SNL

Andrew Yang's call for forgiveness is falling on deaf ears -- Shane Gillis just got his ass canned from 'SNL' before he could even appear on an episode ... following his racist joke controversy.

An 'SNL spokesperson on behalf of Lorne Michaels said after execs talked with Shane, they've decided he will NOT be joining 'SNL' for the new season. The spokesperson says, "We want SNL to have a variety of voices and points of view within the show, and we hired Shane on the strength of his talent as a comedian and his impressive audition for SNL."

They went on to say, "We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days. The language he used is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable. We are sorry that we did not see these clips earlier, and that our vetting process was not up to our standard."

As we've reported ... Shane has been under fire for the past few days for using several racial slurs against Asians in a podcast from about a year ago. According to reports, that was just one example of him hurling racial epithets against Asians.

Some critics said a simple Google search would've easily led anyone to these past offensive remarks, and it was obvious 'SNL' brass just didn't do that with Shane.

Presidential candidate Yang weighed-in on the controversy this weekend, saying we should all forgive Shane ... adding that he did not want the guy to lose his job.

Welp ... looks like the kumbaya approach wasn't cutting it for NBC. They just cut bait and ate a little crow while doing so.

As for Shane, he responded to the news as well ... and his statement is interesting. He says, "It feels ridiculous for comedians to be making serious public statements but here we are. I'm a comedian who was funny enough to get SNL. That can't be taken away."

Shane adds, "Of course I wanted an opportunity to prove myself at SNL, but I understand it would be too much of a distraction. I respect the decision they made. I'm honestly grateful for the opportunity. I was always a mad tv guy anyway."

Guess that's his attempt at one last burn on his way out the door.

Andrew Yang says folks should forgive Shane Gillis -- the newest cast member on 'SNL' -- over racist remarks he made about Asians ... and more importantly, ease up on seeking retribution.

The presidential hopeful -- who's Taiwanese-American -- went on CNN Sunday to elaborate on his thoughts from these past couple days ... calling for Shane to NOT lose his new job at "Saturday Night Live," but instead ... to be forgiven and used as a teachable moment.

As we reported ... as soon as Shane was announced as a member of the cast for the upcoming season, people dug up an old video of him making racist jokes about Asians. He has since apologized to those offended, saying he sometimes "pushes boundaries."

There's been a mixed reaction to Yang's approach -- as he tells Jake Tapper -- but he defends his position, saying our society has become too punitive in these scenarios, and that we as a country should strive to be better ... opting for forgiveness when possible.

He makes another interesting point, arguing Asian epithets are often not taken as seriously as others made about other ethnic groups ... despite being just as hurtful.

Still, even with that said ... he says we should let this one go, especially considering that Shane is a comedian, and -- in Andrew's eyes -- their words should be taken in that context.

Of course, Yang has offered to sit down with Shane to discuss the issue further -- going on to say he doesn't support the guy losing his job, adding that in the big picture of Shane's past work ... he just doesn't find Shane to be "malignant or evil" in his intentions.

Eddie Murphy is going back to his roots to do what most people thought would NEVER happen -- he's hosting "Saturday Night Live."

'SNL' just announced Eddie will be hosting the December 21 episode ... his first time doing so in 35 years!!! It's huge news for Eddie who rose to fame as a standout 'SNL' regular back in the day. He was so big, he even stepped up to host in 1982 when someone canceled at the last minute.

The episode Eddie's hosting is typically the big blowout before the holiday break ... so count on loads of laughs, and probably lots of guest appearances.

Returning to 'SNL' is the next piece in Eddie's return to the limelight. We broke the story ... Eddie is locked in talks with Netflix for an undisclosed number of comedy specials, with negotiations hovering around $70 MILLION for the deal.

As you know ... he's also making a long-anticipated big screen return with the 'Coming to America" sequel. He's already been spotted on set in Georgia in full regalia as Prince Akeem.

Gotta hand it to Eddie ... dude knows how to mount a major comeback!!!

Kristen Wiig's officially off the market ... TMZ's learned she's engaged.

The former "Saturday Night Live" star and her longtime boyfriend, Avi Rothman, have actually been engaged for several months. It's unclear when Avi -- a writer, actor, producer and director -- popped the question, but Kristen was wearing her GIANT ring as early as May. Now we know the significance.

Kristen sported the rock during a screening of "Booksmart" at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown L.A. She was there with her longtime pal, Lisa Kudrow.

Keeping their relationship under wraps seems to be their thing. Remember ... Kristen was spotted with a mystery man in Hawaii back in May 2016. The mystery man turned out to be Avi whom Kristen, at that point, had been secretly dating for several months.

