Hasan Minhaj Defends Himself ... After Admitting to Fabricating Stories

Hasan Minhaj has been caught stretching the truth in a handful of stories he's told in his stand-up comedy -- and his response to this revelation is ... eh, it's not a big deal, guys.

The comic -- famous from 'The Daily Show' -- got called out in a New Yorker piece ... which got him to admit that he'd fabricated much of the details to several bits he'd done on stage over the years ... almost all of which played up racism and bigotry over his Muslim heritage.

One such anecdote that was embellished is about his daughter ... and how he had to rush her to the hospital after an envelope with white powder was sent to his house. As it turns out, all the daughter stuff was made up -- as he revealed when pressed by the New Yorker.

Other stories he exaggerated or flat-out lied about included one of him getting turned down for a school dance due to his race -- the woman in question says this wasn't the case in the slightest -- and another about how an FBI informant infiltrated his community mosque. In both instances, there appears to be little truth to the substance of the stories.

Minhaj said this to the New Yorker, "My comedy Arnold Palmer is seventy per cent emotional truth -- this happened -- and then thirty per cent hyperbole, exaggeration, fiction." After being pressed further by other media, he released a lengthier statement, which is interesting.

He says ... "All my standup stories are based on events that happened to me. Yes, I was rejected from going to prom because of my race. Yes, a letter with powder was sent to my apartment that almost harmed my daughter. Yes, I had an interaction with law enforcement during the war on terror. Yes, I had varicocele repair surgery, so we could get pregnant. Yes, I roasted Jared Kushner to his face. I use the tools of standup comedy -- hyperbole, changing names and locations, and compressing timelines to tell entertaining stories."

HM adds, "You wouldn’t go to a Haunted House and say ‘Why are these people lying to me?’ The point is the ride. Standup is the same."

Will Smith & Martin Lawrence Guns Blazing on Atlanta Streets For 'Bad Boys 4' Shoot-Out

GETTIN' BAD ON SET
TMZ.com

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are bringing some scarily realistic-looking action to an Atlanta neighborhood, where cameras were rolling for a violent scene from "Bad Boys 4."

TMZ obtained this footage recorded from a building next to the ATL parking lot where the cast and crew worked on a shoot-out sequence for the upcoming sequel.

As you can see, it's action-packed ... with Will and Martin, AKA Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Miles Burnett, respectively -- at the center of it all.

The movie's leading men are walking through the lot when they get ambushed with a hail of gunfire .. and try to take cover while firing back at the bad guys.

While at least 2 of their fellow cops get taken out in the violence ... Martin and Will appear to survive the action.

Hey, they are the stars of the blockbuster franchise, after all!

BAD BOYS ARE BACK
BACKGRID

Remember, we first saw them filming a scene last week in Atlanta, and they were fully in character ... with Will talking Martin off an 8-story ledge as he stood on the edge wearing a hospital gown.

Spoiler alert: They both survive this scene too. 😂

This 4th installment of the franchise is due in theaters next year, and the OG 'Bad Boys' came out way back in 1995.

Yeah, these guys have been at it for nearly 30 years, but they're not yet shying away from filming some of their action-packed scenes.

To partially quote another famous buddy cop film -- they're NOT too old for this s**t!

Will Smith to Martin Lawrence Don't Jump!!! Daring 'Bad Boys 4' Scene

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back in action ... and we have the first images of the famous duo filming together for their upcoming 'Bad Boys' flick.

The actors were spotted Wednesday in Atlanta shooting a scene for "Bad Boys 4" ... and, the guys are fully in character -- Will as Det. Mike Lowrey and Martin as Marcus Miles Burnett.

BAD BOYS ARE BACK
BACKGRID

As you can see, they were right in the thick of all the action ... it appears Will's character was talking Martin off an 8-story ledge, as he stood near the edge wearing a hospital gown.

You'll recall we saw Will on set of the new film, last month, but this is the first time we've seen him and Martin together in front of the cameras.

Will's fully back into the swing of his movie career since he infamously slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. While Smith is banned from attending the award show for 10 years ... it's not impacting his appeal as an A-list draw for Hollywood blockbusters.

