Comedy

D.C. was lit Saturday night at an after-party following the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and apparently so were some of the correspondents!!!

MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle was yukking it up and feelin' the beat with fellow anchor Symone Sanders-Townsend ... posing for pics when she just collapsed. No harm, no foul ... Ruhle bounced back up, with a little help, and was back at it.

The party went down at the French Ambassador's residence in D.C. People were dancing and, we're guessing, drinking some as the shindig blazed on. Stephanie hit the ground at 1 AM. No word on how long the party lasted.

The event's a big deal in D.C. Ariana Madix and Lisa Vanderpump were guests at the Dinner and A.M. had to love it when host Roy Wood Jr. compared her ex, Tom Sandoval, to Tucker Carlson.

While AI is sparking intellectual property debates, funnyman Bill Bellamy's making it clear ... he's not down with the tech using his jokes -- and the fact is, he's still feeling some kinda way about a different financial loss.

We linked with Bill out in NYC and tackled the ongoing discussion about artificial intelligence ... and he's unapologetically Team Human.

Bill not only thinks AI would have a hard time matching his joke-writing wit, he also believes deceased superstars -- like Michael Jackson, Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. -- would also frown upon their voices being remixed without legal approval.

We also talked to Bill about a golden opportunity he admits missing out on back in the '90s -- namely, not trademarking the "booty call" catchphrase he coined as a young comic on Def Comedy Jam.

The phrase has since been placed in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and Hollywood also took advantage ... tapping Jamie Foxx and Vivica A. Fox for the 1997 rom-com.

Speaking of Jamie, Bill tells us his inner circle relayed positive news about the Academy Award winner's condition after he suffered a medical emergency in Atlanta.

Michael Blackson is rejecting Desiigner's "mental health" apology/explanation for his recent indecent exposure charges -- instead, he thinks it's simply a sign American culture is too soft!

On Tuesday, Desiigner posted a video of himself bumping a new tune while claiming he was moments from checking himself into a treatment facility as the aftermath of his bizarre Delta flight unfolds.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story, Desiigner is charged with indecent exposure for masturbating in plain sight of multiple flight attendants during a flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis. The FBI says he was even armed with a jar of Vaseline.

Michael thinks Desiigner used mental health as a cop-out for his horniness after he got busted and compared American culture to his native homeland of Africa ... a place he says everything gets blamed on the devil!!!

We recently spoke to G Perico, who doesn't have a dog in the fight in the convo, but unlike Michael, says he can see obvious mental health issues in Desiigner's sitch and wished him well.

Everybody loves Ray Romano's wide open arteries ... especially him, after undergoing a potentially lifesaving procedure, which is why he's out and about in L.A. getting some exercise.

The actor/comedian got in his steps during a vigorous walk in casual athletic wear, along with his headphones and Apple Watch to monitor his progress and, likely, his heart rate too.

The reason Ray taking a pretty basic walk is significant is ... he just revealed last week he had to have a stent implanted to clear serious blockage in a major artery.

He made the confession on Marc Maron's podcast -- this as he was in the middle of a press run for his new movie, 'Somewhere in Queens' -- and it sounded pretty scary.

RR explained he'd been fighting for years to keep his cholesterol levels down ... and that, for a long time, he'd insisted on doing it on his own terms -- only to come up short time and again, despite doctors repeatedly telling him he was teetering in dangerous territory.

Now, after getting the procedure done -- which he says cleared a 90% blockage -- Ray says he wishes he would've taken his doctor's advice from 2 decades ago.

Pete Davidson's late-night car crash didn't result in serious injury, but that doesn't mean the comedian is gonna get off scot-free ... because we've learned he's now facing possible criminal charges as a result of the incident.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Beverly Hills Police Department recently wrapped its investigation, and sent the case over to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office to determine whether Pete will be charged for the crash.

As we first reported, drugs and alcohol were ruled out as factors in the mishap, but we know Pete was traveling at a high rate of speed when he crashed ... so you gotta imagine at the very least, a reckless driving charge is on the table.

