Comedy

'Power Book: II' stars Michael Rainey and Gianni Paolo are stoked for the upcoming season of 50 Cent's hit series ... and his upcoming Tycoon Weekend, especially since Fiddy and Floyd Mayweather are friends again!

We ran into Mike and Gianni hanging out in L.A., and they tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Fiddy's long-running public feud with the boxing champ came to a halt at the request of Mo'Nique while she was doing stand-up!!!

The 'Power' pair say Mo'Nique stopped her Las Vegas show midway to put Floyd and 50 on blast, putting the gears in motion for them to repair their friendship.

50 recently told a version of the story on "The Breakfast Club," admitting there was a bit of stubbornness on both ends ... but the rest is harmonious history.

Floyd is set to make an appearance at the Autograph Show of Texas in Pasadena and Mo'Nique was cast in one of 50's other popular TV series, "B.M.F."

Mike and Gianni also revisited their early days being on the 'Power' set ... and recall T.I. originally being cast in the role of lawyer Davis MacLean ... only to be replaced by Method Man by the time filming started.

Like Floyd, 50 and T.I. have a bit of a testy history, and the 'Power' connection would've ironed out their previous issues. We've reached out to Tip for some clarity ... we'll let you know when we hear back!

At any rate, look for 'Power Book: II' to return sometime in November this year. Gianni recently hit the TMZ Verified podcast where he went into detail on his role as Brayden Weston and the upcoming season feels loaded with surprises!!!

George Lopez is all for getting his comedy out into the world by any means possible -- but he claims streaming giant Pandora never even bothered to license his comedy specials before streaming them ... which is why he's dragging them to court.

The legendary comic just filed suit against the radio streaming giant, claiming they've exploited his copyrighted material -- namely, his standup from 2 different specials -- without first getting a proper license to distribute it.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, George alleges Pandora has been streaming upwards of 37 works of his contained in 2001's "Right Now Right Now" and 2003's "Team Leader," which are 2 of his stand-up specials that became albums.

There are 18 chapters on the former, and 19 on the latter ... so essentially, George is saying Pandora's ripped off the entirety of each special and streamed it without his permission ... and, perhaps more importantly, without paying him.

You can tell he's pretty fired up about this too, because he's got a fiery introduction to this suit.

His attorneys write, "Pandora not only did not obtain any license for the Works but admitted that it did not do so in SEC filings, and admitted that it would very likely face copyright infringement liability as a result. But Pandora did what most goliaths do: it decided it would infringe now to ensure it had this very valuable intellectual property on its platform to remain competitive, and deal with the consequences later. Later is now."

George wants an accounting of all profits made from streaming his stuff and is looking to collect big damages. In the alternative, he's looking for statutory damages totaling $5.5 million for the alleged infringements.

Bill Maher has a warning ... online shopping is taking a not-so-hidden toll on America ... and he makes a case that going OG shopping is better for your head and the planet.

The "Real Time" host went scorched earth on people who like to order 9 pairs of pants to find the one that fits just right ... only to return the other 8. Those boxes go somewhere ... yep, landfills, oceans ... not good.

The visual tells the story ... buy a small item, it comes in a big box. Buy 3 items ... you get 3 big boxes. When you add it up, it's kind of an environmental disaster.

And, then there's the human toll ... Americans don't leave their homes like they used to because it's easier to push a button than to start a car and drive to a mall. Thing is ... Americans have become way more isolated, and it's taking a mental toll, because we are social creatures who increasingly have stopped socializing.

Thing is ... Kanye West may have figured all of this out with his latest creation at Gap stores ... the containers in which you find his designs have attracted customers ... people who might otherwise just sit on their sofa and order away.

Fat Joe is taking his legendary storytelling skills to the theatrical stage this fall … via a one-man show à la the same kind Mike Tyson did a couple of years ago!!!

And to sweeten the pot, the show will feature a special introduction from his good friend Dave Chappelle to kick things off!!!

Roc Nation and Magic Lemonade will go half on the co-production duties and filmmaker emeritus Chris Robinson will direct the entire shindig.

Joe Crack tells TMZ Hip Hop, he’s “not holding back” on the keeping it real moments … which should range from topics like him getting kidnapped in Africa, recording with the late, great Big Pun, and serving a jail sentence for tax evasion back in 2013.

“The world will be getting Fat Joe at his most authentic, vulnerable, and comedic self on that stage,” Joe continued. "I’ve always taken pride in my storytelling, but we’re about to take it to the next level. I’m grateful to Dave Chappelle, Roc Nation and Magic Lemonade for their support in sharing my story and helping make this one-man show the biggest event ever.”