This will be the 4th installment of their 'Bad Boys' franchise, which started way back in '95.

Yeah, Lowrey and Burnett might be getting a little long in the tooth, but audiences are still showing up to see 'em. "Bad Boys 4" will drop next year.

Bruce Willis 2018 Speech Resurfaces ... 'Nothing Can Keep Me Down'

An incredible clip of Bruce Willis has come back to light after his recent dementia diagnosis ... one where he says there's nothing in this world that can keep him down.

The video comes from his 2018 Comedy Central roast ... hilariously digging at everything that's "attacked him" over the years -- from terrorists to male pattern baldness and divorce lawyers, but nothing's stopped him because he's "Bruce f***ing Willis."

He also settled the score on whether "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie -- thank God.

It's a fantastic speech ... one his adoring fans started sharing on social media shortly after his daughter Rumer broke the news his aphasia has progressed to frontotemporal dementia ... commonly known as FTD.

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As we reported, she said the diagnosis was a painful one, but called it "a relief" for the family to finally have some sort of answer ... adding "challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces."

Bruce's other daughter Scout shared her feelings Thursday night after the news broke -- saying she's "emotionally tired and a bit overwhelmed," but thankful for everyone who has shown support.

It's unclear what the next steps are for the beloved actor -- currently, there's no treatment for FTD --  but in his own words ... he's still Bruce f***ing Willis.

Jeff Ross Comedy Special Allegedly Used To Sentence Man To Death D.A. Now Firing Back!!!

Funnyman Jeff Ross may have inadvertently contributed to a Texas inmate's death sentence ... and now, the guy's attorneys are asking the Supreme Court to overturn the sentence.

Here's the rub ... attorneys for Gabriel Hall are petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review the convicted killer's capital punishment sentence, which was based in part on jokes Ross and Hall made to each other ... during the comedian's 2015 TV special.

During the trial, prosecutors used Ross' show as evidence against Hall, which eventually lead to his conviction and subsequent death sentence.

The taped special was shot at the Detention Center where Hall was awaiting trial in TX back in '15 ... it was filmed shortly before Hall's conviction for the murder of a man named Edwin Shaar.

According to the Supreme Court petition, obtained by TMZ, Ross and Hall had a wide-ranging convo that was aired AS A PART of "Jeff Ross Roasts Criminals: Live At Brazos County Jail." The chat lasted 17 minutes with the comedian repeatedly mocking the guy's appearance and joking about his race. During the exchange, Hall made a series of jokes which prosecutors used during the penalty phase which, they said, showed Hall had "a lack of remorse for having committed capital murder." As a result, Hall's lawyers say, the jury voted to put Hall to death.

In their legal docs, Hall's lawyers say that before the Ross special was taped, they sent the Brazos County Sheriff a letter of "no contact" ... asking the deputies to prohibit anyone from talking to Hall without their permission. Clearly, that didn't happen.

Stay tuned, folks, for the next installment.

Trevor Noah Chokes Up on Final 'Daily Show' ... Black Women Made Me, They're the Best Teachers!!!

THE REAL HEROES
Comedy Central

Trevor Noah said his final farewell to "The Daily Show" Thursday night and on his way to the exit, he got pretty emotional talking about who he credits for his knowledge and success.

Trevor ended his 7-year run hosting the Comedy Central series by paying tribute to all the Black women in his life who took the time “to inform me, to educate me, to argue with me.” Specifically, he cited his mother, grandmother and aunt for having grand ideas that nurtured him.

As he put it, "I tell people if you want to truly learn about America, talk to Black women cause, unlike everybody else, Black women can't afford to f*** around and find out."

Trevor added, "Black women, in particular, they know what s*** is. They know what happens if things do not go the way it should."

He also gave props to several "brilliant" female Black leaders ... Roxane Gay, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Zoé Samudzi and Tarana Burke.

SEPTEMBER 2022
CURTAIN CALL
Comedy Central

In his opening monologue, Noah thanked his fans for tuning in and got emotional as he went down memory lane, listing all the celebrity guests he had on the show since 2016, including Oprah, Issa Rae, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and Bill Gates.

