SNL

Ariana Grande put on a brave face and belted out a big tune in her first public appearance since ending things with Pete Davidson.

Grande performed "The Wizard and I" Tuesday in a pre-taped TV special for the Broadway musical "Wicked." Grande assured fans Monday she'd still be a part of the event, even after the split with Davidson, and she delivered on her promise.

TMZ broke the story ... Davidson was supposed to headline a comedy gig Wednesday at Temple University but dropped out last minute. He's being replaced by Adam DeVine.

Grande has already returned the $100k engagement ring from Pete, and she'll keep their pet teacup pig, Piggy Smallz.

Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson's relationship was crumbling for weeks ... and the couple's PDA at 'SNL' over the weekend was the pair holding on for dear life.

TMZ broke the story, Ariana was at 30 Rock Saturday night to support her then-fiance -- we're told the two shared plenty of hugs and kisses through the night -- and looked the opposite of a couple on the verge of a major split.

Sources close to the couple say there was no big fight or fallout between 'SNL' and when we broke the news of the split ... it was just time.

Our sources say the 'SNL' PDA was that of a couple holding on for dear life and desperately trying to make their relationship work. We're told they'd been trying to repair things for a while, but were essentially just going through the motions without real feelings anymore.

As we reported ... Pete and Ariana got engaged back in June after only dating for a short period of time.

Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson are dunzo as a couple, and their engagement has officially been called off ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the former couple tell us AG and PD split this weekend, with both parties acknowledging that it simply was not the right time for their relationship to take off. We're told the two still have love for each other, but things are over romantically.

Ariana and Pete announced their surprise engagement earlier this year in June -- just a few weeks after they were reported to be just casually dating. TMZ broke the story ... Grande's engagement ring cost right around $100k.

Grande's recently expressed she was going through a rough patch, tweeting a lot of personal messages and saying she needs a break from the public spotlight and asking "can i pls have one okay day. just one. pls."

As for Davidson, he's continued to appear on SNL, even mentioning his former fiancee in a couple sketches. The last time we saw them together was just last week.

Our source says while things may be done for the couple for now, the two aren't ruling out the possibility of anything in the future.

Donald Trump came to a startling revelation last night ... Kanye West is the black him!!!

Alec Baldwin made his return to 'SNL' to parody Ye's Oval chit chat. This one is especially interesting, because they danced around making fun of mental illness.

Also interesting ... most times 'SNL' takes a real event and makes it broader, but this one was pretty much true to form ... with all the hits, runs and errors from Thursday's pre-lunch meeting. The reporters in the crowd were definitely funnier than the real deal ... for sure.

Every so often a man finds himself at a crossroads, where the choice he makes will forever alter the course of his life. Or, in Matt Damon's case -- he has 2 awesome choices and really can't lose.

Here's the deal -- Damon's a huge UFC fan and, on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Conor McGregor will take on Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight championship at UFC 229. It's a highly-anticipated fight and will be a huge draw, and Matt's got a seat Octagon-side for the action.

But as we all know ... Damon also KILLED as Brett Kavanaugh on last weekend's "Saturday Night Live." Almost everyone wants and expects Matt to play the role again this weekend ... especially with the full Senate vote on Kavanaugh expected on Saturday.

Apologies to Lorne Michaels ... but sources close to Damon tell us he's decided to go to Vegas for the fight.

We're told the lure of McGregor's return to UFC outweighed a reprise as Kavanaugh.

1:22 PM PT -- Finally, some true clarity from Kanye. He just tweeted ... "not abolish but. let’s amend the 13th amendment We apply everyone’s opinions to our platform."

1:10 PM PT -- Kanye just tweeted out what appears to be a clarification about his 13th Amendment remark, saying "the 13th Amendment is slavery in disguise meaning it never ended We are the solution that heals."

