Late Night

Ben Affleck is clearing the air on what he says is a widely held misconception -- that he's totally miserable most of the time ... even when he's pretty damn happy.

Ben was on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" Tuesday to promote his new movie "Air," and the guys chatted about a number of things, including Ben's RBF ... y'know the thing he went viral for at this year's Grammys. You'll recall, he looked very unamused as his wife Jennifer Lopez danced alongside him.

Now, Ben cleaned it up a bit for Kimmel, instead of "resting bitch face" ... he said, "I have a very unhappy-looking resting face."

The guys joked Ben's face played a key role during a Christmas party Ben and Jen threw. They'd invited Jimmy and his wife, but as JK put it, "It did seem like you weren't quite as psyched about the party as everybody else".

Ben then tried to address the issue once and for all ... by showing a range of emotions on his face.

Amused and content looks a lot more like pissed off and I'd rather die than be here.

Hey, he's admitting it, but BA says don't blame him ... "That's how God made me, you don't have to punish me for it!"

Of course, Ben and JLo recently attended the "Air" premiere ... and the two looked happy as ever together, as they locked lips and took photos.

Travis Kelce proved yet again to be a genius on the microphone -- belting out a rendition of "Fight For Your Right" in a karaoke sesh with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday ... and it was, as it always is, EPIC.

The Super Bowl champ was Fallon's guest on "The Tonight Show" -- and after the two talked about the Big Game, Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs, the Kelce family and the post-win celebration ... Jimmy asked if the star tight end would hop on a mic with him.

Never one to turn down the spotlight, Kelce obliged ... and it was awesome.

For 90-or-so seconds, they sang the Beastie Boys' 1986 classic -- and the crowd ate it up!!!

Of course, Kelce's had a ton of practice with the tune the past few weeks, particularly the song's chorus, as he's been yelling it into postgame mics throughout K.C.'s playoff run.

It might not be the last time we hear him sing it this winter, either ... Kelce revealed to Fallon he's going to host "Saturday Night Live" on March 4 -- and it seems to be a good bet there will be a musical bit or two then.

Chelsea Handler isn't afraid to let Prince Harry know how she feels about all the intimate details he's been sharing ... as she made his royal family jewels the butt of some icy jokes at the Critics Choice Awards.

The comedian took the stage Sunday night in L.A., and during her opening monologue she took some jabs at a ton of folks ... including Harry and his recently released memoir, "Spare."

Chelsea was talking about Niecy Nash-Betts' nomination for the Netflix series "Dahmer", but deftly segued to poke fun at the Duke of Sussex.

She said, "Dahmer became the third highest viewed show on Netflix with a combined watch time of 1 billion hours, which apparently is the same amount of time we're going to have to listen to Prince Harry talk about his frostbitten penis. It's enough, already".

And, it seemed to go over well with a lot of the audience ... cause she got laughs all around the room.

Of course, she was referring to details from Harry's book, where he shares his John Thomas got frostbitten back in 2011 during a charity trek to the North Pole.

Prince Harry wasn't the only one to catch some strays from Chelsea ... she also made fun of James Corden and his restaurant debacle.

David Letterman sat down with Volodymyr Zelensky for his Netflix show -- and the interview comes on the heels of a big honor for the Ukrainian Prez.

The ex-'Late Show' host traveled to the European country in October to meet face-to-face with Zelensky ... where they engaged in conversation in front of a live audience, in a secure underground area within the beleaguered nation -- as seen in the just-released trailer for the new episode of 'My Next Guest.'

You see DL making the voyage to Ukraine, and he notes that Russian attacks are still underway as the war rages on ... so, pretty dangerous territory to say the least.

Zelensky shakes hands with Letterman, and they eventually have a seat as Dave is about to dive into some questions. The trailer cuts off before we can hear where he's going to start, but it's sure to be a fascinating chat considering everything that's happened over the past year ... including Zelensky and his military being able to turn the tables on Russia.

It's exactly because of this -- among other notable reasons, like Zelensky's persistence and bravery -- that Zelensky was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year, gracing the cover of their end-of-year issue.

Jay Leno has been released from the hospital after suffering severe burns following a gasoline garage accident -- and you can already tell how badly he was hurt.

The "You Bet Your Life" host posed for a photo taken and posted by the Grossman Burn Center, where JL has been receiving treatment for the past nine days. In it, he seems to be in good spirits alongside the facility staff ... but there's noticeable scarring on his face and hands.

