Humor

Some of the closest people to Norm Macdonald didn't know the comedian was battling cancer for a decade ... so the surprising and sudden loss floored them as much as it did fans.

We got 'Tonight Show' announcer and producer Steve Higgins in New York City and asked how he's dealing with Norm's death. They'd worked very closely ... Steve was an 'SNL' writer when Norm was a star cast member.

Steve says they were really close outside of work too, and he's taking Norm's death hard ... because he had no clue his friend was diagnosed years ago.

He also explained -- with a vivid and perfect metaphor -- exactly why everyone in the comedy community loved Norm.

Steve recalls spending tons of time with Norm back in their 'SNL' days ... saying Norm was "truly brilliant" for his comedic timing.

Octavia Spencer is saying sorry to Britney Spears and Sam Asghari ... she acknowledges her prenup comment on their engagement announcement wasn't funny.

The Oscar-winning actress says she was just trying to make a joke when she left a comment on Britney's social media post saying, "Make him sign a prenup" ... and she says she's since privately apologized to both Britney and Sam.

Octavia says her "intention was to make them laugh not cause pain" ... and now she hopes to "restore just a smidge of happiness they were robbed of."

The actress wasn't alone in telling Britney to get a prenup ... and as we reported, Sam told fans almost right away he would sign a prenup alright ... joking the prenup would be designed to protect his Jeep and shoe collection.

Octavia's singing a different tune in the wake of her apology ... she says she's thrilled for Britney and thinks the singer has found happiness after going through a lot of pain.

But, here's the real story ... Britney IS getting a prenup, because our sources say literally a day after she got engaged her team was on the case.

No word if Octavia's getting a wedding invite.

"You f***ing a**hole, Jimmy Kimmel. Honestly Jimmy, f*** you. bro."

Logan Paul just went scorched-earth on Jimmy Kimmel for dissing him last week ... saying the late-night host is "so f***ing lame" for making him the butt of a joke.

In case you missed it, Kimmel name-dropped the YouTube superstar during one of his opening monologues ... when he made a reference to former President Donald Trump's wildly expensive appearance at Triller Fight Club.

"Between Logan Paul and Donald Trump, boxing is once again the top source of income for the very worst people," Kimmel joked.

But, LP ain't laughing ... in fact, he's calling out the host for bashing him after he was a guest on the same show just 3 years ago.

"F*** you, Jimmy Kimmel. F*** you," Logan said on his "Impaulsive" podcast Tuesday.

Paul has received similar treatment recently -- he was mentioned in Bo Burnham's song, "That Funny Feeling," during his popular Netflix special, "Inside" ... which LP says he was cool with.

Paul also takes aim at Kimmel's staff ... saying, "Your writers are so lacking content and creativity they had to do some lame-ass Paul joke??"

Kate Quigley is back on the outside after her scary overdose incident ... which left 3 of her friends dead, and her hospitalized in critical condition.

The comic was spotted out Tuesday for the first time since being released from the hospital. She was cruising through Venice in her convertible -- stopping at a barbershop for a quick chat, and then got back on the road.

She looked pretty casual -- rocking a black T, cut-off jean shorts, flip-flops and a cap -- as she seems to be getting back to her normal life after the ordeal.

As we reported ... Kate was rushed to the hospital a couple weeks ago after cops got a call about a possible overdose situation. Three comedians -- Kate's friends Fuquan Johnson, Rico Angeli and Natalie Williamson -- were found dead on the scene. Kate was still alive.

We're told cocaine laced with fentanyl is what they're suspected of using that night. Autopsies are underway for an official cause of death.

Michael Che made a bad call when he did a "homegrrl" sketch on his HBO Max show, because he jacked it from a TikToker's "HomeGirl Hotline" bit ... or so she claims in a new lawsuit.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... Kelly Manno says she's a popular TikTok creator who came up with the fictional idea of a service where "people unable to cope with certain social situations can call a hotline and order a 'home girl'" to help 'em out.

Manno says she created and posted a video of her bit in August 2020, and it racked up a couple hundred thousand views on TikTok ... while a second one in September 2020 got more than half a million views.

Fast-forward to April 2021 and the release of "That Damn Michael Che" on HBO Max ... Manno claims the sixth episode of the comedy series included 4 segments about a fictional service where people order a "homegrrl" to show up where they are and help them out of uncomfortable situations.

According to the suit ... Manno says each segment ended with a character saying a variation of "Thank you, homegrrl" ... which she claims infringes on her copyright that includes the phrase "Thank you, HomeGirl Hotline!"

Manno alleges this is willful copyright infringement, and she wants maximum damages and an order blocking Che and HBO Max from using it.

Norm Macdonald -- a veteran comedian, actor, writer and producer famous for 'SNL' and more -- has died.