It seems like he might be talking about a specific part of the 13 Amendment that refers to people who are convicted of a crime, who can then be forced to work. Section 1 reads ... "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Unclear if this is exactly where Kanye's head is on the issue, since he didn't offer more context to his tweets. But, if we're giving him the benefit of the doubt ...

Kanye West made a shocking comment Sunday ... "Abolish the 13th Amendment" ... the Amendment that outlawed slavery.

Kanye has been tweeting about his support for Donald Trump ... this in the face of his 'SNL' appearance last night where he wore his MAGA hat on stage, and delivered a pro-Trump rant toward the end of the show.

Kanye tweeted ... "This represents good and America becoming whole again. We will no longer outsource to other countries. We build factories here in America to create jobs. We will provide jobs for all who are free from prisons as we abolish the 13th amendment."

He added a footnote to that ... "Message sent with love."

It's hard to imagine what he means ... abolishing the 13th Amendment would at least, in theory, allow states to once again enslave human beings.

Matt Damon went off the rails Saturday night, perfectly capturing Brett Kavanaugh for the cold open of Saturday Night Live's Season 44 Premiere.

The show spoofed the Supreme Court nominee at Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing ... and it was spot on. Damon guzzled water, contorted his face and had full-on agita.

Senators Chuck Grassley (Alex Moffat), Diane Feinstein (Cecily Strong), Amy Klobuchar (Rachel Dratch), Thom Tillis (Mikey Day), Cory Booker (Chris Redd), John Kennedy (Kyle Mooney), Sheldon Whitehouse (Pete Davidson) were all represented.

Kanye West has been hard at work finishing his album, doing a massive shoe release and practicing for his gig on 'SNL' ... a performance that'll feature some serious star power.

Sources on set tell us Ye's been in NYC all week putting the finishing touches on Saturday's show. We're told the mood at 'SNL' has been relaxed, collaborative and Ye's been treated like a part of the family.

Our sources say Kanye's working with Spike Jonze to put the finishing touches on the performance's creative direction. Kanye's also bringing some heavy-hitters out to join him on stage. We're told Lil Pump, Kid Cudi, Teyana Taylor and 070 Shake -- all of whom have songs with Ye -- are all set to hop onstage.

Adam Driver is tapped to host the show -- Ye posted a pic with him and Kenan Thompson Thursday during rehearsals while sporting a MAGA hat.

Kanye's also had a meeting with an 'SNL' show honcho, who we're told has put his faith in Kanye to deliver an unforgettable performance for the season premiere.

Peyton Manning says he really DIDN'T want to fire footballs at kids' faces during his famous 2007 "Saturday Night Live" skit -- but changed his mind when a parent begged him to peg his kid.

The sketch is pretty famous -- Peyton was spoofing his United Way ads by teaching kids how to get tattoos, steal cars and play real, hardcore park football.

But, a key part of the skit featured Peyton nailing kids in the face with footballs -- HARD -- and the QB says he was so nervous about tagging the youngsters, he almost quit the bit.

Peyton told the story at the 2018 Indianapolis Colts kickoff lunch on Wednesday -- saying he didn't feel comfortable with the scene at the time and told producers he wanted to shut it down.

But, right before they called it off, one of the parents of the child actors approached Peyton and the director and said, "I want him to hit my kid in the face!"

So, Peyton -- being a people pleaser -- said, "I will do it. I will knock your kid out."

And the rest is history ... hilarious, hilarious history.

Ben Affleck's latest sighting shows all the signs of a bachelor lifestyle, which has us wondering ... has he broken up with GF Lindsay Shookus?

Ben was spotted Thursday night leaving Nobu Malibu rocking a very casual single-guy look -- loose jeans, jacket, t-shirt with a cig in hand -- after having dinner with a very hot blonde who's not Lindsay.

The chick is Playboy's Miss May 2018, Shauna Sexton.

It's interesting -- Affleck celebrated his bday Wednesday with his kids, and had a dinner date with Shauna last night ... but no sign of any celebrating with Shookus.