Still, he's well enough to have been discharged ... and GBC says they're encouraged by his recovery. In a statement, the burn center says Jay will receive follow-up care at their outpatient facility, this after receiving burns throughout his upper, including on his chest.

They add, "Jay would like to let everyone know how thankful he is for the care he received, and is very appreciative of all of the well wishes. He is looking forward to spending Thanksgiving with his family and friends and wishes everyone a wonderful holiday."

In addition to being placed in a hyperbaric chamber, JL is said to have undergone surgical excision and skin grafting ... removing unhealthy tissue and allowing the wounds to heal.

Remember ... this is all started while Jay was working on one of his vehicles in his Burbank garage. While trying to unclog a fuel line on a 1907 White Steam Car, he was sprayed with gasoline which erupted into flames. Jay's friend, who was present, saved his life.

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker have a new place to call home ... and it just so happens to be the same beach house Conan O'Brien sold earlier this month.

The keys to Conan's former Carpinteria home are now in the hands of Kourtney and Travis ... as we reported, the comedian got an offer for the place a couple of weeks ago -- turns out the rockin' couple was the ones behind the sale.

We're told they bought the pad -- which was listed for $16.5 million -- for $14.5 mil, so yeah ... they got a sweet deal!

For those unaware, Conan was on the hunt for a buyer since July ... the 2,142-square-foot property is just steps from the sand, and he originally bought it back in 2015 for $7.9M.

The home has panoramic ocean, Channel Island and coastline views. There's also a spacious deck to take in those Pacific sunsets.

For the salt lifers ... there's an outdoor shower and storage area for surf and paddle boards ... essentials for life at the beach.

For those of you not in SoCal, Carpinteria is just south of Santa Barbara ... which is, obviously, a sentimental spot for Kourtney and Travis because they got engaged there.

James Corden took his father's advice and formally apologized on-air for his obnoxious behavior at an NYC restaurant, putting the issue to rest ... hopefully!!

The TV host kicked off his 'Late Late Show' Monday by pointing out that his dad -- who was in the audience -- instructed him to own up to his mistakes after he retracted an earlier apology to Balthazar owner Keith McNally.

And, like a dutiful son, that's exactly what Corden did. "Whenever these sorts of moments come my way, I like to adopt quite a British attitude. Never complain, never explain. But, as my dad pointed out to me on Saturday, he said, 'Son, you did complain. So you might need to explain.' Look, when you make a mistake, you have to take responsibility."

Corden then went into apology mode, recounting what happened at the French brasserie in 1 of the 2 incidents where he was described as a "Cretin." He said he was having a meal at Balthazar in SoHo a few weeks ago ... and a server three times came to the table with the wrong order for his wife, who has food allergies.

The comic said he made a "rude comment" to the waiter "in the heat of the moment," which he finally acknowledged was WRONG. "I didn't shout or scream. I didn't get up out of my seat. I didn't call anyone names or use derogatory language. I have been walking around thinking that I hadn't done anything wrong, right? But, the truth is I have. I made a rude comment and it was wrong. It was an unnecessary comment. It was ungracious to the server."

Corden also briefly mentioned the other incident in which he lost his cool after finding a hair in his food. He said he called McNally right away and apologized profusely after the restaurant owner posted to IG that Corden was banned for his bad behavior.

As we reported ... McNally later rescinded the ban, but then Corden retracted his apology during an interview with the New York Times. In response, McNally told TMZ that Corden should "apologize to the young servers he abused," declining to say if the ban would be reintroduced.

James Corden might've been a POS at one restaurant in NYC -- according to the owner, anyway -- but another famous chef is giving a different story ... saying the dude's a dear.

Curtis Stone is coming to JC's defense -- telling us at LAX this week that he's been nothing but great in his own establishments ... although it's unclear which ones. Curtis owns a few well-known spots around the globe, Maude in Bev Hills perhaps being the crown jewel.

In any case, CS says his experiences with Corden are very different than the ones described by Keith McNally -- who owns Balthazar, and who put the 'Late Late Show' host on blast.

Speaking of that, we asked Curtis if KMN broke an unwritten rule among those in the service industry -- namely, protecting the privacy of patrons, especially celebrity ones, even if they are a bit rude.