Comedy Central has yet to name Trevor's replacement, but they'll have big shoes to fill -- just as he did taking over for Jon Stewart.

Roy Wood Jr. The Next 'Daily Show' Host?!? Comic's In The Mix

UPDATE

5:15 PM PT -- 10/2 -- Comedy Central tells TMZ ... "In time, we will turn to the next chapter of The Daily Show and all of our incredible correspondents will be at the top of that list. Until then, we are focused on celebrating Trevor and thanking him for his many contributions."

Roy Wood Jr. could soon get a serious promotion over at Comedy Central ... we're told he's in the running to take over for Trevor Noah as the next host on "The Daily Show."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ that Comedy Central executives view Roy as someone who could potentially become the next face of 'TDS' ... for several reasons.

Roy joined the show in 2015, the same year Trevor took over for Jon Stewart as host, and he's since become one of the show's most recognizable faces, not to mention one of their leading correspondents.

With that in mind, we're told CC execs view Roy as a natural fit to be promoted to host ... and there's precedent, as the show promoted from within when Trevor took the reins from Jon.

Our sources say Roy's contract is also coming up for renewal, and CC execs are anxious he may leave the show because Roy is in demand on the stand-up circuit and he's also gaining popularity from recent outside projects like "Confess, Fletch."

We're told CC wants to make sure Roy stays with the network, and promoting him to host could be the best way to keep him around.

Our sources say CC execs have made it clear to Roy they want to meet with him to discuss his future as his contract renewal looms ... but he's NOT been personally told he's even a candidate to replace Trevor.

The process of picking a successor, we're told, is in the infancy stage ... and there's talk the next host could well be a woman. Again, we're told no decisions have been made.

As we reported ... Trevor announced he was leaving the show on Thursday night's episode, with a CC source telling us TN felt the daily show was too much of a grind after 7 years at the helm.

SEPTEMBER 2022
CURTAIN CALL
Comedy Central

It's interesting ... Trevor mentioned Roy by name at the opening of his farewell speech, saying Roy reminded him the other day Noah's 7-year anniversary was fast approaching.

Still, we're told it's unclear if Roy knew Trevor was leaving the show before the sudden announcement.

Originally Published -- 10/1 @ 1:00 AM PT

Trevor Noah Leaving 'The Daily Show'

SEPTEMBER 2022
CURTAIN CALL
Comedy Central

Trevor Noah has just rocked cable news and news itself ... he's leaving his gig on Comedy Central.

Trevor made the announcement Thursday, telling the audience his 7-year tenure is coming to an end ... and he made the announcement on his 7-year anniversary.

A Comedy Central source tells TMZ ... his decision has to do with his schedule, which is hardcore crazy ... and it's just too much of a grind for him to do a daily show.

Comedy Central says, "We are grateful to Trevor for our amazing partnership over the past seven years. As we look ahead, we're excited for the next chapter in the 25+ year history of 'The Daily Show.'"

It's unclear when Trevor will leave the show ... our Comedy Central source says Trevor and the CC team are working together on "a timeline for his departure."

TN has hosted "The Daily Show" since 2015, taking over for longtime host Jon Stewart on the satirical news program.

During his time as host, Trevor won a Primetime Emmy Award ... and was nominated for a bunch of other awards.

In 2017, Trevor extended his contract with Comedy Central through 2022 ... and now he's leaving altogether.

It will be interesting to see who Comedy Central tabs as the next 'Daily Show' host ... but one thing is for sure, they will have some big shoes to fill.

Trevor's sure to have other opportunities ... he's also hosted the Grammy Awards and the White House Correspondents Dinner, appeared in movies and produced a ton of content.

Ravens' Morgan Moses Custom Chappelle Cleats For Opener ... 'Game, Blouses!!!'

Forget Lamar Jackson, the guy to really watch during the Ravens' season opener this weekend is Morgan Moses -- 'cause he just copped some custom Dave Chappelle shoes for the occasion ... and they're awesome!!

