Comedy

Seth MacFarlane says "Family Guy" is still chugging along a quarter century after it first aired ... and the show's not ending any time soon.

The "Family Guy" creator reflected on his wildly successful animated series on the 25th anniversary of its FOX debut ... revealing the secret to the show's longevity, and what's in store moving forward.

In an interview with The Wrap, Seth says 'FG' is "still surviving and thriving" with a sizeable audience who enjoys what he and his writing team keep cranking out.

FOX renewed "Family Guy" in January 2023 for 2 more seasons ... and Seth says, "There's no indication that the show is going to end anytime soon."

Seth's creation first aired way back on Jan. 31, 1999 ... and he admits it feels "strange" to reach the anniversary milestone.

With over 400 episodes, Seth has a tough time singling one out as his all-time favorite ... and there've been so many jokes over the years, he says he only has vague memories of everything.

"Family Guy" is at 22 seasons and counting, and Seth says the show's made it this far because it's funny and makes people laugh ... he says that's the ultimate goal and it's never changed.

Shaun Weiss is celebrating another milestone in his amazing turnaround ... and the 'Mighty Ducks' star is marking the occasion with some other kid actors from back in the day.

Shaun reached 4 years sober Thursday, and he was surrounded by a whos who of '90s stars at the Corbin Bowl in Tarzana, CA ... where he thanked everyone who helped him stay on the straight and narrow and performed some of his stand-up comedy routines.

Thomas Ian Nicholas from the 'American Pie' franchise and "Rookie of The Year" provided some of the night's entertainment ... singing and playing guitar.

Other '90s celebs supporting Shaun included ... Nate Richert from "Sabrina The Teenage Witch," Natanya Ross from "The Secret World of Amex Mack," Marty York from "The Sandlot," plus John Diresta from "Mickey Blue Eyes" and "Miss Congeniality."

The milestone is huge for Shaun ... he seemed to hit rock bottom back in 2020 when he was arrested for burglary and meth, posing for an infamous mug shot. Back then, he used to live on the streets.

In the years since, Shaun's cleaned up his act, his look and gotten back into Hollywood ... landing a movie gig and doing stand-up comedy.

Looks like Shaun's got a pretty good support system too.

Jay Leno brought his wife, Mavis, with him to his weekly comedy gig this weekend -- this after revealing in court documents she suffers from dementia ... and it's a brave move.

The couple went out to enjoy Jay's Sunday evening show at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, CA ... putting on a united front after Jay took the first step in becoming conservator of his wife's estate just last Friday.

They certainly weren't hiding away from cameras here -- Jay and Mavis held hands as they slowly made their way into the venue ... and on their way out, Mavis was chatting with some friends. The message they seem to be telegraphing ... we're carrying on like normal.

TMZ broke the story ... Jay filed docs Friday to become conservator of Mavis' estate, claiming she may not have the wherewithal to take care of herself because she suffers from dementia. Our sources say Mavis has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

There's no indication Jay and Mavis are at odds over a potential conservatorship ... they've been happily married for going on 44 years, and Sunday's outing is further proof their bond remains strong.

It's interesting that Jay felt comfortable enough to bring Mavis out so publicly in the wake of that -- like we said, it speaks to a number of things ... including breaking down stigmas about Alzheimer's and dementia. That's one way to interpret this anyway.

In any case, ya gotta figure that a little bit of laughter never hurts the situation ... and Jay can provide plenty of those and then some.

Jess Hilarious is officially in at "The Breakfast Club" -- and her announcement is heavy on the petty, as it highlights several podcasters who accused her of jumping the gun when she first announced it a month ago.

The Baltimore-born comedian made the grand reveal, for real this time, on Monday morning with a video trailer ... using the song "Sirius," made popular by the Michael Jordan era Chicago Bulls.

Most of the soundbites in the video come from guys like Akademiks, Joe Budden, Corey Holcomb, Uncle Murda -- basically everyone who danced on her grave thinking she had missed the boat.

Her ex-boyfriend Kountry Wayne recently dragged her with the assumption 'Breakfast Club' passed her by ... he has to update his bit now also!!!

If you remember, TMZ Hip Hop spoke to Charlamagne tha God just a couple of weeks ago about Jess announcing the slot but being MIA afterward, and he acted like he didn't have the foggiest idea what was happening with her.