This will be Kristen's second marriage. She was previously married from 2005 to 2009 to actor Hayes Hargrove. It's interesting ... back in 2011, she told the British magazine, Stella, she had ruled out a second marriage. Guess Avi changed her mind.

Congrats!!!

Scarlett Johansson actually said "Yes" to Colin Jost last week, and the couple had a private celebration at a glitzy restaurant in upstate NY ... where they could not hide their happy news.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Scarlett and the 'SNL' vet hit up Blue Hill Stone Barns last Thursday in Pocantico Hills, NY -- about 30 miles outside NYC. We're told they arrived around 10 PM ... no entourage, just the 2 of them.

It's unclear if Colin proposed on the grounds. The restaurant -- featured on "Chef's Table" -- sits on a huge farm, and it's possible Colin might have taken ScarJo to a private area to pop the question. We do know she was sporting a huge shiny ring in the dining area, and they were extremely happy -- calling friends and family to share the news.

We're told they were VERY affectionate throughout the night ... she sat on his lap and witnesses tell us it was crystal clear they were in celebration mode. The owner also treated them like true VIPs ... taking them to the kitchen where they ate one of their courses.

We're told they stayed at the restaurant til around 1 AM. It's interesting Colin proposed on Thursday and they had such a late celebration. This weekend was the 'SNL' season finale ... so BIG week for Jost, who we now know was secretly engaged when he went on the air Saturday night.

As we reported ... Scarlett and Colin announced their engagement on Sunday after 2 years of dating. This will be Scarlett's third marriage and Colin's first.

Scarlett Johansson and 'SNL' vet Colin Jost are all set to tie the knot after two years of dating.

The actress' publicist confirmed the news to AP, saying ScarJo and Colin are officially engaged, but made a note that no wedding date has been set yet.

This would be Scarlett's third marriage -- she was previously hitched to Ryan Reynolds from 2008 to 2011 and was then married to journalist Romain Dauriac, with whom she shares a child. For Colin ... this would be his very first trip down the aisle.

Colin and ScarJo have been going strong since the spring of 2017, when she made a guest appearance on the season finale of 'SNL.' What many people thought was a one-off turned into more and more dates, and eventually ... a full-blown relationship.

The couple was just spotted down in Argentina this past December, and it sure looked like things were getting serious at the time. Turns out ... they were.

Leslie Jones went in for the kill on the 'SNL' season finale, annihilating the men in the Alabama State Legislature over the new law that will virtually ban all abortions.

Jones first appeared in a red cloak and white bonnet -- ala 'Handmaid's Tale' -- the message, of course, is that women were enslaved into having children.

She lost the garb and revealed a t-shirt with an arrow pointing south, and then she launched.

As you know, 9 states -- Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Utah -- have all recently passed similar laws -- some of which outlaw abortion even for incest and rape. The endgame is clearly taking the issue up with the U.S. Supreme Court, targeting Roe vs. Wade.

Ben Stiller is on Capitol Hill with a stomach full of butterflies ... admitting to us he's nervous to go before lawmakers and testify on the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

We got Ben before he went in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday to try to convince legislators to help out Syrian refugees ... and the actor told us he couldn't help but feel nervous about his big moment.

Ben's the goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and he's pleading with countries who host refugees to help ensure long-term support for displaced people.

This is his first time testifying on Capitol Hill ... so you can understand why Ben's anxious about pleading his case in front of a bunch of Senators.

Well, he has had some experience testifying, but we're guessing his hilarious 'SNL' skit -- playing Michael Cohen testifying on the Hill -- doesn't really compare to the real deal.

Let's just hope he doesn't slip into Cohen mode. Ben did tell us one of his classic roles could come in handy, though, during this testimony.

Machine Gun Kelly knows what time it is ... and not only because Pete Davidson and comedian John Mulaney got him a Rolex for his 29th birthday.

We got MGK and Pete leaving TAO Monday night in L.A. where they were celebrating with friends. Kelly and Pete were toking cigs and posing for pics when our guy asked Kelly what he got for his birthday.

Check out the clip ... MGK couldn't wait to show off his new classic timepiece. He also couldn't wait to invite our camera guy onto his party van ... much to everyone's delight.

Pete Davidson and Kate Beckinsale seem to be in the midst of a full-blown rock 'n' roll romance -- so why not crash a Motley Crue party while you're at it?

The 'SNL' star was spotted leaving an MC gig Monday night on the Sunset Strip at the Whiskey a Go Go, where Tommy Lee and co. were celebrating the premiere of their biopic, "The Dirt." He was holding Kate's hand and leading the way again ... that's kinda their signature look together lately.

Considering what's new with Motley Crue and who's involved, it's no wonder Pete and Kate were there. His buddy, Machine Gun Kelly, stars as Tommy in a new Netflix movie about the band called The Dirt. The movie premiere took place before their shindig.

