Comedy

Jay Leno is on to a new stage of his recovery after his horrifying car fire accident -- he's undergoing treatment in a hyperbaric chamber for his burns.

As you can see, the procedure requires Jay to lie down on his back in a tube-like chamber ... with his arms and hands bandaged up.

The treatment helps with swelling and increases blood flow with good oxygenation to the burns on Jay's arms, shoulders, neck and face. Dr. Peter Grossman of the Grossman Burn Center told Inside Edition the process will also decrease bacteria around the injuries.

TMZ broke the story, JL suffered second and third-degree burns when a car erupted into flames while working on his 1907 White Steam Car in his Burbank garage, fixing a clogged fuel line.

Earlier this week, Grossman said Jay had already had one surgery to repair his skin, and would undergo another one at some point this week.

Most importantly, he said Jay was expected to make a full recovery.

Dr. Grossman said the patient remains in good condition and is up and moving ... even finding time to make a few jokes and pass out cookies to other patients.

As far as the scars, Doc says they will most likely be visible in the foreseeable future, but the hope is they won't remain apparent.

He has high hopes for Jay's healing journey ... saying he thinks the comedian could be back to work in no more than a couple months.

Pete Davidson's gonna mess around and get himself an NBA contract, 'cause no one rebounds like this guy ... who now looks pretty official with Emily Ratajkowski.

Pete and the model/actress suffered a case of new couple interruptus Wednesday night in NYC, but they persevered ... and these images are now the first hard evidence of dating rumors that started this week.

Their hookup adventure started with Pete -- ever the gentleman -- driving to Em's West Village apartment to pick her up, but when paparazzi started snapping pics ... he bolted. Guess he was still trying to keep it on the DL.

Not to worry, they had a backup plan. Emily -- dressed ultra-casual in sweats and a midriff-baring top -- ordered a rideshare, which took her to a Brooklyn rendezvous with Pete.

She bolted into a building, and they greeted each other with a long, warm hug and a smile. It's unclear if the meeting point was Pete's place, but he reportedly bought a pad in Brooklyn earlier this year.

Anywho ... Pete had been out of the dating game since breaking up with Kim Kardashian in August -- but our boy's clearly back, and in a big way!

Emily filed for divorce in September, ending her 4-and-half-year marriage to Sebastian Bear-McClard ... the father of her 1-year-old son Sylvester Apollo.

Reps for Em and Pete have been silent about the dating buzz, but now we can all see for ourselves.

Jay Leno might not be out of the woods yet regarding his scary car fire incident ... but the good news is the doctor who's giving him treatment says things should be A-OK for the comedian.

Dr. Peter Grossman of the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills gave the much-anticipated update on Jay ... saying during a press conference Wednesday he's gone through one surgery so far to treat his burns, but has another one scheduled for later this week.

He confirms Jay suffered a mix of deep second and possibly third-degree burns to his face, hands, and chest ... but believes his patient is on his way to making a full recovery.

TMZ broke the story, Jay was seriously burned while working on his 1907 White Steam Car in his Burbank garage over the weekend, fixing a clogged fuel line.

The comedian told us, from his hospital bed, there was a fuel leak -- causing gas to spray on his face and hands. Almost simultaneously a spark triggered an explosion, setting the comedian on fire.

D.L. Hughley says Donald Trump is well on his way to losing yet another election, all while destroying the Republican party in the process.

We got the comedian at LAX ... just a couple hours before Trump stepped up to the mics at Mar-a-Lago to announce he will, as anticipated, run for President in 2024.

While Trump's West Palm Beach home was surrounded by passionate supporters waiting to hear him launch his campaign ... D.L. was thanking them for backing the former prez, because he thinks Trump is leading the GOP down a road to destruction.

D.L. clowned Trump for seeing almost all of his hand-picked candidates go down in flames in the midterms, and for losing the popular vote in the last 2 general elections. Republicans would call that 2nd part a petty point -- the fact is, we still select presidents using the electoral college.