Jess With the Mess went viral this past Christmas Eve when a video of her announcing the new gig hit the web and the radio silence gave her opps the opp to sound off.

Ellen DeGeneres hit the gym hard for her 66th birthday, impressing her wife, Portia De Rossi, who pulled out a camera phone and started recording the intense workout.

The former talk show host celebrated another year on the planet Friday by pumping iron and doing other strenuous exercises at the gym, proving that she's as fit as an Olympian.

Portia was right there by Ellen's side, shooting it all on video, which was later posted on Instagram.

Check it out ... Ellen started off lifting dumbbells while asking Portia who was filming her, "Are you saying this is what 66 looks like?'

Portia sweetly replied, "what your 66 looks like."

Ellen then did one-arm overhead presses using a single dumbbell before pushing a large piece of exercise equipment across the gym floor and ending her routine with a series of pullups. Pretty Impressive, Ellen!

Portia thought so too, writing in the IG caption, "My darling wife! You continue to amaze me and inspire me. Happy Birthday to the strongest, sweetest, most brilliant person I know."

Jay Leno is taking steps to manage his wife's affairs ... in the form of a conservatorship.

The comedian filed legal docs Friday to become conservator of his wife Mavis Leno's estate ... according to court records.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... Jay's wife suffers from Alzheimer's disease.

The diagnosis, our source says, is the basis of the conservatorship ... meaning Jay's wife may not have the wherewithal to take care of herself.

We've seen Jay out in public with Mavis as recently as November, when they were photographed together at a comedy event in Los Angeles.

It's unclear when Jay's wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's -- a progressive disease that starts with memory loss and is the most common type of dementia.

Jay and Mavis have been together for decades ... tying the knot way back in 1980 after meeting in the 1970s at the famous Comedy Store in West Hollywood.

George Carlin's estate is getting the law involved over the AI special, "George Carlin: I'm Glad I'm Dead" ... suing the creators for the "bastardization of Carlin's real work and legacy."

The copyright infringement lawsuit, filed Thursday in a California federal court, is accusing media company Dudesy of condensing 5 decades worth of the influential comic's standup routines to train an AI chatbot ... mimicking his voice and humor for the special -- without consent or compensation.

The docs also make it clear they're not happy with George's voice/likeness used for promo purposes -- rubbishing the special as a "piece of computer-generated click-bait which detracts from the value of Carlin's comedic works and harms his reputation."

They're asking for an immediate removal of the special and destruction of all copies as well as unspecified damages.

The hour-long special featuring a robot version of George doing standup has been available on YouTube since January 9th -- and the late icon's daughter Kelly Carlin-McCall has been the biggest denouncer of the project ... releasing a statement stating no technology could replicate her father's genius.

On "TMZ Live," she echoed the same sentiments ... telling us the AI program had her dad's name, but that's about where the comparisons end ... adding the computer botched her dad's comedic cadence and just didn't capture the magic like he once did.

Kelly's wish to have it removed could likely be granted if Tom Brady's recent legal win is anything to go by. The athlete successfully got his own AI-generated comedy special from the same platform removed from the internet.

Hasan Minhaj almost ended "The Daily Show" producers' search for a permanent host months ago ... only for his embellishing scandal to blow the deal -- according to reports.

Here's the deal ... The Hollywood Reporter gave fans of 'TDS' an inside look at how Jon Stewart's return to Comedy Central's flagship satirical news show came to fruition -- and Minhaj got name-dropped in the piece.

Basically, THR says the deal was right at the finish line, just needing to cross the t's and dot the i's over the summer to bring HM on as Trevor Noah's replacement ... until the New Yorker published their exposé on Hasan embellishing stories in his stand-up special.

Remember, the magazine alleged Hasan hammed up stories for the shock value ... including one about taking his daughter to the hospital because of an anthrax scare and another where he said he was turned down by a girl he asked out because of his race -- something the woman in question flat-out denied BTW.

Minhaj -- who appeared as a guest host in the year-plus since Noah went off the air -- has defended himself, denying some of the New Yorker's assertions ... but THR says the scandal was "suddenly seen as a liability" so higher-ups backed off hiring him.

The backlash to Hasan's scandal was swift ... with some comedians frustrated over Minhaj saying they all embellish with their stand-ups. Bill Maher straight-up called the guy a liar on an episode of his show back in October.