TMZ broke the story ... Pete was driving with his girlfriend, Chase Sui Wonders, through Bev Hills last month when he lost control of his Mercedes, drove through someone's yard and crashed into the side of their house. No one was injured.

Pete was not cited at the time for the crash, but that didn't mean he was in the clear.

Pete Davidson's New York Knicks took home a big win, but one fan might wanna take a lesson in personal space ... cuz he got wayyy too far into Pete's zone.

Check out the video, Pete was posing for pics and high-fiving a bunch of his fellow Knick fans as he left Madison Square Garden Sunday afternoon. You see Pete appears to pose for a pic with one dude in a pink shirt and blue cap and continues to move through the crowd.

That clearly wasn't enough for the fan though, who continued to follow Pete ... putting his arm around the comedian and resting his head on Pete's shoulder.

Pete tries to stay cool, taking more pics with others, but when the overzealous fan continued to get all up in his grill Pete understandably snaps ... shoving the dude away and telling him to back off.

Finally, the fan takes a hint and leaves Pete alone.

While his exit was stressful, the good news for Pete is the Knicks defeated Cleveland to take a 3-1 series lead ... not to mention, he got to share a seat next to (and likely some laughs with) Jon Stewart.

Tom Brady apparently didn't think an AI-generated comedy special about him was funny at all.

According to the comedians who helped create the viral, hour-long video -- which featured an animated version of the NFL legend telling crass jokes in a stand-up format -- TB12 threatened legal action over it just days after it was posted ... which forced them to wipe it from the internet this week.

Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen explained the situation on their "Dudesy" podcast on Tuesday ... saying that shortly after they helped put up the fake Brady comedy special on their Patreon page earlier this month -- they received a cease and desist letter from the G.O.A.T.'s attorneys.

The guys said Brady's lawyers claimed in the letter that the AI version of the future Hall of Famer "blatantly violates" the former quarterback's "rights" ... and if they didn't meet a list of demands -- which included taking down the video -- a lawsuit would be forthcoming.

Sasso and Kultgen clearly thought the whole thing was B.S. -- on their pod, they wondered how it in any away differentiated from live comedians doing impressions of celebs on shows like "Saturday Night Live" -- but they nonetheless acquiesced.

The comedians said they took down the comedy special at midnight Tuesday.

Never mind all that talk about artificial intelligence killing the music industry, Tony Rock sees a huge upside to adopting the technology ... especially if you're a fan of late greats like Tupac and Biggie!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with the veteran comic Tuesday at LAX and it's clear he has some deep thoughts on the AI topic, because he rattled off some suddenly possible collabs -- between deceased rappers, or even Michael Jackson and Jay-Z sparring on a track.

There's currently a fake Drake and The Weeknd song with millions of views so yeah, there's clearly a demand for dream AI pairings.

Going further, Tony proposed a Coachella-style, 100% AI-generated festival ... and he even nominated Billy McFarland and Ja Rule to organize it!

Pump the brakes, Tone ... we were with ya right up until the Fyre Fest callback.

"The Mighty Ducks" star Shaun Weiss is taking his past addiction problems and arrests, and turning it all into comedic gold -- using it as brand new material for his stand-up career ... and it's pretty freakin' hysterical.

Shaun got candid about his addiction at the Mic Drop Comedy Club in San Diego this month, taking incredibly serious source material and turning it into stand-up ammo.

He got the crowd laughing pretty hard by poking fun at his own mugshot from his 2020 arrest. He dives deep into his struggles with substance abuse -- with some wit of course -- and gets a roar of applause when he announces he's now 3 years sober.

Check out his last bit about what his "triggers" are for wanting to use drugs. Again, he's probably not joking ... yet he finds a way to crack up the crowd.

Shaun, who played Goldberg in 'Ducks,' has been working on his stand-up act for a little over a year. He's currently on the road and says, "100% of the proceeds go toward helping a child actor stay off drugs."

As we reported, the former child star opened for fellow comedian Russell Peters at a show last year ... following his time living on the streets and having several run-ins with the law.

BTW, Shaun tells us he was recently hired by the treatment center where he used to be a patient to be a sober coach and interventionalist.

