Comedy

Tiffany Haddish says she's in Israel to observe for herself what's going on in Gaza -- and she actually got choked up in defending herself against her harshest critics.

The actress/comedian joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday all the way from the holy land ... telling us how her visit is already educating her on the war in the Middle East -- and opening her eyes beyond what she's read in the news or seen online.

Tiffany says she wanted to take it all in for herself and experience what's happening on the ground ... because she doesn't tend to believe everything she sees/reads on the internet.

So what has Tiffany learned? Well, she says folks were dragged from their homes and taken hostage during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack -- not just that, but she explains how people were killed and kidnapped at a music festival that day too ... noting that while hundreds of hostages have been released since October, hundreds more still remain in captivity.

Tiffany -- who landed Tuesday in Israel -- tells us she's also there to see and weigh the scope of Israel's retaliation against Hamas ... which has left over 30,000 Palestinians dead.

It's a complicated situation, of course, with lots of religion and politics involved ... but Tiffany says the biggest thing to her is the human aspect -- and she wants peace on both sides.

While Tiffany confirmed she has Jewish ancestry 5 years ago via DNA testing, she tells us she's not only concerned about Jewish people in Gaza ... she's also worried about the Palestinians. And she insists ... that shouldn't be lost on anyone who's critical of her.

Tiffany says it's important to remember there are human beings and families at the center of all of this ... and that's who she wants to connect with -- and hear from -- on her visit.

We also asked Tiffany about some of the backlash she's getting for a video she recorded from the plane on her way to Israel -- and that's where you can hear her fighting back tears.

Tiffany got emotional defending her jokes about finding a husband over there -- something she quipped about on IG Live as she was flying over earlier this week -- and says she's got the courage to do something lots of single women wouldn't do on their own.

Emphasis on that last part ... Tiffany tells us she's all alone in this world, and it's heartbreaking. It's an interesting convo ... and Tiff tells us why she's following her instincts.

Donnell Rawlings se está defendiendo de su pelea con su compañero Corey Holcomb en Laugh Factory, diciéndonos que, si bien podría haber actuado de manera distinta, su rival apesta a hipocresía.

Conversamos con Donnell en "TMZ Live" el martes, donde nos dijo que la disputa se produjo porque quería protegerse de las acusaciones de Corey Holcomb de que cualquier persona en el mundo de la comedia que ha hecho tres películas o más ha tenido que hacerle una felación a alguien en el negocio, algo que él niega rotundamente.

Donnell Rawlings también señala que de acuerdo con IMDB, Corey también ha actuado en al menos 4 películas, por lo que es literalmente culpable de su propia broma. En otras palabras, el ataque en sí no tenía sentido.

En retrospectiva, Donnell admite que no debería haberle gritado a Corey, pero quería proteger su integridad y la de los comediantes que han hecho más de 3 películas.

También tenía rabia acumulada hacia Corey, pues le ha estado lanzando algunos dardos a su buen amigo Dave Chappelle durante años, por lo que también sintió la necesidad de dar la cara por él, pues es leal a sus amigos.

En general, no entiende la necesidad de los cómicos de crear controversia criticando a los demás, algo que ha estado sucediendo mucho últimamente.

Donnell Rawlings is defending his Laugh Factory beef with fellow comic Corey Holcomb ... telling us that while he could've gone about it differently, his rival reeks of hypocrisy.

We got Donnell on "TMZ Live" Tuesday ... where he tells us the spat ensued 'cause he wanted to shield himself from CH's allegations that anybody in comedy who's done 3 movies or more has had to perform fellatio on someone in the biz -- something he outright denies.

DR also notes that according to IMDB, Corey himself has performed in 4 movies ... telling us he's literally guilty of his own joke. In other words, the attack itself didn't make sense.

In hindsight, Donnell admits he shouldn't have yelled at Corey, but he wanted to protect his integrity and those in comedy who've done over 3 movies.

He also had fury built up from Corey taking shots at his good friend Dave Chappelle for years ... so he also felt the need to stick up for him, too, 'cause he's loyal to his pals.

In general, Donnell doesn't understand the need for comics to create controversy by taking shots at others ... something that's been happening quite a lot lately in epic fashion.

DC Young Fly is graciously asking the person responsible for swiping his bookbag to return it pronto ... because its sentimental value outweighs the financial gain in this caper.

Apparently, DC had a gig at the Hollywood Improv last night but discovered his bag had gone missing following the let-out of the show -- and he suspects it got taken by a thief.