As we previously reported ... producers recently announced a tried and true part-time option -- bringing back Jon Stewart to host the show on Mondays through election season and executive produce the show through at least 2025. Hosting duties from Tuesday to Thursday will be handled by correspondents on a rotating basis.

Mark Normand fue retirado del escenario en medio de su show de stand-up esta semana y se convirtió en un momento de miedo... porque el público finalmente le pidió que abandonara el escenario.

El comediante estuvo el miércoles por la noche en el famoso Club de la Comedia de Nueva York, cuando de repente hubo una reacción extraña en la multitud, la cual no era tan grande, por lo que la conmoción muy notable y sospechosa.

Mark se dio cuenta y torpemente trató de averiguar lo que estaba pasando desde el micrófono, bromeando y tratando de mantener las cosas ligeras, hasta que le pidierom que se retirara.

Es bastante extraño, y se puede decir que el público empezó a entrar en pánico, porque nadie decía lo que estaba pasando o si alguien estaba en peligro. Finalmente, se les pidió que fueran por el productor del espectáculo, aunque, no hubo ninguna explicación adecuada de por qué pasó lo que pasó.

La gente comenzó a levantarse de sus asientos y mientras el productor les pidió que mantuvieran la calma, es difícil decir si realmente lo hicieron. Super raro y muy preocupante.

Aún más extraño es el hecho de que el propio Mark ha estado tuiteando el jueves por la mañana como si nada hubiera pasado, aunque habló por Insta para tratar de dar explicaciones.

Él escribió: "Algo muy raro pasó el día de hoy, mi equipo todavía está tratando de reunir los detalles, lo siento por los fans." Suena como si ni siquiera él supiera que es lo que pasó. Algunos han sospechado que se trataba de algún tipo de truco... pensando en el tipo de humor de Mark, pero él asegura que no es el caso.

2:49 PM PT -- As it turns out, we were all duped by whatever happened at Mark Normand's set last night -- 'cause now the comedy club itself is saying it was all a staged stunt.

The New York Comedy Club posted a statement to their IG page apologizing for causing the panic, but noting that there was some filming going on ... and that it was all part of some production. They're offering a free show to those who got the boot -- so that's that.

Mark Normand was whisked away in the middle of his stand-up show this week -- and it made for a scary moment ... because the audience was eventually asked to GTFO, too.

The comedian was in the middle of a set Wednesday night at the famed New York Comedy Club, when all of a sudden ... there was some frantic activity out in the crowd -- which wasn't all that big, making the commotion very noticeable and suspicious.

Mark noticed it too ... and he awkwardly tried figuring out what was going on from the mic -- cracking jokes/attempting to keep things light, that is ... until he was asked to bounce, too.

It's pretty freaky ... and you can tell the audience started panicking, because nobody was saying what was happening and if anyone was in danger. Eventually, they were asked to leave by the producer of the show ... although, no proper explanation was given for why.

People started getting up from their seats and filing out, and while the producer asked them to keep calm -- it's hard to say if they actually did or not. Super weird, and very concerning.

Even more bizarre is the fact that Mark himself has been tweeting Thursday morning as if nothing happened -- although, he did hop on IG to somewhat address what the deal was.

He wrote, "Some s*** went down tonight my team is still trying to put together the details, sorry to the fans." On its face, it sounds like not even he knows why this unfolded. Some have suspected this was some kind of stunt -- in line with MN's humor -- but it ain't.

We've reached out to Mark's team and the club itself for clarification ... so far, no word back.

Bill Bellamy is laying his thoughts bare on fellow comedian Natasha Leggero flashing her boobs at her recent Improv show ... saying if men can do it, why not women?!

We got the stand-up comic in Beverly Hills Tuesday ... and he says it was pretty boss to see a lady feel free and confident enough to push the envelope in the male-dominated field by stripping down and showing off her body for all to see.

He goes on to point out this business's sexist double standards ... noting that funnyman Bert Kreischer taking his shirt off before Natasha went up was a non-issue -- but when she did the same thing, it caught everyone off guard, and stirred shock/outrage among some.

Bill wants other women to have the same exposure as Natasha in the comedy world  ... cause they give dudes a different life perspective -- and there's enough room onstage for their stories.