Check out his response ... he says these should be safe spaces. 👀

McNally's motives have been questioned throughout the debacle -- frankly, he's been flip-flopping like a fish, taking back his ban and even showing sympathy toward Corden and extending an olive branch by offering free food if the guy properly apologizes to the servers.

James Corden has retracted the apology he made to an NYC restaurant owner earlier this week ... 'cause he's now saying he did nothing wrong.

'The Late, Late Show' host sat down with the New York Times Thursday and called allegations "silly" ... he acted like a "Cretin" by twice going nuts at Balthazar brasserie in Soho.

"I haven't done anything wrong, on any level. So why would I ever cancel this," Corden told an NYT reporter, referring to their interview after his embarrassing restaurant flap.

Corden goes on ... "I was there. I get it. I feel so Zen about the whole thing. Because I think it's so silly. I just think it's beneath all of us. It's beneath you. It's certainly beneath your publication."

At another point during the interview ... Corden peered over to a customer complaining about her meal in the swanky Mark Restaurant.

"Happens every day," Corden told the reporter. "It's happening in 55,000 restaurants as we speak. It's always about eggs."

Then he got serious ... "Can you imagine now, if we just blasted her on Twitter? Would that be fair? This is my point. It’s insane.”

As we reported ... Corden came under fire Monday after Balthazar owner Keith McNally blasted the funnyman on IG for twice acting like a "tiny Cretin of a man." McNally banned Corden from his restaurant, dubbing the TV host "the most abusive customer" ever. That prompted Corden to call McNally and apologize profusely. As a result, McNally lifted the ban.

Your move, Keith.

James Corden has at least 2 NYC restaurant owners in his corner ... they say he's been a model customer, despite some alleged nasty behavior at other establishments.

While James was briefly banned at Big Apple hotspot Balthazar, the owner of some of NYC's top restaurants tells us JC was always super polite and cordial at his restaurants.

Stratis Morfogen has opened 40 restaurants over the years in New York, and he says James is one of the most pleasant and funny guys he's ever served -- to the point where Stratis says he can't even imagine James being mean.

When Stratis hosted and catered a 2018 post-Grammys event for Bruno Mars and Atlantic Records at his Brooklyn Chop House restaurant, he says James was there singing songs with bartenders and yukking it up with staffers at the bar. He also notes James was a gracious tipper.

James is also being defended by famed restaurateur Todd English ... who tells us every time he's served Corden, the comedian's been "absolutely lovely" to everyone in the joint.

Todd, who's been the head chef at Tony Awards afterparties, says James was always "incredibly personable" to him and his staff who traveled from Todd English's Olives in Las Vegas.

As we reported, James was called out this week by Balthazar owner Keith McNally, who accused Corden of being a "cretin of a man" for what he claims was abhorrent behavior at his highly acclaimed establishment.

McNally initially banned James from the restaurant, but says Corden called him up and apologized ... and the ban's since been lifted.

Stratis tells us he was shocked McNally would rip James on social media, because he says he's never heard any of his restaurateur friends talk about James in a negative light.

Conan O'Brien can break out the bubbly ... because he just accepted an offer on his oceanfront home.

Conan's been on the hunt for a buyer since July. He had listed the property in Carpinteria, CA, just south of Santa Barbara, for $16,500,000.

Conan's 2,142 square foot pad is just steps from the sand ... it underwent an extensive remodel after he and his wife Liza bought it back in 2015 -- at the time they plunked down $7.9M for the property.

The house has panoramic ocean, island and coastline views ... there's a large deck with a built-in BBQ, plus a sunset view deck with private stairs down to the beach.

The main house has two bedrooms, a gym and a detached, 2-bedroom guest house with a wraparound deck. The garage has a Tesla charging station too!

For those salt lifers ... there's an outdoor shower and storage area for surf and paddle boards ... essentials for life at the beach.

Conan and Liza are upgrading in the same area, reportedly plunking down $23M.

Stephen Colbert spits out one-liners like it's his day night job! He is known for his comedic monologues and always gets the crowd chuckling. All jokes aside ... can you improvise with what you see in the two images and find the differences?

The late night host was all smiles after shooting a booster shot segment with Dr. Fauci for "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert." There's no doubt this guy looks fresh on the daily, but can you put your best foot forward and locate the minor changes?

Jimmy Kimmel knows how to read the room, so he was quick to apologize to Quinta Brunson for his Emmys bit gone flat.