That aside, he says the GOP is insane to think Trump can win the White House again -- and he does believe Trump will bully the party into giving him the nomination.

If, for some reason, they backed someone else, like Ron DeSantis, D.L. thinks Trump would take the whole party down with him. Think Jan. 6th, but just for the GOP this time.

He did say there is one way Trump could be removed from the race -- but he thinks it's highly unlikely to happen.

Jay Leno could have died in the fire that erupted in his Burbank garage -- it was that serious -- and we've learned it was a friend of his who may have saved his life.

Jay tells TMZ from his hospital bed ...  he was working on his 1907 White Steam Car in his famed garage this past Saturday, fixing a clogged fuel line. He says there was a fuel leak and gasoline sprayed on his face and hands. Almost simultaneously a spark triggered an explosion, setting the comedian on fire.

Jay says his quick-thinking buddy Dave was right there and jumped on him, quickly smothering the flames.

TMZ broke the story ... the left side of Jay's face was badly burned. His hands were burned as well. He says he's now dealing with 3rd-degree burns and may need skin grafts. As we reported, the burns did not damage his eyes or his ears.

Jay, who was rushed to a nearby burn center by ambulance, says he expects to be hospitalized for somewhere between 5 and 10 days.

We're told Jay has canceled his various engagements for 2 weeks.

Chris Redd is about to enter the final stage of recovery after his brutal attack in NYC ... and this one will require him to go under the knife.

Sources close to the 'SNL' star tell TMZ ... Chris is scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday in the Big Apple to finish the job of permanently repairing his busted nose. Now that it's been a couple weeks since the initial injury -- and the swelling's gone down -- our sources say a doctor will have a clear view to figure out how to fix it.

We're told the procedure will consist of breaking Chris's nose back into the correct place ... and then letting it all heal in hopes the structure returns to its original form. There's a lot of damage ... remember, one of the bones in Chris' face was cracked into 3 pieces.

Our sources say he'll be under general anesthesia for about 2-3 hours, and a plastic surgeon who specializes in this sort of thing will be overseeing the operation. While it might sound cosmetic, we're told Chris isn't aiming to change anything about his appearance.

Remember, this all started after a guy punched Chris in the face with brass knuckles in a failed attempt to steal his chain. It left the comic in bad shape, with stitches in place as a temporary fix. No arrests have been made and cops are still looking for the assailant.

Dave Chappelle zeroed in on Kanye during his opening monologue Saturday night on 'SNL,' explaining why Kanye now wears his chains outside his shirt.

Dave had an unusually long open -- 15 minutes -- and he spent lots of it talking about Ye's antisemitic rants. It was not exactly an embrace of the Jewish community -- he said it's not crazy to think Jews run Hollywood, but it's crazy to say it out loud.

Chappelle went on to say he denounces antisemitism and stands with his Jewish friends ... adding those words would have helped Kanye "buy time."

Dave said Kanye's words were so hateful even Adidas dropped him, and they were founded by the Nazis.

He went on to talk Kyrie Irving and the midterms, calling Trump "an honest liar" and Herschel Walker "observably stupid."

Underneath this pursed-lipped figure is an actor and filmmaker who definitely knows how to crack a joke, and when he's not playing a comedic role on the big screen or touring on the road, you can find him on the basketball court showing off his skills.

One common theme you can seen throughout this jokester's successful career is his admiration and support for the New York Yankees and the New York Knicks ... and if you can't see the scramble maybe you should prick your ears up because during the holiday season you will definitely listen to his festive holiday song!

Bill Maher went after Donald Trump in the most personal way Friday night, but this was way more political than it is salacious. We will explain.

Bill mused, with the hundreds of books that have been written about Trump, no one has cracked the mystery ... who is he banging? As he says, Trump's been a dog all of his adult life, talking about how powerful people could simply grab a woman by the p***y and have his way. Bill's convinced Trump hasn't changed his ways, yet no one has addressed it.