Ben and Lindsay haven't been photographed together in nearly a month. And, what's also interesting ... there was a moving van in front of Ben's home on August 9. We don't know if someone was moving in or moving out of his $19 million Pacific Palisades mansion.

We reached out to the "Justice League" star to see if perhaps Batman went through a pre-birthday breakup ... so far, no word back.

Kenan Thompson's living his best life in 2018 -- he turned 40, earned his first-ever acting Emmy nomination and now he's become a father for the second time to a baby girl. Sweet trifecta!!

The 'SNL' star's wife, Christina Evangeline, gave birth to Gianna Michelle Tuesday night in Florida. Little Gianna weighed a healthy 6 pounds, 6 ounces. The couple already has another daughter, Georgia Marie, and the two are already inseparable and obsessed with each other.

Christina posted a video on social media announcing her pregnancy only days before she was ready to give birth. TMZ broke the story ... Christina gave birth to their first child back in 2014.

Congrats!!!

3:00 PM PT -- Sources close to the couple tell us there is no trouble in paradise. Davidson covered up the ink temporarily for a movie role.

Pete Davidson appears to have wiped a symbol of his fiancee, Ariana Grande, off his body ... and now the question is ... why?

The 'SNL' star was spotted Sunday in L.A. without Ariana by his side -- but, more importantly, WITHOUT his jet-black neck tattoo of her trademark black bunny mask.

Pete got the Ariana-inspired ink behind his ear early last month by tattoo artist London Reese, who posted a shot of his work on social media at the time. Now, you can still see traces of the tattoo ... but it definitely looks more faded than what it once was.

He also got a thumb tat with Ariana's initials, but you can't tell here if he's still rockin' that.

Here's the thing ... Pete's in the middle of shooting a movie with Machine Gun Kelly right now, and it's quite possible that he simply had the tat covered with makeup for the job.

Pete and Ariana just recently got engaged, and he already reportedly covered up another forearm tat that was dedicated to his ex.

Mac Miller's new song is seemingly about relationship troubles, but it has nothing to do with his split with Ariana Grande ... TMZ has learned.

Mac dropped "Self Care" Friday ... a single with lyrics that include, "Well, didn't know what I was missing. Now I see a lil' different. We play it cool. We know we f***ed up, yeah. You keep on sayin' you in love, so? Tell me are you really down?"

Fans and reports were quick to connect the lyrics to Mac's split with Ariana a couple months ago. However, our sources say Mac wrote, produced and completed the track last year.

As we've reported -- Ariana is engaged to SNL comedian Pete Davidson -- the two even went in on a massive NYC condo together.

Another day, another Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande sighting out in NYC ... capped off with some more PDA.

The lovey-dovey, practically inseparable couple headed out for some shopping Thursday afternoon with friends, and looked happy as ever as they snuck in a few pecks. Pete's right -- being engaged really is f***in' lit.

What's more interesting, though, are their outfit choices as they left their $16 million digs -- Pete went for some sort of sweatsuit incognito look ... equipped with shades and a face mask.

Ariana, on the other hand, couldn't have drawn more attention to herself -- or her rock -- by opting to complement her ripped jeans and chunky shoes by wearing just a bra for a top.

The smiles on Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande say it all ... they're ecstatic together, and anyone hating on that, well, Pete's got a special message for ya too.

Pete and Ariana were hanging out in NYC over the weekend ... and they're practically inseparable at this point. The happily-engaged couple were all smiles and Pete had a little fun with paps ... cheerily flipping 'em the bird.

Pete Davidson is clearly over the moon to be engaged to Ariana Grande -- and he let Jimmy Fallon know it.

Davidson was on 'The Tonight Show' Wednesday and was asked straight-up about his engagement. Pete held nothing back, saying "it's f***in' lit."

It's the first time either Pete or Ariana has spoken publicly about their engagement ... and, given the way Pete opened up, we're guessing it won't be the last.