The comedian/actor hoped on IG this morning with a passionate plea for the bag to be returned to him ... and it's incredibly sad, because he says there was something inside that was of the utmost importance to him.

According to DC, no cash or jewels were taken but, as it turns out, the backpack actually contained the death certificate of his girlfriend, Jacky Oh!, with whom he had 3 children.

As we reported ...Jacky died last May due to complications from cosmetic surgery and like we told you, no foul play was suspected in her death. It was just a tragic accident.

DC's not asking for anything crazy here ... he literally just wants his bag back, and is hoping his message reaches the right people and that they'll do the right thing and return it.

DC Young Fly le está pidiendo amablemente a la persona responsable del robo de su bolso que se lo devuelva pronto, porque su valor sentimental es mayor que la ganancia financiera.

Al parecer, DC tenía un show en el Hollywood Improv anoche, y descubrió que su bolso había desaparecido a la salida del espectáculo y sospecha que se lo llevó un ladrón.

El comediante y actor apareció en Insta esta mañana pidiendo de manera muy sentida que le devuelvan el bolso, y es increíblemente triste, porque dice que había algo dentro que era de suma importancia para él.

Según DC, no se llevaron dinero ni joyas, pero resulta que la mochila en realidad contenía el certificado de defunción de su novia, Jacky Oh!, con la que tuvo tres hijos.

Como ya informamos, Jacky falleció el pasado mes de mayo debido a complicaciones derivadas de una cirugía estética y como ya dijimos, no hubo rastros de actividad sospechosa, fue solo un trágico accidente.

DC no está pidiendo nada raro, literalmente solo quiere que su bolso de vuelta y está esperando que su mensaje llegue a las personas adecuadas y que van a hacer lo correcto y lo devolverán.

Larsa Pippen y su relación con Marcus Jordan salió a relucir durante una rutina de stand-up el fin de semana.

TMZ Sports obtuvo el video del momento incómodo en la reunión organizada por Russell y Teddy Berman, que muestra Greg Wilson aprovechando la presencia de la pareja para entretener a la multitud.

"Larsa Pippen está aquí con Marcus Jordan", dijo Greg al comienzo de su roast. "Eres una leyenda. Eres la única persona que ha conseguido j*** a Scottie Pippen y a Michael Jordan al mismo tiempo".

"Eres básicamente el mejor New York Knick de todos los tiempos", añadió. "Usted debe estar en su anillo de honor".

El jab fue recibido con algunas risas, pero está claro que el ambiente fue un poco incómodo.

Por supuesto, no es ningún secreto que la relación entre Larsa y Marcus ha irritado a algunos, teniendo en cuenta que el ex marido de Pippen ODIA a los padres de Jordan y un montón de gente se ha manifestado en redes sociales.

Finalmente, Wilson se salió con la suya jugando en terreno peligroso.

No fue un roast solo para los tortolitos -quienes parecían disfrutar de su compañía durante todo el evento- también sufrieron los *NSYNC, Chris Kirkpatrick y Joey Fatone, Jonathan Cheban y otros.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan's relationship was put in the crosshairs during a stand-up routine over the weekend ... with a comedian cracking a savage joke right in their faces!!

TMZ Sports obtained video of the uncomfortable moment at 10XLaw.com's Miami Beach gathering hosted by Russell and Teddy Berman ... which shows Greg Wilson taking advantage of Larcus' presence as he entertained the crowd on the mic.

"Larsa Pippen is here with Marcus Jordan," Greg said at the start of his roast. "You're a legend. You're the only person that's ever managed to f*** up both Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan at the same time."

"You're basically the greatest New York Knick of all time," he added. "You should be in their ring of honor."

The jab was met with some laughs ... but it's clear the vibe was a bit awkward.

Of course, it's no secret Larsa and Marcus' relationship has ruffled some feathers considering Pippen's ex-husband HATES Jordan's pops ... and a lot of folks have chimed in on social media.

But, Wilson didn't need a keyboard to fire off his take ... which is more than any internet troll can say.

It wasn't just a roast sesh for the two lovebirds, though -- they appeared to enjoy themselves throughout the event ... which also featured *NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone, Jonathan Cheban and others.

D.L. Hughley's moving on from his feud with Mo'Nique ... saying he's a grown-ass man who doesn't think every argument needs a resolution, and this one definitely will NOT!

We got the comedian/actor out in New York City, where we asked about his very public beef with the Oscar winner ... and wondered if he'd be interested in a sit down with her on Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast.

You gotta see how D.L. immediately shot down any notion of that happening ... because it sounds like he's not too thrilled with Shannon, either.

