SNL

SNL writer Leslie Jones became a star performer for the show with her outrageous slavery themed sketch that was definitely sketchy -- but also pretty hilarious.

Although that might depend on who you ask ... and the person you're asking better not work at Ebony.

A "Saturday Night Live" actress is under attack by the senior editor of Ebony.com -- who claims a bit she performed on the show where she joked about being a "Number 1 slave draft pick" is an "embarrassment."

The woman in the crosshairs is Leslie Jones -- who performed the bit during the Weekend Update of SNL ... and essentially said in slave days, she would have been the most popular woman on the plantation for forced slave breeding.

"See, I’m single right now, but back in the slave days, I would have never been single. I’m six feet tall and I’m strong, Colin. Strong! I mean, look at me, I’m a mandingo ... I’m just saying that back in the slave days, my love life would have been way better. Massah would have hooked me up with the best brotha on the plantation … I would be the No. 1 slave draft pick."

But after the sketch, the backlash began -- with Ebony.com senior editor Jamilah Lemieux tweeting, "This Leslie Jones person is an embarrassment @msmarypryor. I'm so appalled right now."

Jones fired back on Sunday -- writing, "If anybody should be offended is white folks cause it’s what they did.”

"Y’all so busy trying to be self righteous you miss what the joke really is. Very sad I have to defend myself to black people. Now I’m betting if Chris Rock or Dave [Chappelle] did that joke or jay z or Kanye put in a rap they would be called brilliant. Cause they all do this type of material. Just cause it came from a strong black woman who ain’t afraid to be real y’all mad."

Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell came thiiiiiis close to squashing their longstanding beef at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards -- Kel totally thought it was happening ... and then it didn't.

We caught up with Kel in Sherman Oaks Monday, and he told our camera guy he was under the impression during their segment Sunday night ... Kenan would give him a shout out.

For everyone above the age of 12 who missed it -- Nickelodeon gave one of the executive producers of "Kenan & Kel" a Lifetime Achievement award, and Thompson sent in a recorded speech where he never acknowledged working with Kel.

Sources close to Kenan say it wasn't meant to be a diss ... producers didn't tell him to mention Kel until after the piece had been filmed and he was too busy for a re-shoot.

Kel says he's not mad -- and even offers one final plea to Kenan in regard to a reunion.

"Half Baked" star Jim Breuer's ex-neighbor is now facing felony stalking charges -- after allegedly mailing a box of condoms to the actor's Jersey house ... in a perverted joke involving Jim's underage daughters.

Sources close to Jim tell TMZ, the actor's been having problems with Giuseppe Ionfrida for a couple years ... but it got particularly twisted back in December.

We're told Ionfrida allegedly left extremely creepy comments on a YouTube video about Jim, such as ... "How's your three pretty daughters doing ;)" Days later, Jim claims Ionfrida shipped him a box of condoms.

We're told Jim called police in early January, and Ionfrida was arrested on felony stalking charges.

We spoke to Ionfrida who told us he denies leaving the YouTube comments about Jim and his daughters. He did say he doesn't like his kids hanging around Jim -- which is an issue since their kids are friends.

We reached out to Breuer ... he had no comment.

Chris Kattan just pled not guilty to DUI ... and in an unusual move, the judge ordered him to attend AA meetings.

TMZ broke the story ... Chris crashed his Mercedes into a parked car on the freeway last month after allegedly admitting he had taken Rx drugs. Earlier that day he was totally out of it on an airplane.

Chris entered his not guilty plea Monday morning and the judge ordered him to attend 2 AA meetings per week -- as a condition to bail. It's odd ... because everything we've found about AA focuses on alcohol ... not prescription meds. And alcohol was not a factor in the accident.

It's also curious ... the judge didn't order Chris to abstain from meds or booze.

Chris Kattan is not on a prescription pill-induced downward spiral ... he's just got a bad back.

Kattan blew out of LA Friday before the Oscars hit town ... and chalked up his bizarre behavior on a plane -- and his subsequent DUI arrest last month -- to Rx meds after back surgery.

Kattan doesn't tell us when he underwent surgery ... but assures our photog he's doing just fine.

We also asked about DUI charges filed this week, but he's totally in the dark.

Chris Kattan was high on drugs when he crashed his Mercedes into a truck on the 101 Freeway earlier this month ... according to the LA. City Attorney, who just nailed the comedian with a DUI charge.

A rep for the City Attorney's office tells TMZ, prosecutors filed one count of Driving under the Influence of Drugs, which carries a maximum penalty of 6 months in jail and a $1,000 fine for a first offense.

As we reported, Chris' car was seen weaving on the freeway early on Feb. 10 ... before careening into a coned area and slamming into a parked Dept. of Transportation truck, destroying his car in the process.

According to sources, Kattan -- who was not injured -- appeared out of it and told cops he had taken Rx pills before the crash. He was arrested on the scene.

Kattan will be in court for arraignment March 3.

Chris Kattan was back in action Friday night with a brand new ride after totaling his old whip and getting busted for DUI.

