans, that's all I got to say."

The crowd burst into laughter, as he responded, "Yeah I said it! Y'all thinkin' it," obviously referring to the guy's cheating streak.

Lil Rel's callout comes as Tristan and Khloe Kardashian await the imminent birth of their newest addition -- although it may have already happened. TMZ broke the story around the same time the basketball player was in Greece partying it up.

Dave Chappelle has been weirdly canceled by a Minnesota concert venue where he was scheduled to perform Wednesday night ... after social media went on the attack.

The comedian was supposed to take the stage Wednesday at First Avenue, a famous venue in downtown Minneapolis, but hours before his sold-out performance they announced his show was scrapped.

Chappelle's show was announced Monday, and tickets sold out Tuesday in 5 minutes ... but some folks flooded social media, voicing displeasure with First Avenue hosting Dave, because of his controversial Netflix special.

First Ave says they heard the backlash and did an about-face, explaining they let folks down by not holding themselves to the "highest standards." The venue says it's a safe space and lost sight of the impact a Chappelle show would create.

One of the comments on social media ... "Announced 24 hours in advance because y'all KNOW what you're platforming and simply continue to be money chasing cowards."

What's weird ... the venue had to know about Dave's special and subsequent appearances, and the controversy it all generated.

Dave will still take the stage Wednesday in Minneapolis, just not at First Ave ... the venue says his show is being moved to the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown.

Chappelle has two more performances scheduled at Varsity Theater on Thursday and Friday ... so it will be interesting to see how his week plays out.

Desus and Mero’s Showtime series’ untimely demise put the spotlight on internal negative intentions … at least that's Charlamagne Tha God's take as he digests the surprising news.

Charlamagne pointed out how numerous outlets rushed to cover the breakup in spite of D&M’s 6-year TV run on Showtime and Vice ... and blamed the “culture” for rushing to highlight failure over success.

The Breakfast Club host didn’t specify which culture he was referring to, but D&M’s brand intersected the worlds of music, movies, comics and ... generally speaking, all things NYC.

The show’s official Twitter account closed the curtain Monday on Desus and Mero’s run -- all but citing the irreconcilable differences fans suspect behind the split.

Chelsea Handler and Jo Koy are pumping the breaks on their romantic relationship after nearly one year of dating … TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the former couple tell us the two decided to mutually part ways nearly a month ago, just before Handler guest hosted 'Jimmy Kimmel Live.'

Our sources tell us with Handler gearing up to head out on a comedy tour for the remainder of the year and Koy being in L.A., promoting his upcoming film, “Easter Sunday” their professional schedules recently were not allowing them to spend as much time together as needed for the relationship to work.

We’re told it’s unclear if the two will get back together as a couple, however, their inner circle is hopeful it will happen after their busy schedules calm down.

The couple, who went Instagram official in September 2021, haven’t posted with each other in over a month.

Speculation the couple was first linked romantically began around June 2021 when Handler posted videos hanging out with Koy on her social media.

"The Office" star Craig Robinson had to pull the plug on his comedy show moments before going on stage, after a gunman began shooting inside the comedy club.

Gunshots rang out at around 9 PM Saturday night at the Comedy Zone in North Carolina ... and Craig's fans beelined it out for safety.

The gunman flashed his gun as he entered the venue and, demanded that everyone leave, and according to cops, then fired at least one round. Thankfully no one was injured.

Robinson left the venue as well, and headed over to the Metro Credit Union Amphitheater where Big Time Rush was mid-concert. The Amphitheater is a stone's throw from the comedy club.

Craig says, "I’m safe. I’m cool. It was wild I was in the green room and they’re like ‘everybody get out!’ It was a moment for sure."