Bill quickly rules out Melania, so then who?

Now here's the deal. The "Real Time" host is really not that interested in D.T.'s love life, and here's how we know. Toward the end, Maher suggests another theory ... Trump has the desire but not the ability, because he's impotent.

Now on the surface this may sound like high school humor, but that misses the point ... Bill knows Trump is as braggadocious as they come -- no pun intended -- and he will find it irresistible to defend his "manhood."

When you think about it, exactly how does Trump answer? Bill has put Trump in a box.  Again ...

Comedian Gallagher, famously known for smashing watermelons as part of his legendary act, has died ... his longtime manager tells TMZ.

Gallagher died while under hospice care in the Palm Springs area early Friday morning, TMZ has learned. His manager tells TMZ Gallagher died of massive organ failure. He had been in ill health for a while, suffering numerous heart attacks over the years.

The rep tells TMZ, "Gallagher stayed on the road touring America for decades. He was pretty sure he held a record for the most stand-up dates, by attrition alone," adding, "While Gallagher had his detractors, he was an undeniable talent and an American success story."

Gallagher started working as a comedian after college ... getting his big break after appearing on Johnny Carson's 'Tonight Show' back in 1975 ... showing off his prop humor and quickly becoming one of the most popular and recognizable comedians in America.

His trademark bit was the "Sledge-O-Matic," where he'd use a large mallet to destroy a bunch of foods and objects -- always ending with a watermelon. While it started as a parody of the Veg-O-Matic commercials, it would go on to be what millions would remember him for.

Gallagher's since become a pop culture phenomenon, getting parodied and referenced over the years for his act ... most recently being played by fellow comedian Paul F. Tompkins in "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story."

The comedian had 17 specials spanning decades of his work ... with his first special, "An Uncensored Evening," debuting in 1980. He appeared in episodes of "Hollywood Squares," "WTF with Marc Maron," "Tosh.0" and "Celebrity Big Brother."

He had a health scare back in 2011, as we reported, he collapsed onstage during a performance in Minnesota. He also suffered a heart attack the following year in Texas, moments before he was supposed to perform.

We last saw the comedian back in 2014 ... and he offered us some fantastic advice for those looking to get someone a gift while stuck on a budget -- and it's as hilarious as you'd expect.

Gallagher, who was retired, is survived by his daughter, Aimee, and his son, Barnaby.

He was 76.

Comedian Matt Rife is literally a stone's throw away from 'SNL' just in case its writers boycott upcoming host Dave Chappelle ... and says he'd be honored to take the gig.

Matt was standing outside 30 Rock in NYC Thursday with his friend and fellow comedian Alex "Fonzi" Cureau -- they were holding up signs reading "Will Write For Dave."

Dave's set to host 'SNL' this weekend for the first time since his controversial 2021 Netflix special "The Closer" ... which his critics have ripped as transphobic.

While all 'SNL' cast members are working with Dave, some of the writers are boycotting ... according to Page Six. As we reported, Chappelle's camp says they've seen no evidence of that all week.

But, just in case, Matt and Alex are at the ready ... and say they're not trying to make any statements about transphobia. Their message is much more simple -- "If you don't want your job I will take it."

Of course, not everyone sees it that way ... Matt and Alex were actually confronted by at least one person who had a problem with their public plea to work with Dave.

Bottom line for Matt -- who famously dated Kate Beckinsale back in 2017 -- Dave's the comedy G.O.A.T., so he's not missing out if there's a shot at writing his 'SNL' sketches.

Dave Chappelle's starting his third day of meetings with 'SNL' cast and writers, and his camp says there's been zero talk of an alleged boycott related to Dave's issues with the transgender community.