It must've been a feel-good time, 'cause Pete and Kate were in the mood to make out right afterward. They sure didn't hesitate once they were in their car.

Pete Davidson's taking a shot at haters who think he's too young for Kate Beckinsale -- by calling out dozens of male celebs who date way below their age ... starting with President Trump.

The shots were fired during the Weekend Update segment on 'SNL' ... Pete made it clear he and his new bae hear all the buzz about him being 25 and her being 45 but said they don't let it bother them.

Pete then took a deep breath and said direct your "big age difference" questions to ... Leo DiCaprio, Richard Gere, Jeff Goldblum, Derek Jeter, Michael Douglas -- you get the point.

He rattled off more than 20 names in the one breath ... including POTUS and, yes, even the guy who plays Trump on 'SNL.'

The hilarious defense of Kate comes a week after their Madison Square Garden make-out session.

Pete might not be getting tattoos of Kate just yet, but the fact he's adding her to his 'SNL' routines is a sign the relationship is going strong.

Pete Davidson's got some new ink -- no, it's not Kate Beckinsale's initials or a giant portrait of her "Underworld" character on his back ... but it's still pretty majestic.

The 'SNL' star has a forever friend on his forearm now, thanks to a giant tattoo of the legendary mythical beast -- the unicorn.

Pete's pal and Top Shelf Tattoos artist, Ryan Mullins, shared a couple photos earlier this week of the making of the body art ... which appears to be Davidson's biggest tat yet.

It's unclear if Pete will be adding a flash of color to his unicorn, but the black ink version looks pretty impressive as is.

Also unclear if the comedian's tattoo is simply his spirit animal, or it is a secret love message to his latest boo, Beckinsale, but if he's learned anything from his past ... probably not.

Machine Gun Kelly says it took him all of 15 seconds to realize Kate Beckinsale is a good match for his buddy, Pete Davidson ... and their 20-year age gap makes perfect sense to him.

MGK gave us his official seal of approval Tuesday night as he was leaving The Nice Guy in WeHo. He told us, "I love that s**t" ... as soon as we brought up his homie's new bae.

As it turns out ... MGK's a big fan of older women too.

As you know, PD and KB have been hitting the town together a lot lately ... including this past weekend when they were spotted smoochin' at a Rangers game in NYC, and also hitting up the 'SNL' cast party.

As for why Kelly thinks Kate's good for Pete, it's pretty simple ... he pins it to the "rad" factor. He also says he knows why, lately, Kate's had a thing for much younger guys -- even though it hasn't always ended well.

Yes, MGK's biased, but check out his take.

Pete Davidson and Kate Beckinsale are going strong one month after they were seen together hand-in-hand -- and now ... they're pouring their romance on the rocks.

That bad ice joke is just a fun way to say that Pete and Kate are taking in some hockey Sunday in NYC, where they're watching a close game between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals (it's 2-2 in overtime as of this writing).

Check out their view -- primo seating right behind the team's bench ... even though it looks like they couldn't keep their eyes off each other.

This day date is actually a follow-up to another outing for the rumored couple just the night before. Pete and Kate were spotted leaving an 'SNL' after-party Saturday night after Pete got done taping the show. They were holding hands again ... so yeah, they seem to be a thing.

Remember, Pete and Kate left one of Pete's shows back in February in similar fashion ... handsy all the way through with Pete leading the way.

His ex-fiancee, Ariana Grande, gave her blessing not too long afterward, saying they looked great together. It's true ... they really do.

Just saying Jussie Smollett's name in public is enough to draw gasps, at least based on the audience reaction to 'SNL' ripping the crap out of him.

'SNL' actually went full scorched earth -- taking down Jussie, Robert Kraft, Michael Avenatti and Rudy Giuliani with one skit last night. Avenatti, Giuliani, Jeanine Pirro and Alan Dershowitz (played by Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Cecily Strong and host John Mulaney) were the lawyers' version of "Shark Tank" ... deciding whether to defend Smollett and Kraft.

When Chris Redd walked out as Jussie the studio audience had an audible -- and not pleasant -- reaction. Check out the clip ... the punchline is all about Dershowitz, who famously defended O.J. Simpson, tapping out.

Their bottom line on Kraft, BTW -- for the skit, anyway -- was that he got a really good deal at $59.

Don Cheadle made a powerful statement on 'SNL' Saturday night -- not audibly, but visually.

Cheadle hosted the show and when he introduced the musical guest, Gary Clark, Jr., he wore a tee with the words "Protect Trans Kids" emblazoned on it.

The actor said nothing about the message, but as you know Donald Trump has attacked the trans community with policies like booting them from the military. Trump also reversed the Obama policy of supporting the rights of trans students to use the bathroom of their choice.