As for Natasha, he's giving her an extra round of applause, 'cause he says her cleavage was all-natural -- implying it was a rare feat for someone living in looks-obsessed L.A. In other words, he's complimenting her body ... as have lots of people who got an eyeful.

Anyway, Bill jokes that she should cash in on her new fame on a platform such as OnlyComedians instead of OnlyFans -- a separate haven for people wanting to be both funny and risqué ... just ask Whitney Cummings about that.

Bill Bellamy apoya a Natasha Leggero por mostrar sus pechos en su reciente espectáculo y dice que si los hombres pueden hacerlo, ¿por qué no las mujeres?

Tuvimos al cómico en Beverly Hills el martes y dice que es muy impresionante ver a una mujer que se siente libre y lo suficientemente segura como para desenvolverse en un campo dominado por los hombres y además, desnudarse y mostrar su cuerpo.

El humorista Bert Kreischer se quitó la camiseta antes de que Natasha subiera al escenario, pero cuando ella hizo lo mismo, sorprendió a todo el mundo y provocó la indignación de algunos.

Bill quiere que otras mujeres tengan la misma exposición que Natasha en el mundo de la comedia, porque le dan a los hombres una perspectiva diferente de la vida y hay suficiente espacio en el escenario para sus historias.

En cuanto a Natasha, él le da una ronda extra de aplausos, porque él dice que su escote era totalmente natural, lo que implica que era una hazaña rara para alguien que vive en L.A. obsesionado con la apariencia.

De todos modos, Bill bromea con que ella debería sacarle provecho a su nueva fama en una plataforma como OnlyComedians en lugar de OnlyFans, un refugio separado para las personas que quieren ser a la vez divertidas y atrevidas, solo hay que preguntarle a Whitney Cummings al respecto.

Torrei Hart is advising everyone upset she's touring with Katt Williams -- after he took big swipes at her ex-husband Kevin Hart -- to get over their emotions, she's booked and ready to hit the road!!!

TMZ Hip Hop recently caught up with Torrei in Burbank, where she explained she and Katt have a longstanding friendship dating back 20 years ... and he simply picked her to join on his "Dark Matter" Tour because she's "funny as f***!!!"

Katt set off the year with his roasting of Kevin -- and several other Black comics on Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast -- but Torrei says her history with Katt is set in stone, and she isn't involved in their "beef."

Self-assurance aside, Torrei says she feels like it's her time to step into her own spotlight outside Kevin's shadow ... she maintains she's a 15-year comedy vet, climbing through the ranks of the chitlin' circuit and deserves this moment!!!

She intentionally named her own tour "No Hart Feelings," so haters can stay mad!!!

Dave Chappelle le está respondiendo a Katt Williams y parece bastante enojado.

El controvertido actor y comediante hizo un stand-up en el San José Improv el viernes por la noche, donde compartió su decepción con Katt. Resulta que estaba particularmente indignado de que su compañero comediante hiciera bromas a costa de exclusivamente comediantes afroamericanos.

Dave dijo: "No dijo nada sobre ninguno de estos chicos blancos. Ninguno de estos chicos blancos funciona así". Básicamente, Dave parece estar diciendo que no está viendo comediantes blancos atacándose entre sí, sin embargo, Katt hizo todo lo contrario, despotricando contra comediantes afroamericanos.

Chappelle añadió que "las personas heridas daña a la gente", y reconoció que él mismo es una persona herida... y no se le ve lanzando veneno a sus compañeros cómicos.

Él defendió a un par de objetivos de Katt, específicamente a Cedric the Entertainer y Steve Harvey. Aunque a ambos les dieron duro en el escenario.

Cedric se llevó la peor parte. Chappelle dijo que ir después de Cedric no tenía sentido (Katt dijo que robaba chistes), ya que es "viejo" y "gordo". Poadríamos pensar que Cedric tiene a Dave entre ceja y ceja por esos adjetivos.

En cuanto a Steve, Dave dijo que no debería recibir ningún ataque porque está fuera del juego de stand-up en este momento, centrándose más en la presentación de programas de televisión como "Family Feud" y "Judge Steve Harvey".

Chappelle añadió su imitación de Katt también -lleno de blasfemias y una voz aguda- antes de señalar que Katt nunca se enfocó en sí mismo, y en lugar de eso se preocupó de lo que los otros comediantes afroamericanos se decían el uno al otro.

