Comedy

If Chris Rock is looking to serve up a dish of revenge on Will Smith, a Slapfighting organization is willing to provide everything the legendary comedian needs to smack the hell out of the A-list actor.

SlapFIGHT Championship puts on slap fights (like the name sounds -- there are 5 weight classes, and competitors slap each other until someone quits or goes to sleep) ... and the org. tells TMZ Sports they're offering a safe and controlled place for the two entertainers to slap each other silly in an exhibition match.

JT Tilley, the CEO, says he'd like to see Rock seek revenge on Smith after the incident at the Oscars.

"I made an offer," Tilley tells us, adding, "I would love to host an exhibition match between them two and make it safe as possible."

Tilley says SlapFIGHT fans definitely want this fight to happen ... with many declaring Rock would win if it went down.

"Our fans (via social media) think Chris Rick would be the winner," Tilley says, "because he obviously has a strong chin."

That doesn't mean Will -- who is about 6'2", 200 lbs.-- won't be good at the sport ... in fact, Tilley says the 53-year-old's slap technique is similar to their top fighter, middleweight champ Wolverine.

If they're not interested in competing, Tilley says he'd like to host Chris and Will at one of their fights. But of course, a rematch sounds better.

"I would like to give them a chance to settle their differences," Tilley says.

Will Smith's slap has at least one comedy club on its toes and ready to defend its talent at all costs -- going so far as to post a very clear sign ... no slapping allowed, period!

Dani Zoldan -- who owns Stand Up NY in the Big Apple -- tells TMZ ... management decided to tape up a message in their storefront window that directly addresses the Chris Rock moment, as a way to discourage would-be copycats who might now feel emboldened.

The poster is in a bit of a meme format, with the snapshot of Chris getting slapped crossed out with a big "NO" sign streaked across the front, and a shot of Will crying right next to it.

Their message, "Comedians play a critical role in our society, especially during times of chaos and uncertainty. They make us laugh, bring perspective and remind us there are different ways of seeing our reality." More importantly, they add ... "Comics must be protected."

Then comes a warning from Stand Up NY ... "Heckling and physical abuse of comics is prohibited, and patrons will be immediately removed from the showroom." Their crying WS photo has a description -- saying that'll be you if you get a little slaphappy on the premises.

Zoldan emphatically disavows Will's actions, reaffirming his establishment's note -- that comedians are here to entertain us and make us laugh ... and that they deserve respect.

As for other big-time comedy clubs ... they seem to be keeping an eye on things -- but not necessarily enacting any policy changes in response to the Will-Chris smack. That includes the Comedy Cellar in NYC, Carolines on Broadway and even the Laugh Factory here in L.A.

Late-night talk hosts are sinking their teeth into Will Smith's slap heard-round-the-world, with some going harder than others ... and at least one didn't really bite at all.

Jimmy Fallon opted to tread very lightly, but Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel took much more direct approaches -- so, we'll start with them.

JK recapped the entire saga well... sprinkling in light jabs toward Will, like joking that while he hoped to be invited back, he also might be waiting for the Academy in the parking lot if he doesn't get the call.

Colbert was even harsher... taking a bunch of shots at Will and his movies (calling those flicks the worst thing he's ever done aside from this), and also criticizing Oscars producers for letting Will give a long acceptance speech without much consequence at all.

Seth Meyers didn't hit the subject himself, but instead, let one of his writers, comedian Amber Ruffin, do a bit in which she recounted the horror of watching it go down with flowery prose and poetic language.

Not nearly as funny as the first 2 guys, but an interesting way to dissect it.

James Corden, meanwhile, found a very creative way to analyze the whole thing ... invoking 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' -- the smash-hit Disney song from "Encanto" -- but applied it to Will/Jada.

It was pretty funny, and made for quite the musical number ... which is right in James' wheelhouse. Dude loves to sing and dance -- and he didn't miss the opportunity here.

Finally, there was Fallon ... who clearly did not want to get into it very much at all -- not even saying Will Smith or Chris Rock's name, but glossing over the moment almost entirely and pivoting to Russia news.

That might have to do with the fact that Jimmy is known to have a close relationship with Rock -- dating back to his 'SNL' days -- but as a late-night host, also wants to have Will on as a guest ... so it's possible he's opting to stay on the sidelines.

Most of the hosts said the obvious ... that violence is unacceptable, and considering the serious nature of the situation -- it's cool they found a way to break it down with some humor, which is what they're paid to do.

Will, meanwhile, has since apologized to Chris ... but CR himself has been mum following the whole thing.

The Academy is investigating -- although it's fairly clear what happened here -- and it remains to be seen what, if any, consequences Will may face.

Ricky Gervais couldn't stop himself from joining the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars drama, and seemingly backing Chris ... tweeting a clip from "The Office" that pokes fun at alopecia.