DC is hosting 'SNL' this weekend -- his first time since 2020, and since the release of his controversial Netflix special "The Closer" ... which sparked protests and much debate over jokes many people felt were transphobic.

The potential issue at 30 Rock this week is 'SNL' now has its first nonbinary cast member, Molly Kearney, and at least one writer who is transgender.

According to Page Six, the show's writers are boycotting, but a rep for Dave tells TMZ ... Dave's first 2 meetings with the staff have been full, and everyone's pitching sketch ideas as they normally do.

One of the writers, Celeste Yim, reportedly posted an Instagram story saying, “I’m trans and non-binary. I use they/them pronouns. Transphobia is murder and it should be condemned.”

Their post said nothing about a boycott. It's unclear if Celeste has been in the staff meetings with Dave this week. We've reached out to NBC for comment.

This will be Chappelle's third time hosting. He previously hosted in 2020 and in 2016, which was memorable for being the first show after the election of Donald Trump.

Dave famously said America should give Trump a chance, but since then the comedian's admitted he was way off.

Whitney Cummings says she's joining OnlyFans to tell dirty jokes, free from the backlash and controversy swirling on other social media sites ... and she's ripping Elon Musk's app.

We got Whitney at LAX and asked why she decided to hitch her wagon to OF, where she's producing a new show about comedy roasts.

Whitney sees OnlyFans as the future for comedians looking for a safe space to tell jokes ... seeing it as an alternative to places like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, explaining how comedians are dragged when jokes push boundaries.

The way Whitney sees it, the audience at OnlyFans is already used to the taboo -- the site is infamous for offering subscriptions to models selling nude content -- whereas places like Twitter are littered with "dorks" and "snitches" who want to report humor as hate speech.

Whitney's planning to charge about $10 a month for her OnlyFans page, where she will experiment with material she says may be too explicit for someone scrolling the timeline at lunch ... and she's already got jokes about potential nudes making their way to her page too.

Kevin Hart just added a new car to his already impressive collection ... an upgraded 1987 Buick Grand National GNX with a badass nickname.

The comedian/actor unveiled the car this week at the MagnaFlow booth at SEMA, a famous car show in Vegas, and Kevin's calling his new whip "The Dark Knight."

We're told it took 8 months for mechanics to restore the car to Kevin's liking ... the Buick's got a new exhaust, carbon fiber hood, splitter and a custom front fascia bumper.

The interior's also been updated to look more modern ... and Kevin and his design team swapped out the Buick V6 engine for a V6 engine from the Cadillac V-Series.

Kevin's ride is still embracing its 1980s roots ... most notably the T-top.

'SNL' alum Chris Redd is smiling through the pain after being attacked in New York City ... his nose is stitched up and his eyes are swollen and bruised.

TMZ obtained these photos of the injuries Chris sustained when he was ambushed by a man with brass knuckles this week while heading into the Comedy Cellar.

As you can see, the gash on Chris' nose has been stitched up ... and he has two black eyes. But the comedian's body is slowly on the mend.

We're told regardless of the horrible situation Chris finds himself in, he's feeling very happy and fortunate.

TMZ broke the story ... Chris was rushed to the hospital after the attack and now police are combing over surveillance footage in the hopes of identifying the perpetrators.

'SNL' opened Saturday night with a blistering skit about 3 extreme Republicans running for high office -- Herschel Walker, Dr. Oz and Kari Lake.

Oz is stoked about the "Pennsylvania Phillies" World Series bid ... of course, playing off his carpetbagging status.

Walker, well, he answers the alleged abortion hypocrisy with 1 word -- gas.

And Kari Lake -- well, she makes it clear ... if people vote for her, they won't have to vote in another election.

As you probably know, all 3 candidates are gaining ground in their races, and although 'SNL' is clearly mocking them ... the underlying message isn't far from reality, and that reality seems to be resonating with a growing number of voters.

We'll know in a little more than a week. Then immediately get ready for the 2024 Presidential campaign.