He's looking to jump-start a program that helps people turn their personal trauma into comedic material, just like he's doing.

Pete Davidson officially premiered his "Bupkis" series trailer on "The Breakfast Club," but it kinda got overshadowed by Pete's dong, and its effect on his dating resume.

Charlamagne Tha God sat down with Pete Thursday, and grilled him about his alleged super-sized penis, which is at least related to "Bupkis" ... it's a thing on the show.

Pete's been linked to Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale and most recently, Chase Sui Wonders ... but the 29-year-old star swears there's nothing special about his penis. Like a tailored suit, he says it's just the right fit. 😉

Which is where "Bupkis" comes in.

The series serves as a fictionalized version of his regular life and brings together an ensemble cast of Chase, Joe Pesci, Charlie Day, Ray Romano, Machine Gun Kelly, Jadakiss, Cam'ron and many more.

Fact is Pete's life hardly needs dramatization ... as we reported last week, he's currently dealing with a stalker so mentally ill, they were deemed unfit to stand trial ... and he and Chase were involved in a March car accident that landed them in a Bev Hills yard!!!

Will Smith couldn't look happier to be back in the swing of things ... smiling during his latest gig since the infamous slap at the Oscars.

Will was on set Tuesday in Atlanta, filming "Bad Boys 4" and fully in character as Det. Mike Lowrey.

He's definitely grinning through the work, although, it's hard to say if that's Will smiling or his character.

It's not the first time we've seen WS doing movie star stuff since his infamous 2022 assault on Chris Rock. Will, Jada, and his whole fam first stepped out for the "Emancipation" film premiere last December -- and he's also been filming at least one other project.

As you you know Will was involved in one of the biggest moments in Oscars history ... when he stormed on stage and smacked host Chris Rock dead in the face.

Betty White's former home in L.A. -- where she'd lived for decades -- is nothing but dust and dirt now ... as the new owners apparently aim to build up a massive mansion in its place.

The late actress's relatively modest Brentwood property -- modest for A-list celebs, that is -- was recently demolished ... and now, photos of the aftermath are surfacing, showing construction crews already hard at work laying the groundwork for something new.

As you can see, her old house -- a roughly 3,000-square-foot structure with 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms, complete with a pool -- is practically all gone, meaning the folks moving in did, in fact, want to build out from the ground up without a trace of the former estate intact.

Per real estate records, reviewed by TMZ, the buyers ended up being a dentist and his wife ... and it looks like they filed for a permit to bulldoze back in November. In February of this year, they filed more paperwork signaling they're interested in putting in a new pool and spa.

It would also appear they're geared up to get an entirely new main house built as well. Considering what they've already suggested they'll be putting in -- you can bet it's gonna be a lot bigger than what BW was staying in for quite literally decades.

As many know, Betty had lived at this Brentwood address since the '60s ... and her career in Hollywood got fully in swing shortly after that. Her crib was a staple of celeb sight-seeing for tourists visiting town -- but now, they won't be able to get an eyeful of what was once.

Pretty sad, to be honest. But, when you drop upwards of $10 mil for a piece of real estate -- you're entitled to do whatever the hell you want with it ... regardless of its iconic status.

Pete Davidson's alleged stalker has been deemed unfit to stand trial after cops say the woman trespassed on Pete's property and claimed to be his wife ... TMZ has learned.

The Staten Island District Attorney tells TMZ, "Ms. [Michelle] Mootreddy is unfit to stand trial. She has been placed in the custody of a psychiatric facility where she will receive treatment and regular evaluations to determine whether or not she is able to return and participate in her defense."

TMZ broke the story ... Mootreddy allegedly snuck into Pete's Staten Island home through an open side door a couple years ago. According to law enforcement sources, Pete wasn't home at the time, but a relative was -- and promptly called the cops.

Mootreddy was charged with burglary in the second and third degree -- both felonies -- as well as 2 misdemeanor counts of stalking, and 2 misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and harassment ... but now it looks like she won't stand trial until she receives treatment and is ready to participate in her defense.

Bobby Lee is defending a controversial story he's repeated over the years about traveling to Tijuana for sex and paying for an underage prostitute -- sordid, for sure, but he says it's also total fiction.