Hughley said he'd never go on "Club Shay Shay," and he's definitely not reaching out to Mo'Nique 'cause he's convinced they've both said all they need to say.

Remember ... Mo'Nique went after a bunch of entertainment industry folks on Sharpe's podcast, and specifically said D.L. offended her on his radio show during an interview.

She demanded the segment not air -- a request D.L. said he agreed to in the same social media rant where he called her a "liar" earlier this month.

D.L. told us he's not backing down on a single word he said about Mo'Nique ... saying he's got zero regrets and doesn't need to reconcile with her because they're both adults who said what they said.

Basically, Hughley says they "don't have to be in the same space," and he adds, it's a "fallacy" to believe folks who don't see eye to eye have to reconcile.

BTW ... this isn't the first time Hughley and Mo'Nique have had beef. Back in 2022, a contract dispute over who was supposed to headline a comedy show resulted in Mo'Nique calling out D.L. for saying he didn't believe his daughter at first when she said she was sexually assaulted.

Mo'Nique apologized for bringing up his daughter, but Hughley told us at the time arguments like the one with her just weren't worth his time -- pretty much exactly how he still feels today.

Mike Epps no se asusta con las amenazas de Shannon Sharpe, quien asegura que las calles no son seguras para él... esto después de que el cómico recientemente bromeara a sus expensas.

La reciente amenaza de Shannon fue en su pódcast con Chad OchoCino, en el que Shannon afirmó que Mike había mentido sobre su nombre (más sobre esto más adelante). El propio Mike se pronunció en línea para hacerle frente a ella el lunes, aclarando el asunto.

A propósito, Mike hizo un monólogo hace una semana donde se burló de Shannon y de sus entrevistas virales en el "Club Shay Shay", en particular la de Katt Williams. En su set, Mike dijo algunas bromas homofóbicas a expensas de Shannon, lo cual llamó la atención y encendió su furia.

El domingo -mientras grababa su pódcast con Chad- Shannon se descargó contra Mike sin nombrarlo y dijo que las bromas homosexuales no le molestaban, pero la "mentira" sí lo hizo. Además, sugirió que se enfrentaría a Mike pronto.

Bueno, Mike tiene una respuesta, explicando que le envió un mensaje a Shannon después de la entrevista ahora infame con Katt, durante la cual Mike dice que sintió que Shannon estaba tratando de provocar a Katt para que criticara a su ex compañero de "Friday", a pesar de que nunca lo hizo.

Mike dice que cree que Shannon está tratando de hacer que la gente diga cosas salvajes sobre los demás solo para ganar clics, y sobre la cuestión de reunirse, Mike dice que no hay problema.

Ahora, él nota que ya no hay más polémica, y parece que no quiere ponerse físico con el ex tight end (francamente, nadie quiere), pero sigue burlándose de Shannon.

A propósito, Mike tiene algunas palabras para el compañero de Shannon, Chad, y algunos insultos extra.

Mike y Shannon están obligados a cruzar sus caminos el próximo fin de semana en el NBA All-Star Weekend 2024, que solo se celebra en la ciudad natal de Mike de Indianápolis. Así que, las cosas realmente están sucediendo.

1:05 PM PT -- And just like that, there will be no Naptown beatdown during NBA All-Star Weekend from either Mike Epps or Shannon Sharpe's camps ... the "Club Shay Shay" host is issuing an apology for escalating the situation and promises a "man-to-man" sit down soon.

Mike Epps isn't backing down from Shannon Sharpe's apparent threat that the streets aren't safe for him ... this, after the comic recently took some big shots at the HOF'er.

In response to SS's recent tirade against him on his podcast with Chad OchoCino -- in which Shannon claimed Mike had lied on his name (more on this later) -- ME himself hopped online to address it Monday ... clarifying who reached out to who, and what the deal is.

ICYMI ... Mike did a stand-up set about a week ago where he made fun of Shannon and his viral "Club Shay Shay" interviews lately, particularly the Katt Williams one. In his set, Mike said Shannon had reached out to him for a follow-up sit-down -- and then went on to make some homophobic jokes at Shannon's expense ... all of which caught Shannon's attention/fury.

On Sunday -- while recording his pod with Chad -- Shannon unloaded on Mike without ever naming him -- and said the gay jokes didn't bother him ... but the "lying," as he put it, did. He went to suggest he'd be confronting Mike about this soon, and perhaps more.