TMZ Sports has learned Baltimore's offensive tackle hit up popular artist Mike Jordan to get some dope imagery put on his spikes for the team's first game of the season against the Jets.

Jordan tells us Moses let him pick out the design ... and since Moses loves pancakes and wanted Ravens colors, he decided Chappelle's famous Prince episode was the perfect theme.

If you haven't seen it -- the 2004 sketch is hilarious ... Chappelle dressed up in a Prince suit and replayed the fictional time the legendary singer beat Charlie Murphy in a pickup basketball game -- and ate pancakes afterward.

On the right side of the cleats, Jordan put Chappelle wearing the same fit he did in the show with a plate of pancakes. On the left side, he put Chappelle in the Prince suit making a funny hand gesture.

The left cleat also features Chappelle's hilarious saying in the show, "Game, Blouses," under the Nike logo.

Jordan -- who has done work for several NFL stars including Tre'Davious White in the past -- says it took 12 hours to put together ... and ensured Moses will get 'em just in time for the Sunday afternoon kickoff!

Dave Chappelle 'Chappelle's Show' Back on Netflix ... Comedy Central 'Paid Me Millions!!!'

POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Netflix

Dave Chappelle says he got what he wanted from Comedy Central -- millions of dollars, and rights to his show -- so now "Chappelle's Show" is back on Netflix ... with his blessing.

Dave shared a bit from his recent stand-up Thursday night in which he revealed the show's return to streaming Friday ... just 2 months after Netflix yanked it at his behest.

On stage, Chappelle summarized his power struggle with Comedy Central to get paid for any "Chappelle's Show" deals they made ... and he gave all the credit to fans for not watching the show at his request.

Dave said ... "When you stopped watching it, they called me. And, I got my name back and I got my license back and I got my show back and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much."

Dave went on to shower his fans with appreciation for putting him back after his 12-year hiatus from comedy, which he says "kept me free."

He also gave props to a couple execs at Netflix and ViacomCBS -- which owns Comedy Central -- and added ... "Finally, after all these years, I can finally say to Comedy Central, 'It's been a pleasure doing business with you.'"

Ed Helms Selling His Cherry Honda Hog

Long before he was known to the world as toothless, butt-whipped Stu in "The Hangover" ... Ed Helms drove this Honda motorcycle to auditions, and he's finally parting ways with it.

The actor/comedian is selling his 1976 Honda CB750F motorcycle ... and while the price is pretty modest at a mere $4,800, the bike does have tons of sentimental value. The new owner should know ... it's the bike he used to drive to his auditions when he lived in NYC.

He had it shipped to L.A. when he moved. Pays to have a bike ... to zoom in and out of traffic on the 101 and 405.

The bike has 13,591 miles and it's in cherry condition. It was stored at Atlantis Motor Garage in L.A. for some time now. We're told he decided to take it out of storage, spruce it up some and sell it.

As all Ed Helms fans know by now ... he gained notoriety when he appeared as a correspondent on 'The Daily Show' before slowly becoming a household name on "The Office." But, his role as Stu in the 'Hangover' trilogy is where he made his mark ... and the rest is history.

Netflix Yanks 'Chappelle's Show' ... At Dave's Request

Dave Chappelle just flexed his industry muscles big time -- he asked Netflix to pull his old Comedy Central sketch show from their service ... and they actually did.

The comedian broke the news Tuesday in a new stand-up segment he posted called 'Unforgiven' -- where, in front of a live audience, he talked about how he recently called up Netflix and told 'em how displeased he was that they were streaming 'Chappelle's Show.'

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In his act, Dave recounts how it went down. Long story short, he says he has no say, rights or rights to revenue over the show -- it belongs to Comedy Central, which belongs to Viacom -- and that it's perfectly legal for Viacom to do what it wants with it since he signed a deal years ago. But, he also asks ... is that right?

Apparently, Dave posed that question to Netflix as well -- and the honchos either agreed with him, or just wanted to keep him happy. Either way, "Chappelle's Show" is off the platform ... something they didn't legally have to do.