According to his team, Macdonald passed away Tuesday after a multi-year, private battle with cancer that he kept hidden from the public, fighting the disease behind the scenes for nine years.

His longtime producing partner, Lori Jo Hoekstra, says ... "He was most proud of his comedy. He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him. Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly."

The revelation is absolutely stunning ... as Macdonald was a household name in comedy, and has been for decades. He's perhaps most famous for being one of the OG 'Weekend Update' co-hosts on 'Saturday Night Live' -- among many other TV shows and movies over the years.

He starred on 'SNL' from '93 to '98 ... what many consider the glory years of the sketch comedy series. Like many other comedians, 'Saturday' gave Norm his jumpstart -- and his career only skyrocketed from there.

Norm went on to star in (and make a number of memorable cameos) in famous flicks like 'Billy Madison,' 'Dirty Work,' 'Dr. Doolittle,' 'Screwed,' 'Deuce Bigalow,' 'Man on the Moon' ... and several other Sandler flicks. He also had his own sitcom, "Norm" ... plus his own talk show at varying points. Speaking of late-night, Norm was a regular guest for David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Larry King, Jay Leno, Howard Stern ... and many other iconic hosts.

His TV resume is just as impressive -- he starred in (and wrote for) 'Roseanne,' 'My Name is Earl,' 'The Drew Carey Show,' 'Family Guy,' 'The Fairly Odd Parents,' 'The Orville,' 'The Middle,' 'Sunnyside,' 'A Minute with Stan Hooper,' and many, many others.

Norm was infamous for his edgy humor -- which, of late, was clashing with modern-day sentiments ... including PC/cancel culture. In fact, the last time we saw him -- just a few years ago -- he was telling us that he couldn't really be funny anymore because of political correctness.

Keep in mind, Norm famously claimed NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer got him yanked him off 'Weekend Update' in 1997 because he kept slamming Ohlmeyer's pal O.J. Simpson with jokes about the double murders.

The guy was still hitting stages even in the past year ... he was doing standup at the Improv, talking coronavirus -- and despite him battling cancer right then and there, he still looked sharp ... maintaining the same witty humor he'd always had.

Norm is survived by his son, Dylan. He was just 61.

Kate Quigley has come out the other side of a scary overdose incident that claimed 3 of her friends' lives -- and the first thing she's doing as she continues to recover ... honoring them.

The comedian -- who was one of 4 people who apparently ingested a bad batch of coke last weekend -- broke her silence Saturday on the passing of Fuquan Johnson, Rico Angeli and Natalie Williamson ... all of whom suffered suspected ODs while partying in the Venice neighborhood of L.A.

Quigley was with them, of course, but miraculously survived the ordeal -- and now, she's remembering her late pals after a whirlwind week of overdoses affecting Hollywood.

She starts out by thanking everyone who reached out to her with words of encouragement as she healed in the hospital, while also giving a s/o to the docs, nurses and first-responders who treated her and, as she puts it, saved her life. Quigley has since been released.

KQ also writes, "I am still shocked & devastated by the loss of my friends Fu, Rico and Natalie. Words cannot describe the pain I am feeling & I will be changed forever by their passings. Fu was a generous, loving soul ... Rico was always filled with enthusiasm & Natalie was so kind and endearing." She says they all left a mark on her life, and she'll miss them.

Jo Koy has a future in politics, 'cause dude showcased some serious sidestepping skills when we asked about Chelsea Handler ... his new GF. Or is she???

The comedian joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and we talked about his big night at Dodger Stadium. Jo recently got the call to throw out the first pitch, and we -- like everyone else watching -- couldn't help but notice how cozy he and Chelsea were on the field.

Look, she was coaching Jo, and they had no problem hugging up on each other in front of a 56,000 seat stadium -- hell, they even posted pics together that screamed date night. So, we had to ask about the budding romance.

Well, Jo's trying (keyword: trying) to have y'all believe he and Chelsea are just "great friends."

That being said ... Jo -- host of the new Netflix competition show "Metal Shop Masters" -- couldn't stop paying Chelsea compliments. He also called her beautiful, and came THIS close to buckling under pressure ... but dude kept it together.

Jo didn't even fall for the ol' slip-the-dating-question-into-the-middle-of-a-plug-for-his new show tactic!!!

For what it's worth, Chelsea held a Q&A on Instagram just days after the Dodgers game date, and when asked if she has regrets for not getting married/having kids, Chelsea answered she's "never felt more confident and secure in my life decision-making skills, in remaining childless and alone, than I have during this pandemic."

Of course, we weren't talking marriage or kids ... just dating. Still, no solid confirmation, but watch the vid -- you can read between the lines.