We’re also told a crop of Joe’s family, friends and closet collaborators will also supply personal interviews for the event ... making the affair that much more intimate.

And naturally, his multiplatinum rap catalog will play an integral role in the presentation.

Joe is arguably one of hip hop’s greatest storytellers on and off the mic … and his one-man show should coincide with the release of his memoir, “The Book Of Jose” which drops on November 15.

Jamie Foxx's 2016 project about two basketball fanatics has been sitting on a shelf for years ... and the actor thinks cancel culture is why it hasn't seen the light of day.

Jamie stars alongside Jeremy Piven in "All-Star Weekend" -- a flick about two superfans who snag tickets to the NBA event out in Los Angeles ... it was supposed to debut in 2019, but it still hasn't come out, and no official word on the holdup.

Jamie thinks he knows why the movie's been delayed, telling CinemaBlend that the material may simply not be woke enough for the current climate ... "It’s been tough with the lay of the land when it comes to comedy." The buzz ... it has to do with casting a white star to play a Mexican man.

He thinks the film could be a great way to ease the tension, noting "We're trying to break open the sensitive corners where people go back to laughing again."

The cast includes Benicio del Toro, Gerard Butler, and Eva Longoria ... as well as Robert Downey Jr. playing a Mexican man.

Jamie, who plays a white racist cop in the film among other roles, thought RDJ was the man for the role after he played a white man in blackface in "Tropic Thunder," but the actor apparently needed some convincing before signing on.

Jamie says he had to tell Robert, "You played the black dude and you killed that s***. We got to be able to do characters."

Comedian Teddy Ray's death this past week shocked the entertainment industry, and we've learned his cause of death was an apparent drowning.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ they responded to a call Friday morning around 10 AM at a private residence in Rancho Mirage, where a maintenance worker reported finding a man floating in the swimming pool.

Cops arrived and discovered Teddy dead in the pool. RCSO tells us there were no obvious signs of foul play. It's unclear whose pool the comedian drowned in -- the Coroner says he lived in Gardena, CA -- a good 2 1/2 hours away from the desert.

We're told investigators will wait for all results from Teddy's autopsy before determining an official cause of death.

Ray was known for appearances on 'Wild 'n Out,' 'How to Be Broke' and 'Pause with Sam Jay' on HBO ... plus his work on MTV's 'Messyness.' He was an all-around funny guy, and had great timing and delivery with his jokes and gags. TR did both scripted and unscripted work to aplomb -- and tributes were pouring in all weekend upon word of the sad news.

Comedy Central wrote, "Teddy Ray was a hilarious and beloved performer. He’ll be deeply missed by the entire comedy community.

Teddy was a comedian of man talents -- improv, skits/sketches and old-fashioned stand-up at a very high level. He'd been in showbiz dating back to 2011. He has 17 credits to his name, scattered across multiple projects.

Teddy was 32.

File under: Big man problems.

Shaquille O'Neal proved his size is no match for furniture ... 'cause the Big Aristotle broke his chair while giving relationship advice to women, and the viral moment was caught on video!!

The hilarious mishap happened on an episode of Shaq's "The Big Podcast" -- when O'Neal and his co-host, Nischelle Turner, were talking about what leads people to ghost each other ... when disaster struck!

Shaq offered his response ... leaning back and stretching then suddenly, you hear a crack and a look of concern on the face of the gentle giant.

"I broke the chair, I broke the damn chair," O'Neal said to Turner, who was in awe at what she just witnessed.

50-year-old Shaq -- who stands over 7 feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds -- laughed about the blunder. However, O'Neal knew the jokes would fly once the Internet saw the footage.

O'Neal admittedly struggled with his weight during the pandemic ... but the big fella has been making strides to get back on the right track, including exploring options like going vegan.

Comedian Flame Monroe seemed to be one of the few members of the transgender community who supported Dave Chappelle over his jokes about trans people ... and the two finally met.

Flame's rep Cammie Johnson tells TMZ ... she flew out to Ohio from L.A. to see Dave for the first time Thursday ... meeting up at his show at the Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs that night.

Flame, who describes herself as "a comedian that happens to be transgender," was there to support Dave -- unclear if they hung out before or after the show, but we're told this was a long time coming.

As for whether the two comedians will collab on a project, the jury's still out.