Chris was leaving Craig's in West Hollywood in a very nice Mercedes ... and clearly did not want to talk about the wild ride in the old Mercedes that ended up in the junk heap.

TMZ broke the story ... Chris was arrested last week after crashing into a parked vehicle inside a coned area on the 101 Freeway. Cops say he admitted to being under the influence of drugs, not alcohol. He appeared totally out of it when he flunked his field sobriety test.

Earlier in the day ... Chris was so whacked out on a flight from Canada to L.A. ... paramedics were there when the plane pulled up to the gate and they treated the former "Saturday Night Live" star.

Chris Kattan could barely keep his eyes open filming a recent Food Network show ... and his celebrity co-stars were worried the ex-SNL star was in the throes of a major struggle with addiction.

Kattan was on "Rachael Ray vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off" ... and after nodding off during a meal-planning segment he was booted in the second episode -- which aired last month.

Our on-set sources say Kattan claimed he had been drinking with old "Saturday Night Live" friends the night before and just couldn't stay awake -- but the cast didn't buy it.

Kattan was arrested for DUI this week ... after crashing into a parked car on the freeway. Cops say he admitted to them he had been taking Rx drugs. Hours earlier he was so out of it on an airplane ... paramedics intercepted him when the plane landed.

Chris Kattan seemed wasted as he drove on the 101 Freeway, just before he careened into a coned area and crashed into a parked vehicle ... this according to the 2 people who called 911.

TMZ broke the story ... Chris was popped early Monday morning after other drivers sounded the 911 alarm. After weaving at speeds approaching 70 MPH, he crashed into a Dept. of Transportation vehicle. Chris was arrested for DUI and law enforcement sources tell us Chris admitted he was on Rx meds.

One 911 caller says it seemed to him, "He has to be drunk."

Chris Kattan was arrested for DUI early this morning after his car struck a vehicle ... and TMZ has learned he allegedly confessed he was on prescription meds.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the former "Saturday Night Live" cast member was arrested on the 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley just after 1 AM.

Another driver called CHP to report another driver in a Mercedes who was "weaving all over the roadway at slow speeds."

Kattan allegedly then crossed into an area that was coned off for a freeway closure and he struck a Dept. of Transportation vehicle from behind.

Kattan was not injured and apparently there was no one in the DOT vehicle.

Cops say Kattan appeared out of it. Our sources tell us he was arrested and booked for DUI ... specifically drugs, NOT alcohol.

"Saturday Night Live" star Kenan Thompson has just been cast in the biggest role of his career -- daddy -- his wife is pregnant with their first child ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Christina Evangeline is a little more than 4 months preggers ... and they already know the baby's sex .... and it's not a boy.

We're told the couple -- who married in 2011 -- have been trying to get pregnant for a long time.

'Memba when Kenan was just a babe himself?

Suck it up Northeast, and learn a lesson from Andy Samberg ... who made the most of the massive storm which dropped at least a foot of snow in NYC.

The "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" star strapped on a pair of skis and cruised right down city streets.

That's how you handle a snowstorm ... like a boss.

Sasheer Zamata -- the first black female "Saturday Night Live" cast member in 5 years -- "works clean" as one of her colleagues put it to us ... but she can also "play dirty" -- as in dirty, dirty skits.

"SNL" made it official today, but we've been told they've been scouting Sasheer for several years. She was part of at least one other "SNL" showcase 2 years ago, when scouts from the show took notice. She posted pics last March of her backstage and in the offices at "SNL" ... so there's been some interest for a while.

Sasheer graduated from the University of Virginia just 5 years ago, and we're told she's been working NYC clubs relentlessly, getting her name out there.

She got some attention from her web series, "In Pursuit of Sexiness."

"SNL" has taken a lot of heat for not replacing Maya Rudolph with a black female comedian when she left 5 years ago.

We're told Sasheer has learned a lot about perseverance from a near tragedy -- she was in a horrible car accident where she was thrown through the window of her car and had to re-learn some basic functions -- which she did.

It was nine o'clock on a Saturday ... an unsuspecting Kansas City bar crowd gathered round to watch a popular cover band ... but they got a big bonus ... Jason Sudeikis.

The SNL star and his fiancee Olivia Wilde hit up Kanza Hall ... and Jason joined the band Summer Breeze for some classic hits -- including Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are."

Saturday Night Live's secret audition to find an African-American female was total BS -- at least according to one actress who tried out, but thinks it was only thrown together to quiet SNL's critics ... not to find a new cast member.

Comedian Tiffany Haddish tells TMZ the Dec. 2 talent search at The Groundlings Theatre in L.A. felt like it was a dog and pony show, partially because executive producer Lorne Michaels wasn't there -- and he's known to attend most auditions.

Other sources at the try-out tell us it seemed too conveniently timed -- coming on the heels of current cast members Jay Pharoah and Kenan Thompson publicly blasting 'SNL' producers for not hiring a Black female.

If 'SNL' found the right chick ... they're not saying yet -- but Tiffany thinks "they already know who they want ... they're just wasting all these black women's time and gas money."