Art Metrano -- the stand-up comedian known for his role in the "Police Academy" sequels -- has died of natural causes ... according to his family.

Art's son, Harry, tells TMZ ... his father passed at his home Wednesday in Aventura, Florida. Harry says he didn't just lose his dad, but also his best friend and mentor. He adds ... "He was and will always be the toughest man I know. I have never met someone who has overcome more adversities than him."

Metrano's career began in the '60s but skyrocketed in the '70s thanks to his performance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," in which he performed as The Great Metrano ... a hilarious magic act spoof.

From there, the Brooklyn native began working nightclubs all over the country and performing on famous variety shows like "The Dean Martin Show" and "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In."

He made it to the big screen in 1972's "The Heartbreak Kid" and played DaVinci in Mel Brooks' "History of the World: Part I," and would go on to star as Uncle Rico on "Joanie Loves Chachi."

A couple years later, Art landed perhaps his most famous role in the second and third "Police Academy" films ... as the boss, Ernie Mauser.

Sadly, at the height of his career in 1989, Metrano suffered a severe spinal injury that left him paralyzed. However, he made a remarkable recovery and turned his triumph over adversity into a one-man stage show, "Metrano’s Accidental Comedy" ... in which he emerged from a wheelchair to take a few steps.

Art continued acting until 2001, with his more recent credits including "Party of Five," "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and "Chicago Hope."

Metrano was 84.

Bill Cosby will NOT be hitting the road anytime soon to tell jokes ... because he's got more legal woes to deal with first, and his team is convinced the media will skewer him during a tour.

Cosby's rep, Andrew Wyatt, tells TMZ ... the comedy tour Cosby was planning to launch is officially on ice -- with no resuming date in mind just yet -- and he says the reason they're hitting pause is Judy Huth's civil lawsuit.

Huth sued Cosby way back in 2014 for sexual assault, alleging he pounced on her at the Playboy Mansion in the '70s, when she was just 15. He's denied the allegations, and the suit stalled while Cosby faced the Andrea Constand case -- but now, a trial date's been set for Spring 2022.

Wyatt says Cosby wants to avoid going on tour for the moment because he doesn't want this dark cloud hanging over his head ... as he seems to think the case would become all the media talks about while he toured.

Performing onstage could also be risky for Cosby because Huth's lawyers might potentially try to use his own words against him in the case. We asked Wyatt if that was a concern, but he says Cosby's team is most worried about unfair treatment in the media.

While they're focused on the media, the reality is Cosby will almost certainly face scores of hecklers and protesters wherever he performs ... regardless of current or pending lawsuits.

Wyatt adds they're not pulling the plug due to lack of interest -- he claims about a dozen promoters approached Cosby for gigs.

"So you’re Patrick Mahomes??"

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs' son, Aaiden had a priceless reaction to meeting star quarterback Dak Prescott ... by mistaking him for Patrick Mahomes!!

The whole interaction was absolutely adorable ... and thankfully, it was captured on the finale of HBO's "Hard Knocks" Tuesday night.

4-year-old Aaiden -- who refers to Dak as his "favorite quarterback in my whole entire world" -- was wearing a #4 jersey at an ice cream shop with his pops when none other than Prescott walks in the door.

And, Aaiden's reaction is incredible.

"So, you’re Patrick Mahomes??" he asked.

Dak played it off like a champ -- saying, "You think I’m Patrick Mahomes still?? Whose jersey is this??" he said as the whole room cracked up.

Aaiden then corrected himself ... and then said, "Good to see you."

Despite the confusion, Dak still hooked Aaiden up with some awesome keepsakes ... including 2(!!) jerseys -- one to wear and one to frame.

The best part -- Dak played along with Aaiden ... signing one of the jerseys as, "Not Patrick Mahomes" to prevent further mistaken identity!!

Of course, this isn't the first time Aaiden's made the mix-up ... in a previous episode, he thought his #4 jersey was actually a nod to Mahomes (also adorable).

People sure do love them some Mark Hamill -- even if it just means the guy's name getting mentioned ... by either him or anyone else, which is turning into a viral game of sorts.

The "Star Wars" vet is trending right now ... and it's all because he name-dropped himself in response to a Twitter user suggesting (or daring?) that he could garner well over a thousand "likes" on the platform by merely writing "Mark Hamill." That's how much he's adored.

Welp, he caught wind of her theory ... and decided to put it to the test, which ended up in staggering results -- not to mention others getting in on the fun as well.

Dude quote-tweeted this chick and did exactly what she said ... writing simply, "Mark Hamill." As of right now ... that same tweet is on its way to 100k likes, and over 4k retweets!!!

Sure enough, the Internet took notice ... and wanted to try it out themselves -- almost like a Candyman thing, where if you say his name ... Twitter likes will appear. Some are finding success -- like George Takei, who did the same and has racked up over 4k likes.