As you know, Dave took some serious heat after telling jokes about the trans community during his Netflix special, "The Closer" ... some people were up in arms and the fallout continued for months. Recently one of his shows had to be moved at the last minute after the venue pulled the plug.

Remember that hot pink Michael Jackson hoodie Pete Davidson wore courtside as Stephen Curry broke the all-time three-point record at Madison Square Garden??

The look just got a lot more iconic ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the comedian just got the Marcel Zago-designed threads signed by the Golden State Warriors superstar!!

Of course, the former "SNL" star hilariously stood out like a sore thumb when Steph broke Ray Allen's NBA three-point record on December 14 ... jumping to his feet and cheering after Curry hit #2,974 in front of the packed arena.

Considering Pete's pink look will forever be in the background of the special moment, we're told his people reached out to Steph's memorabilia partner, USA Sports Marketing, in hopes of getting the hooper to sign the hoodie ... and Steph happily obliged!!

USA Sports Marketing -- Steph's memorabilia partner -- tells us they received the sweater from Pete's camp to have Curry sign it ... and the 4-time NBA champ thought the idea was hilarious.

Curry and USA SM posed together with the hoodie ... and we're told it's going back to Pete, who will probably hold onto it forever.

"Have you ever seen a fat 90-year-old?" That's the question Bill Maher asked in a diatribe about obesity in America ... which he says is a full-blown catastrophe that is wrongly being embraced by America.

The "Real Time" host has talked about it before, but he really leaned in Friday night, scoffing at a USA Today story that said, "Scientists haven't yet figured out how to solve obesity." Bill was beside himself, saying it's about as obvious as the nose on your face.

He railed on body positivity, saying there's a movement in America to rewrite science to fit ideology, adding "fat is now celebrated."

He quotes a New York Times article, which says "Poor diet is the leading cause of mortality in the U.S." So, Bill says, anyone who embraces obesity has blood on their hands.

He was incredulous that Adele was dragged for losing weight ... which he says is just crazy.

As he puts it ... "Healthy at any weight is an unchallenged lie."

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson are calling it quits on their relationship after 9 months together ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources close to the couple say the pair decided to end things, and according to E!, who first reported the split, the pair's constantly busy schedules and distance apart made it really hard to keep up their romance.

As we reported, Pete had recently been spending lots of time down in Australia, where he's filming a movie, and Kim's balancing traveling and working around the World all while raising her 4 kids in Los Angeles.

Kim recently flew Down Under to see Pete after some time apart, but it's not clear if that's when the two decided to pull the plug on their relationship or if it was more recent.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim and Pete were first spotted together back in October when they hit Knotts Berry Farm in L.A. with some pals. From there, Kim visited Pete in his hometown of Staten Island, where the two dined on pizza and pasta at one of Pete's local spots.

After that, the relationship seemed to take off ... the two took vacations together, and were constantly jetting coast to coast to spend weekends in NYC and in L.A.

It was in April when Kim and Pete made their red carpet debut together at The White House Correspondent's dinner.

While we hadn't seen them together as of late, Kim recently posted a set of flirty pics of her and Pete -- seemingly reminding the world they were still a thing.

Bob Saget is still helping to raise funds for a cause near and dear to his heart even in death ... an annual fundraiser he hosted is coming back, with an assist from his famous friends.

The late "Full House" star was a tireless advocate and fundraiser for the Scleroderma Research Foundation, hosting their signature event for 30 years ... but now that he's gone, the comedy show is turning into a special tribute to Bob.

The SRF tells TMZ a trio of Bob's celebrity pals are the new hosts for "Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine" ... with Jeff Ross, John Mayer and Jimmy Kimmel picking up the baton for Bob.

The fundraiser, which costs at least $500 to attend, will pay tribute to Bob and also feature comedy sets from Nikki Glaser, Regina Hall, Howie Mandel, Joel McHale, Kevin Nealon and John Stamos, just to name a few.

Under Bob's stewardship, the annual show raised over $25 million to find vital research to find a cure for scleroderma, a group of rare diseases that involve the hardening of the skin and connective tissues.

Bob's sister, Gay, died from the disease back in 1994 when she was only 47, and he's been involved in SRF through "Cool Comedy • Hot Cuisine" since 1991, as an attendee, performer, organizer and producer.

Remember ... Jeff and John were really close to Bob, even braving Los Angeles traffic to pick up Saget's car from the airport, their way of remembering their late friend.

In addition to headlining SRF's big event, Bob also took time over the years to reach out to families suffering from the illness to offer comfort and support.

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.