Gervais retweeted the clip Monday from his David Brent account -- his character on the OG British version of the show -- and it shows David trying to win over his employees by taking them out for drinks at lunchtime.

Ricky's full line in the scene shows him joking about Alcoholics Anonymous, saying "I know someone who is an alcoholic and it is no laughing matter - particularly for his wife. And, she's got alopecia. So ... not a happy home life."

Now, it's not like Ricky captioned it with anything about the Oscars, but it's clearly the only relevance ... coming the day after Rock dropped his "G.I. Jane 2" quip at Jada Pinkett Smith -- who as you know has alopecia -- and, thereby, triggering Will's now-infamous slap.

Jada had announced last year she shaved her head after being diagnosed with alopecia. As TMZ reported ... Rock did not know she has the condition.

It's interesting that Ricky's sounding off about the incident -- he's hosted the Golden Globes 5 times, and always roasted celebrities left and right ... yet no one ever laid a hand on him.

In a truly shocking moment, Will Smith just smacked Chris Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith at The Oscars.

Chris was up on stage Sunday presenting for Best Documentary, but before he started naming the nominees ... he was firing off zingers to the crowd, and eventually landed on Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.

Chris made a comment about Jada's shaved head ... saying he couldn't wait to see 'G.I. Jane 2' -- which got some groans from the crowd, to which he just sorta shrugged off.

Chris didn't think he'd crossed a line, but Will clearly did ... because he stormed the stage and literally socked the dude in the face. A stunned Rock exclaimed, "Wow. Will Smith just smacked the s*** outta me."

The American broadcast on ABC muted, and even froze, but in other countries it continued ... and Will shouted "Keep my wife's name out your f****** mouth" twice to Chris.

Chris eventually gained his composure again and carried on with handing out the Oscar, but the room was left tense with a sense of unease.

Jada has been public with her alopecia diagnosis for a good while, documenting her struggle with hair loss.

As of now ... Will and Jada are still sitting in the crowd.

Jake Paul wants in on the Will Smith vs. Chris Rock feud -- the YouTuber-turned-fighter is offering both actors $15 MILLION to take their beef to the boxing ring!!

Shortly after the slap heard around the world went down at the Oscars, "Impractical Jokers" star Sal Vulcano joked about how much the Most Valuable Promotions founder would cough up to get both legends in the ring for an epic event for the ages.

The 25-year-old fighter -- who previously offered Pete Davidson and Kanye West $30 milli each to face off in the ring -- delivered on his new proposition late Sunday night ... claiming he already has $30 million set aside for a Smith vs. Rock bout.

"I got $15m for Will Smith and $15m for Chris Rock ready to go," Paul tweeted ... adding he already has a date in mind.

"Let’s do it in August on my undercard."

FYI -- The biggest Pay-per-view ever is 4.6 million buys for Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in 2015.

A Will vs. Chris fight would undoubtedly be successful, but don't hold your breath on it ever happening -- after all, both guys have all the money in the world and it would be quite the height/weight disadvantage for Rock ... but Jake's got the financial backing to make it happen.

The entertainment world wasn't the only one shaken up by Will Smith's Oscars slap on Sunday night -- notable sports figures, including Deion Sanders and Patrick Mahomes' wife, also couldn't believe what they saw.

Just minutes after Will smacked Chris Rock on stage at the Academy Awards over a joke the comedian made about Jada Pinkett Smith ... Sanders commended Rock for taking the blow.

"Chris took it like a STANDUP GUY LITERALLY!!! WOW WOW WOW!" Sanders said on Twitter, before adding, "Lord help us please help us Love each other especially in front of company."

Brittany Mahomes, meanwhile, chastised Smith for letting his anger turn into physical violence.

"You. Don’t. Slap. Someone," the Kansas City star quarterback's wife wrote on Twitter.

Others in the sports world commented on Will as well ... with Steph Curry even cracking a joke on social media over it.

The Golden State Warriors point guard made the quip while praising the Stanford women's basketball team for its big victory on Sunday night.

"This was loud!!!" Curry wrote. "Like that slap on that other channel."

New Las Vegas Raiders star Chandler Jones made a 'Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' jab after seeing the on-stage swing ... writing on Twitter, "Got in one little fight and we all got scared."

NBA star Bradley Beal added, "Smack the taste out his mouth," while Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson wrote on Twitter in disbelief, "He slapped that boy fr ? Or I’m trippin."

Will Smith's slap heard-round-the-world seems to have Hollywood kinda split on whether it was right or wrong -- but there's one person who's firmly in the guy's corner ... his son.

The entire world seems to have reacted to Will's violent behavior, and celebrities are no exception -- with several high-profile stars weighing in online ... and some even defending WS and Jada Pinkett by extension, including Nicki Minaj.