Ditto for actor Ken Olin ... who openly wondered if the rule would apply to any Schmo who tried this -- and yes ... his "Mark Hamill" tweet is also taking off, with well over 3k likes.

Of course, normies (AKA, non-blue checkmarks) are having a harder time getting the "like" love on their own timeline ... which just goes to show, a little Twitter notoriety goes a long way. Followers help too ... but it seems this "challenge" is reserved for the bird app elite.

As for the OG poster for this trend ... she's basking in the Hamill glory, especially since he digs her "Star Wars" memes and mega-fandom. He's even commenting on her other tweets.

Tiffany Haddish never passes up an opportunity to put on a show -- and that was certainly the case this weekend during a double date in Vegas ... where she took the building by storm.

The comedian was at dinner Saturday night at Delilah (the Wynn resort one), with none other than her BF, Common, and Chelsea Handler ... who was with her guy, Jo Koy -- all of whom were in attendance, we're told, for a group outing.

There was a live jazz band performing for the guests there, and at one point -- TH felt the urge to get on stage herself and do a showstopping number with the help of the musicians.

Check out this video of Tiff doing exactly that ... performing a cover of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" to what we're told ended up being a lot of fanfare. Word is ... she got a standing O after, and you can kinda see why. Tiffany's busted a move and got her sing on, big time!

Definitely a cool moment ... but it's far from the first time Tiffany's gotten a hold of a mic to entertain a crowd on the spot. She actually does it pretty often -- we've seen her do a pop-up show during Thanksgiving last year, and even at a Golden Globes after-party in 2020.

David Spade says his stage name might as well be Marlon Blando ... because he keeps his standup comedy super vanilla for fear of the cancel culture mob.

We got David at LAX and our photog asked him about Mike Richards' downfall at "Jeopardy!" ... and if David stays awake at night worrying about jokes he told back in the day.

David says he does indeed worry about his old standup sets, crossing his fingers that his jokes don't unleash the mob.

The way David sees it ... audiences these days don't want comics shaking the tree, so he follows the playbook and plays it safe ... but he says there's collateral damage -- it's just not that funny anymore.

As for Mike, David says the whole thing just unraveled on him when he went from "Jeopardy!" executive producer to Alex Trebek replacement.

David says there's always someone looking to take people down when they move up the ladder, and everyone's got some dirt or skeletons in the closest if folks look hard enough.

Forget about where Justin Bieber gets his peaches -- the better question is where he shaves his legs ... at least based on this hilarious billboard swap that has him slipping into Kim Kardashian's underwear line.

Check out this giant tower-sized Balenciaga ad on a Sunset Strip building with Bieber as its leather-jacketed star -- but as you can see, he's lost his lower half somewhere along the way.

Instead of JB's lower abdomen and legs, you see a different set of body parts ... seemingly belonging to a woman rocking SKIMS, Kim's shapewear company.

It's pretty hilarious -- it looks almost intentional due to how seamlessly JB's top mixes with the SKIMS bottom. Even the SKIMS model's arms appear to line up almost perfectly with the Biebs'.

Of course, this had to have been a massive mistake. We can't see a crew working on it in the pic ... but we're guessing they were in the middle of swapping from one ad to the other.

"Tyron, let your hands go! F*** it!!!"

If you were wondering what Dave Chappelle was yelling during the Jake Paul vs. Tyron Woodley fight, TMZ Sports has you covered ... 'cause we just got video of the comedy legend in the stands Sunday night -- and it's hilarious!!!

Of course, DC had ringside seats for the big event ... which means his every move was picked up by cameras on the Pay-Per-View broadcast -- from yelling to clapping and REALLY getting into the fight.

No matter how loud Chappelle was cheering, there was no way the mics were gonna be able to pick up exactly what he was saying ... but after checking out these vids, taken by Anthony Jones, we wish they did!

Before the fight, DC led an Ohio State-classic "OH-IO" chant -- after all, the fight was in Cleveland ... so we're sure there were plenty of Buckeyes in the stands.

Next, he took his focus to the fighters ... giving out some hilarious advice.

"Jake, grab his cheeks!!!," DC said, which is a reference to Paul recently complimenting Tyron's "big booty" and saying he wanted to squeeze his ass.

DC was then shouting for Woodley to let his hands go and throw some punches ... saying, "From Ferguson, Missouri, let them hands go!"

"This is for the culture, this is for the culture!!!"

Chappelle's cheerleading didn't really help, though ... as Jake secured a split decision win.

But, DC didn't seem too worried about it -- he actually linked up with the Paul bros after the fight and said he wanted free tickets to the rest of their fights!!!