Welp, Mike's got a response to Shannon now ... explaining he had actually DM'd Shannon in the aftermath of Katt's now-infamous interview -- during which Mike says he felt Shannon was trying to bait KW into trashing his former 'Friday' costar, even though he never did.

Mike says he thinks Shannon is out here trying to get people to say wild things about others just for clicks -- and on the issue of meeting up ... ME says they can do that too.

Now, he does note he doesn't fight anymore -- so it doesn't sound like he wants to get physical with the former tight end (frankly, nobody does) ... but he continues to taunt SS.

BTW ... Mike has some shots for Shannon's pod partner, Chad, and some insults to boot.

Mike and Shannon are bound to cross paths next weekend at 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend ... which just happens to be in Mike's hometown of Indianapolis. So ... things are happening.

Cheryl Hines isn't blaming Larry David for beating up Elmo ... saying producers should've known better than to put the two of them on the same set.

The actress -- who starred alongside Larry in 101 episodes of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" -- defended her television ex-husband during Wednesday's episode of "Literally with Rob Lowe," saying the people behind the show should've known something was bound to go down.

CH said quite frankly, "He doesn't care. He doesn't care about a puppet! He doesn't care about human beings" ... maybe a bit harsh, but Larry has cultivated a sourpuss persona over the years.

CH continued by saying Larry's made a career out of telling people he doesn't care about their feelings ... so obviously a puppet preaching mental health lessons was bound to set him off.

Cheryl made it clear Elmo didn't do anything wrong -- saying he didn't "ask for this" -- and instead pinning the blame on showrunners.

It's all clearly in good fun for Cheryl ... though others in the television industry didn't take the attack as well as she did.

As we previously reported ... Wil Wheaton completely torched David online after video of his appearance on 'Today' went viral. The 'Star Trek' actor blasted LD, saying his attack triggered traumatic memories of his own abuse at the hands of his father.

Larry's yet to respond to Wil's condemnation ... but if Cheryl or his on-camera "apologies" are to be believed, it's unlikely WW's getting a genuine "sorry" anytime soon.

Shane Gillis has some explaining to do when he hosts "Saturday Night Live" ... according to Asian advocacy group reps who say it's not too late to make amends for his racist remarks.

The comedian is scheduled to host on February 24 ... this after Lorne Michaels fired him from the show in 2019 for making distasteful jokes directed at Asians.

Shane made the comments during a 2018 podcast, referring to noodles as "nooders" and using a derogatory term for Asians in an expletive-laden discussion about Chinatown. Many people remain outraged by Gillis' jokes .. but the comedian is now being offered a path forward if he wants to right a wrong.

Jo-Ann Yoo, the executive director of the Asian American Federation, tells TMZ ... Shane getting tapped to host is bad timing, considering the Asian community has been devastated by a wave of hate that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. She says people in the community don't need to be reminded of the type of rhetoric that caused that trend.

However ... if Shane's serious about making amends, Yoo invites him to cut a check to the org's Hope Against Hate campaign, and join their food tours for a real Asian cuisine experience.

Yoo says she's planning to tune in ... not for Shane, but rather for what she proudly calls the Bowen Yang Variety Hour. Of course, Bowen Yang is the first Asian-American hire at 'SNL.'

Over at The Asian American Foundation, CEO Norman Chen says he hopes Shane has learned from his experiences and expects him to issue a "genuine" apology on 'SNL.'

Chen tells us his org was "disheartened" to hear Shane was invited to host, saying ... "Asian Americans are not the punchline of a joke. While these jokes may result in cheap laughs, they also result in real-world, deadly consequences for Asian Americans."

Now, Shane did apologize on social media after his 'SNL' firing, saying ... "I'm a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, you're going to find a lot of bad misses. I'm happy to apologize to anyone who's actually offended by anything I've said. My intention is never to hurt anyone but I am trying to be the best comedian I can be and sometimes that requires risks."

However, Chen says that apology seems to be scrubbed from Shane's X (formerly Twitter) account, and his foundation wants to know if the apology still stands -- and, if so, a global stage like 'SNL' would be a great place to reaffirm it on camera.

Katt Williams and Mo'Nique's sharing their "truth" on "Club Shay Shay" was the worst possible move for the Black community ... at least in Judge Mathis' eyes.

The man has been paid to have an honest gauge on uneasy situations -- legal, ethical and otherwise -- and according to Hizzoner, he rules that all this mud-slinging stinks. On Friday, Mathis held court on his IG page and called for an end to the recent missiles launched in the public eye amongst Black entertainers.