The rapper had a lot of thoughts on the matter, writing ... "You just got to witness in real time what happens in a man’s soul when he looks over to the woman he loves & sees her holding back tears from a “little joke” at her expense. This is what any & every real man feels in that instant. while y’all seeing the joke he’s seeing her pain."

She adds, "Imagine what it must feel like to be losing your hair to the point where you have to shave it bald. You think that’s easy to deal with for anyone?"

So, clearly ... Nicki is team Will/Jada. But, there are far more who condemned the assault -- including Judd Apatow, who was emphatic. Judd wrote, "He could have killed him. That's pure out of control rage and violence. They've heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshmen in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind."

Others seemed to be either baffled or amused by what had occurred ... Billy Eichner, Jodie and Conan O'Brien fall into that category. But, the most telling response came from Will and Jada's own flesh and blood.

Jaden Smith sounded off in the aftermath, writing ... "And That's How We Do It," apparently co-signing what his old man had just done.

It would also seem that Jada herself appreciated Will getting up there -- because as soon as the broadcast went to break ... a photo shows Chris Rock leaning down from the stage trying to talk to both of them, with none other than Denzel Washington standing in between them.

In the pic, you can see Will and Jada holding hands ... appearing to put on a united front.

There's also a lot of chatter today about "toxic masculinity" and whether Will is a personification of that. Many feel he is, but there seems to be an opposing group who say he was simply doing what a good partner/man should do to defend his woman.

Amy Schumer is letting the world in on what she calls her biggest secret ... the hair-pulling disorder she says has caused her internal shame for decades.

The comedian and actress says she suffers from trichotillomania, the scientific name for compulsive hair pulling -- a disorder she says she's lived with since she was a child, and one she fears may be passed on to her 2-year-old son.

Amy opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about her struggles living with the disorder, saying ... "I'm proud that my big secret only hurts me but it's been what I've carried so much shame about for so long."

There's a genetic component to trichotillomania and, as a result, Amy says she feels like she's having a heart attack every time she sees her young son touch his hair.

She recalls things getting so bad when she was younger, she needed a wig to cover bald spots ... and says everyone at school knew she was rocking a wig, which didn't even fit.

Bob Saget's fans will finally be able to see the touching, and sometimes hilarious, tribute his close friends put together for him -- and the list of celebs who memorialized him is seriously impressive.

Mike Binder, one of Bob's best friends, was the brains behind January's event at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, and he says it's coming to Netflix in June.

Mike made the announcement on the Dystopia Tonight! with John Poveromo podcast, and says he hooked Netflix when he showed a video of the star-studded event to the platform's head of comedy.

It's pretty easy to see why they decided to buy it as a stand-alone special. Mike shared one clip featuring Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, John Stamos, Jeff Ross and John Mayer.

The guys were jamming a bluesy tribute, and you gotta see the punchline Rock dropped!

There were only a limited number of Comedy Store tickets made available to the public, so very few fans have seen this ... another reason Netflix locked it up.

Mike says Carrey's appearance, in particular, is pretty special because these days he frequents The Store ... but usually just hangs backstage.

Bob Saget's friends and family say he was his normal, happy and joking self in the days leading up to his death ... and allegations he was complaining about being sick with long-term COVID before his last show just don't add up.

We spoke with one of Bob's best friends, who was in touch with the comedian almost daily, and tells us Saget never mentioned feeling off or that he was still battling the after-effects of COVID. Not only that, we're told the friend, who saw Bob regularly, said he never exhibited symptoms of being sick either.

Not only that -- the Saget family attorney tells us Bob's wife, Kelly Rizzo, spoke to Bob the day he died -- and he never mentioned being sick or having hearing issues.

Of course, this goes against what the showrunner at the venue where Bob last performed told investigators in an interview after his death. The woman claimed Bob had mentioned he hadn't been feeling well -- battling the after-effects of COVID-19, including hearing issues and a sore throat.

There was also the valet driver at The Ritz where Bob died, who told investigators he was in good spirits, didn't appear to have suffered any head trauma, and kept his balance without issue. A photo the valet took with Bob showed him to be perfectly fine as well.

Canadian-American actor Harland Williams was in his mid-30s when he blazed the role of Kenny Davis -- the high school teacher who goes to jail after accidentally killing a cop's horse -- in the classic stoner comedy "Half Baked."

Also featured in the film were actors Dave Chappelle playing Sir Smoke-a-Lot, Jim Breuer as Brian, and Guillermo Díaz as Scarface. Other notable stars included Snoop Dogg, Stephen Baldwin and Jon Stewart.

24 years later, Harland continues to bring the laughs with his stand-up comedy and his wacky IG antics ... like taking his Instagram followers on his shopping trips to IKEA.