The comedian's recently come under fire on social media due to resurfaced clips of the Tijuana tale ... where the story goes Bobby went to "hooker alley" and picked out a young prostitute who seemed shy.

There are different versions of the story where the prostitute's age differs, including one where Bobby says the prostitute looked like then-13-year-old Natalie Portman in "The Professional" ... but the stories all end with him having sex with the young woman in a cheap hotel room.

Bobby is finally responding to the backlash in the latest episode of his "TigerBelly" podcast ... where he says, "At the end of the day it's not real and I didn't do anything."

The way Bobby explains things ... he first told the joke on "Opie and Anthony," the shock jock radio show from back in the day -- and he says the story was actually a combination of "a couple awful dark jokes."

Bobby understands the current uproar, but he says back when he first told the Tijuana story, "it was encouraged to say crazy stuff without thinking about it" ... and he says "when I listen back to it now it puts a chill down my spine."

Tommy Lee's wife says there's absolutely no bad blood between Pamela Anderson and her, despite the fact they aren't speaking right now -- but she's down to change that.

Brittany Furlan was grabbing a bite in L.A. after her stand-up comedy gig at The Improv in Hollywood. Considering she recently mocked Tommy's ex-wife, suggesting Pam wouldn't care if she died ... we had to ask Brit if Pammy was the butt of any of her jokes that night.

The TikTok clip -- which Brittany posted and quickly deleted -- drew some backlash from fans ... so, kinda makes sense she laid off Pam during her comedy set.

When we got her afterward she said, "We're all good. We want happiness, we want everyone to be friends."

Sounds great ... however, she also admitted she hasn't actually heard a peep from Pam.

So, maybe it's not all that good -- not yet, anyway. Brittany says she'd definitely be down to talk, though, IF Pam ever reaches out.

The tension between the ex and current Mrs. Lee started when Pam was promoting her memoir and Netflix documentary, "Pamela, A Love Story" ... in which she declared her undying love for Tommy.

That prompted Brittany to respond on social media, saying she wasn't sweating Pam's comments ... or the haters attacking her on behalf of PA.

Xavier Lopez -- aka, 'Chabelo,' who'd been on Mexican and Latin American families' TV screens for decades, providing laughs and entertainment -- has died.

The legendary comic and actor, famous for dressing up as a little kid and starring in a number of sketch and comedy shows, passed away Saturday ... which was first announced by the President of Mexico, no less -- Andrés Manuel López Obrador -- on Twitter.

He wrote (in Spanish), "Hugs to family and friends for the death of Xavier López "Chabelo". How can I forget that my eldest son woke up early to see him over 40 years ago."

Chabelo's Facebook page went into more detail about how exactly he died with a message from his family, noting there were abdominal complications he was dealing with -- which they say took his life suddenly. It's unclear what sort of illness he may have been battling.

In any case, the post goes on to say this ... "With a torn soul and knowing that many and many people have loved him for many years and that they will feel his departure, we ask you to pray for his rest and give us the opportunity to spend in peace the mourning that overwhelms our entire family."

Chabelo was well-known in Spanish-speaking households -- not just in Mexico, where he lived and worked, but here in the States as well ... as his content was a staple for early morning children's programming. His most famous contribution might be his long-running variety show, "En Familia con Chabelo." He played the host -- in character as a little kid named Chabelo, dressed in childlike overalls, etc. -- and would play games, do interviews and more.

The fact this show, in particular, ran for so long (1968-2012) uninterrupted with him as the host actually won a couple Guinness World Records -- one for Longest Career as a Children’s Television Host and another for playing the Chabelo character in general (57 years).

Other hit shows he helped spearhead and star in include ... "La carabina de Ambrosio," "La Güereja y algo más," "La escuelita VIP," "La familia P. Luche," and many, many others.

Chabelo is credited with creating a whole subgenre of comedy in Latin America ... namely, adults portraying themselves as kids -- which has been done time and again over the years. This guy's the original ... and his passing is akin to losing someone like Fred Rogers.

He's survived by his wife and children. Chabelo was 88.