Quinta appeared on Jimmy's show Wednesday night, and he effusively expressed his regrets for overshadowing Quinta, who snagged a trophy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.

As you know, Will Arnett dragged Jimmy out onstage as Kimmel pretended he was passed-out drunk and he lay there as Will read the noms, announced Quinta as the winner and while Quinta gave her acceptance speech.

Jimmy was ready from the jump for a big mea culpa. As soon as Quinta sat down on the couch, Jimmy went right into apology mode ... "it was a dumb comedy bit that we thought would be funny." In other words, he's now in on the non-joke.

Then Jimmy joked..."I lost, and then I drank too much, and I had to be dragged out on the stage. And then people got upset. They said that I stole your moment, and maybe I did. I'm very sorry if I did do that — I'm sorry I did do that, actually."

Quinta was more than gracious, essentially saying it didn't bother her ..."I was honestly in such a moment of having a good time, like I won my first Emmy! I was up there happy, and I was wrapped up in the moment."

Fact is ... Quinta and Jimmy have history. He was an early supporter of her, bringing her on his show and singing her praises.

Ray J has gone OFF on Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian ... accusing them of lying about their involvement in his sex tape with Kim.

As you know, Kris was hooked up to a polygraph on James Corden's show and he asked, "Did you help Kim release her sex tape?" Kris answered "No" and the polygrapher said she was telling the truth. Steve Hirsch, the Prez of Vivid Entertainment that released the tape, has said Kris never met, spoke or worked with him on the release of the tape.

In Ray's 44-minute diatribe, he never says Kris negotiated for the tape's distribution with Vivid Entertainment, the company that released the tape. He does, however, say there were 2 different sex tapes, not just one -- 1 shot in Cabo and 1 in Santa Barbara -- and he says Kris handpicked the one where Kim looked the best. BTW ... the 3rd tape is labeled "Intro."

He also says in his contract with Vivid, where the 3 tapes are mentioned, Kim's fingerprints are on them ... literally. He says Kim wrote the section describing the 3 tapes. What's significant about this ... Ray says this is the original contract he signed giving Vivid the rights, and he says Kim's handwriting is right there.

It's interesting ... Hirsch has said he acquired the tape not from Kim or Ray but from "a third party." He was never more specific, but he did say "We are very confident in our legal position." Under California law, the person whose image is portrayed in such a video must sign off either directly or through an agent in order for the distributor to have a solid legal position.

Kim also allegedly sued Vivid for invasion of privacy, claiming she never authorized its release. She says she ended up settling with Vivid and the suit was dropped. It was taken off the market months later after a "third party" bought it from Vivid.

Kylie Jenner says her mom, Kris Jenner, was VERY hands-on during her first birth.

The beauty mogul dished the birth deets to James Corden on 'The Late Late Show' this week, talking about what Kris is like in the delivery room ... a place she has been many times over the years, for both her own children and her grandkids.

When it came to Stormi ... Kylie says Kris was playing doctor, reaching up into her birth canal and yanking the kid out. Apparently, she did this on her own ... with pros standing by.

Kris clarified that she wasn't going in barehand or anything ... sounds like she was gloved and scrubbed, so it was kosher and clean. Still, though -- it's not a walk in the park, and it seems Kris tackled it with gusto. The second time around, she was on camera duty.

Speaking of kids, Kylie says she and Travis Scott have yet to settle on a permanent name for their son -- who was named Wolf, and still is legally ... but, apparently, the parents changed their mind and opted to name him something else -- which she didn't reveal.

Kris Jenner got herself hooked up to a polygraph Thursday night ... and the question that dogged her for years was on the table -- was she involved in the release of Kim's sex tape!

Kris sat next to Kylie as James Corden fired off the question -- "Did you help Kim release her sex tape?" the audience gasped, but Kris assured everyone it was ok, she gave a firm "No" to the question and a dude named John who was manning the machine said she was a truthteller!

So, couple of things ... the sex tape could not be released unless the parties involved gave their signoff ... Kim filed a lawsuit against Vivid Entertainment, which released the tape, but according to Vivid they reached a financial settlement and they dropped the case.

Vivid has long said it would not release a tape without everyone's consent, because in addition to losing the profits it made off the tape, it would be on the hook for invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress. Nevertheless, Kim sued and they settled.

Corden didn't follow up with whether she knew if Kim was in on the plot ... something Kim has denied.