Bob Saget was not feeling well the night he went into his hotel room and ended up dying -- at least that's what one of the last people to speak with him is claiming.

A showrunner who works at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall -- where Bob's last show took place before he booked it to Orlando that fateful night -- told investigators Bob had disclosed to her and other stage crew that he wasn't well health-wise preshow.

The woman, whose name is Rosalie Cocci, said Bob had told them he was battling long-term COVID, and it had taken a toll on his body.

As far as what he was dealing with specifically ... the woman told cops Bob mentioned his hearing was off and he was constantly asking them to turn everything up.

In addition to hearing trouble, Cocci went on to explain Bob had said he was sick the day before, and his throat was sore ... she added he seemed to be "talking himself up" to get ready for his stand-up performance ... which he ultimately did.

In the end, Cocci says she and the crew were surprised he knocked it out of the park when push came to shove -- despite his earlier complaints, they say he didn't miss a beat and put on a great show, as if nothing was wrong.

If it's true that his hearing was off, that could cause balance issues ... it's unclear what exactly caused Bob's fatal brain bleed ... but a problem with balance could result in a fall or misjudging distance.

Now Bob's family tells TMZ, they don't believe he had long-term COVID, because he had only come down with the virus 2 weeks earlier and he never complained of hearing problems.

As you know, the authorities have said Bob bumped his head somehow while he was in his hotel room later that night -- and ended up dying as a result of a major brain bleed.

Miami Hurricanes head coach Jim Larrañaga not only saved the world from a shirtless Charles Barkley ... but then clowned Chuck during his post-game presser.

Yes, not all heroes wear capes.

It all started when Barkley, known for his larger-than-life personality as a commentator, joked he would take off his shirt if his alma mater, Auburn, beat the Hurricanes last night.

Jim got wind of Chuck's comments, and after knocking off Barkley's old school, had a hilarious reaction to it.

“I listened to Charles Barkley tell the CBS crew that if Auburn won, he’d take off his shirt. And, I thought to myself, no one wants to see that, Chuck," Larrañaga said.

Of course, Barkley has ties to Auburn -- he played for the Tigers for three years averaging 14.1 points per game -- so, it's safe to say he was a bit biased in his prediction.

But, Auburn was 7.5 point favorite over Miami, so Barkley, like most people, was stunned when the Hurricanes easily handled Auburn.

Miami dominated the Tigers, 79-61, to advance to the Sweet 16 ... and it seems coach Larrañaga and his team played with extra motivation thanks to Chuck.

After the game, Barkley was a good sport about Larrañaga's pot shot ... and even heaped praise on Jim for the way the Hurricanes beat up on his Tigers.

We also got video of the Hurricanes arriving back in Florida thanks to our intern, Ryan, and the scene on the ground in Miami was pretty incredible.

A group of passionate fans was there to greet coach as early as 2:15 AM ... and coach spent time high-fiving students as they chanted "It's great to be a Miami Hurricane."

Gabriel Iglesias is helping to make the life of one fan who recently suffered a serious injury much easier ... by reaching into his wallet to help buy a much needed device.

Nick Weaver tells TMZ ... he recently reached out to the comedian on social media, sharing his story, and asking to help contribute to a GoFundMe with an $8,000 goal to buy a prosthetic leg.

On Thursday, much to Nick's surprise, a $5,000 donation come in from Gabriel ... hitting the fundraiser's target.

After donating, Gabriel reposted the link online, joking, "Just paid off his leg. Make sure he doesn’t miss my show." A few months ago, celebrity jeweler Ben Baller also donated $2K to Nick's cause, saying "thank you for being part of the BTB army!"

Nick says back in August 2021, he got into a dispute with his brother over some money owed ... and his brother allegedly ran him over with a car. He lost his leg as a result of the incident after surgeries were unsuccessful in saving it.

'SNL' managed to walk the line Saturday night, with a hilarious cold open about TikTokers making the trek to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., advising the Prez on how to fight the Russians.

The premise -- President Biden meets TikTok stars in the Oval for a brainstorming meeting on how to fight the Russian disinformation campaign and Putin himself.  After all, these are influencers, so maybe they can influence the right folks.

It's actually a real thing ... White House officials briefed 30 social media influencers this week about the Russian invasion.

Well, in the skit, a CW actress goes all AnnaLynne McCord and suggests the best way to tame Putin is with a poem.

Not to be outdone, another TikToker suggests the solution is a prank ... throwing Putin down a flight of stairs.

Another influencer seems to swing far right, as she suggests Hunter Biden started the war.

There's a hysterical mix-up when a dude named Charles D'Amelio said he didn't know why he was there, but he assumed they meant to invite Charli. Honest mistake ... on his way out he asked if there were any extra stimi checks.

And then the influencer with the plunger ... you just gotta watch it. Super funny.