It speaks to the relationship Dave shares with Netflix -- he's churned out special after special with them for a few years now ... which have been wildly successful.

Clearly, Netflix respects him enough to honor his wishes and to keep that partnership going. Dave forecasted his frustration about Netflix and HBO Max landing rights to stream 'Chappelle's Show' in his SNL monologue just earlier this month.

He made it clear then ... he didn't make a dime off the licensing deals, and worked the revelation into a bit about being bought and sold like a slave.

BTW, HBO Max is still streaming 'Chappelle's Show' right now. Unclear if they're planning to follow suit -- but based on Dave's history with the network ... he's probably not holding his breath.

Robert De Niro Cracks Robert Kraft Joke ... I Like Happy Endings Too!!!

TAKING A SHOT AT KRAFT
Comedy Central

Just when Robert Kraft thought everyone had finally moved past his whole Asian massage parlor thing ... Robert De Niro put it right back in the spotlight with a joke at the Alec Baldwin 'Roast!'

De Niro was pretty funny at the Comedy Central event and closed with a zinger at Kraft's expense.

"Like Robert Kraft at a massage parlor, I want my Roast to have a happy ending," he told Baldwin before wrapping it up.

The crowd laughed. So did Baldwin. Guessing Mr. Kraft didn't find it so funny.

Other highlights from the 'Roast' ... De Niro threw a few jokes Caitlyn Jenner's way -- including this gem:

"Caitlyn Jenner. Now there's something different about you but I can't put my finger in it!"

Caitlyn shot back, "Yes, you can!!!" Good times ...

De Niro also went after Donald Trump ... telling the room:

"This is like that Moscow hotel room where a bunch of wh*res p*ssed all over Donald Trump."

There was more ... Jeff Ross killed. Blake Griffin was pretty great. Caroline Rhea was solid. And, Caitlyn Jenner brought the heat when it was her turn to roast.

Jeff Ross Caitlyn Jenner's Got Thick Skin ... She Can Handle a Roast

NO HOLDING BACK
TMZ.com

Jeff Ross makes his living roasting others, and he says there's one person who stands above the rest when it comes to handling harsh jokes directed their way ... Caitlyn Jenner.

The RoastMaster General himself joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to share some behind-the-scenes info from the Comedy Central 'Roast of Alec Baldwin' ... and Jeff says Caitlyn did a helluva job taking digs from Blake Griffin and others. BTW, she also dished out some jabs.

As you know ... Blake got huge laughs with jokes about Caitlyn's gender reassignment and thanking her -- on behalf of NBA players and rappers -- for giving Kendall and Kylie daddy issues. Don't forget, Blake and Kendall actually dated.

Jeff commends Caitlyn for being a great sport and shares an interesting little nugget about her history with celebrity roasts ... which might explain why she was totally down for this one.

More importantly, Jeff says Caitlyn being the first transgender person to appear on one of his celebrity roasts will have a social impact far beyond the laughs they had that night.

Of course, Jeff couldn't resist roasting Caitlyn a little himself ... and ya gotta hear his punchline!!!

Blake Griffin Roasts Caitlyn Jenner 'Thanks for Giving Your Daughters Daddy Issues!!!'

"On behalf of the entire NBA and half of the rappers on the Billboard charts, I want to thank you for giving your daughters their daddy issues!"

That's NBA superstar Blake Griffin giving it to Caitlyn Jenner at the Comedy Central "Roast of Alec Baldwin" -- proving absolutely nothing is off limits ... and it's all hilarious!

Blake and Caitlyn were on the dais for the show (which airs Sept. 15) -- and it's customary for roasters to go after each other in addition to burning the guest of honor.

What's interesting about this situation ... Blake famously dated Caitlyn's daughter, Kendall Jenner, beginning back in 2017 -- so it's not like the NBA star was going after a stranger.

Comedy Central only released a snippet of Blake's set -- but so far, so good.

Here's another joke ...

"Caitlyn completed her gender reassignment in 2017 ... finally confirming that no one in that family wants a white d*ck."

COME ON, THAT'S GOOD!

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