Otro gran momento fue cuando Dave rechazó la afirmación de que lo que hizo Katt era bueno para la comedia -un argumento que el comediante Deray Davis trató de demostrar en el escenario- diciendo que él lanzó un especial el mismo día de la entrevista y lo hizo bien.

Si aún no has oído los comentarios de Williams... ¡maldita sea, fueron muchos! Le lanzó veneno a Cedric, Steve, Ludacris, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Trick Daddy y muchos más. Algunos le han respondido a Katt, mientras que otros se han mantenido en silencio.

Dave Chappelle's responding to Katt Williams' viral Club Shay Shay interview ... and he's pissed about who KW went and fired at.

The controversial actor/comedian did a stand-up set at MonDeRays at the Hollywood Improv Friday night where he shared his disappointment with Katt -- particularly outraged that his fellow comedian exclusively went after Black comedians.

DC said, "He ethered n*****. He didn't say anything about any of these white boys. None of these white boys function like that." Basically, Dave seems to be saying he's not seeing white comedians rake each other over the coals ... but Katt went after a whole lotta Black artists.

Chappelle added that "hurt people hurt people," but acknowledged he, himself, is also a hurt person ... and you don't see him throwing shade at his fellow comics.

He did defend a couple of Katt's targets -- specifically Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey -- though both guys caught a couple strays in his defense.

CTE got it worse ... Chappelle said going after Cedric -- who Katt said was stealing jokes -- makes no sense because he's "old" and "fat" ... ya gotta think Cedric might be throwing a bit of side-eye at Dave for those adjectives.

As for SH, Dave said he shouldn't draw any ire because he's out of the stand-up game at this point -- focusing more on hosting TV shows like "Family Feud" and "Judge Steve Harvey."

Chappelle added his impersonation of Katt too -- full of profanity and a high-pitched voice -- before pointing out KW never really copped to anything he did ... instead choosing to focus on what other comedians did to one another.

Another big moment ... Dave rejected the claim what Katt did was good for comedy -- an argument comedian Deray Davis tried to make onstage -- saying quite simply that he put a special out the same day as the interview ... and it did fine.

If you haven't heard Williams' comments by now ... damn, there were a lot! He went after Cedric, Steve, Ludacris, Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Trick Daddy and a crap ton more -- some have responded to Katt while others have stayed quiet.

El número de comedia de Natasha Leggero se convirtió en un strip tease desnuda en el Hollywood Improv la semana pasada después de que se quitara la ropa y le mostrara sus tetas a la multitud.

Según Leggero y un video impactante obtenido por TMZ, así es como fue el espectáculo.

Natasha subió al escenario del Improv el miércoles por la noche después de que el cómico Bert Kreischer arrasara con su primera actuación de la noche, la cual que incluía arrancarse la camisa y contar chistes desnudo de cintura para arriba. Al público le encantó.

Así que a Leggero se le ocurrió la idea de copiar la actuación de Bert con el torso desnudo, ya que era un número muy difícil de seguir. Lo dijo así: "Si los chicos pueden hacerlo, ¿por qué no las chicas?". Buena observación, Natasha.

Pero Leggero mantuvo su plan en secreto porque quería seguir su instinto y no quería que nadie intentara disuadirla.

Después de que su amigo Bert triunfó en el escenario por segunda vez, presentó a Natasha para la siguiente vuelta, mientras desfilaba con la camiseta puesta.

Ahora, aquí es donde las cosas se pusieron realmente interesantes, ya que la cámara se encendió y comenzó a grabar.

Échale un vistazo, Natasha está haciendo un baile sexy delante de todos ya que son completamente ajenos a lo que está a punto de suceder. Primero se quita la chaqueta, luego los tirantes del mono y después la camiseta, dejando completamente al descubierto sus pechos desnudos.

Todo el lugar se vuelve loco, especialmente los tíos del público. De hecho, uno de ellos grita: "¡Santo cielo!".

Leggero se echa hacia atrás la chaqueta para cubrirse las tetas antes de sumergirse en su número cómico mientras el clip se corta.

El divertido show de Natasha fue parte del evento Comedy Rocks de Skyler Stone en el Improv, que también contó con varios otros comediantes de primera como David Spade y Tiffany Haddish.