He didn't single out Katt and Mo by name but the social media space has been in shambles since Katt's interview aired on January 3 ... and Mo followed suit this week -- even joining KW's nationwide tour with other comics who seem to have bones to pick.

Judge Mathis didn't bite his tongue -- he called the feeding frenzy an embarrassment to Black culture and feels it his gut that big H'wood execs and studios are silently laughing on the sidelines.

He also pointed out he doesn't see other cultures tearing each other down in public ... just Black people being the sideshow spectacle -- that's how's he framing his argument here.

The 63-year-old justice admitted he doesn't always keep his cool in his own courtroom but notes those outbursts are spun into entertainment for his TV shows.

Judge Mathis concluded by stressing that these stars' issues should be hashed out in private settings ... instead of setting bad examples.

We'll see if Shannon Sharpe takes a breather with these interviews -- or if he keeps on bringing celebs with more grievances to air. On its face, he seems inclined toward the latter.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are stirring up memories of past high-profile NFL couples -- including one controversial ex-couple -- at least for Keegan-Michael Key.

KMK hosted the NFL Honors -- the league's annual end-of-season award ceremony -- and, obviously, the funnyman had to bring up Traylor.

He pointed out Kelce isn't the first NFL baller to date a pop star ... name-dropping Russell Wilson and Ciara and Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson before cracking a joke about Brad Paisley and Peyton Manning's friendship.

While Russ and Ciara are still going strong nearly a decade into their relationship, JS and TR didn't make it nearly that long ... with their relationship causing constant drama for the pair.

You'll recall ... Romo and Simpson started dating in late 2007, and just like T-Swift, Simpson became a huge staple in the crowd at Dallas Cowboys games.

Dallas struggled in 2008 though -- the first full season Simpson and Romo dated -- missing out on a playoff spot by one measly tie to the rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Some fans, rather unfairly, blamed the team's issues on Romo and Simpson's relationship ... the couple broke up the following year after Tony found out Jessica was still in contact with her ex, John Mayer.

Worth noting ... Romo's been very supportive of Swift and Kelce since they took their relationship public in September -- recently saying he's rooting for the couple to marry after accidentally referring to Swift as Kelce's wife back in December.

BTW, Key made a few more jokes involving Swift and Kelce though none at the couple's expense ... instead poking fun at the Carolina Panthers and ex-Pats head coach Bill Belichick.

Mo'Nique has a new ally after trashing Hollywood elites on "Club Shay Shay," one who might inspire her to spill more tea -- she's hitting the road with Katt Williams for his "Dark Matter" tour!!!

She and her husband/manager Sidney Hicks casually squeezed in the announcement Thursday during an Instagram Live that primarily focused on applying more pressure on D.L. Hughley ... amid their current mud slingin'.

Mo'Nique revealed she'll be joining Katt's band of comics as early as tomorrow ... Mark Curry and Torrei Hart are also attached to the tour, so now they've got 4 chests with a lot of stress to unload! What's interesting is most of them are aiming at the same targets!

We recently spoke to Mark, who sarcastically laughed off Steve Harvey stealing his jokes in the past -- something Katt raised with Shannon Sharpe -- but added he's got plenty of new zingers for Katt's tour.

Torrei also told us she's out to prove she can stand on her own outside the shadow of her ex-husband Kevin Hart.

The tour's rolling through May -- so, Steve, Oprah and Tyler Perry's ears are gonna be burning for a while.

Charlamagne Tha God está lamiendo sus heridas a raíz de la entrevista de Mo'Nique con "Club Shay Shay" y pidiéndole disculpas por su papel en el declive de su carrera.

El jueves, CTG se llamó a sí mismo el "Burro del Día", 6 años después de que hiciera lo mismo con Mo'Nique por burlarse de su cruzada contra Netflix por no pagarle lo mismo que a sus compañeros como Chris Rock y Amy Schumer.

Mo'Nique demandó a Netflix en 2019 por discriminación. Luego el caso se resolvió fuera de los tribunales en 2022, y también consiguió que su especial se emitiera al año siguiente.

A instancias de DJ Envy y Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne admitió que debería haberse metido en sus asuntos y se disculpó con Mo y su esposo Sidney por sus comentarios.

Mo'Nique mencionó "Donkey Of The Day" en su especial de Netflix y en "Club Shay Shay", por lo que el desaire claramente estuvo presente en su mente todo este tiempo.

Mientras Charlamagne está aligerando las cosas con Mo'Nique, D.L. Hughley no le está dando tregua y la destrozó en un largo despotrique por su cuenta.