Tom Brady Threatens Lawsuit Over AI Special ... Comedians Take Vid Down
Tom Brady apparently didn't think an AI-generated comedy special about him was funny at all.
According to the comedians who helped create the viral, hour-long video -- which featured an animated version of the NFL legend telling crass jokes in a stand-up format -- TB12 threatened legal action over it just days after it was posted ... which forced them to wipe it from the internet this week.
Will Sasso and Chad Kultgen explained the situation on their "Dudesy" podcast on Tuesday ... saying that shortly after they helped put up the fake Brady comedy special on their Patreon page earlier this month -- they received a cease and desist letter from the G.O.A.T.'s attorneys.
The guys said Brady's lawyers claimed in the letter that the AI version of the future Hall of Famer "blatantly violates" the former quarterback's "rights" ... and if they didn't meet a list of demands -- which included taking down the video -- a lawsuit would be forthcoming.
Sasso and Kultgen clearly thought the whole thing was B.S. -- on their pod, they wondered how it in any away differentiated from live comedians doing impressions of celebs on shows like "Saturday Night Live" -- but they nonetheless acquiesced.
The comedians said they took down the comedy special at midnight Tuesday.
They added, though, the situation wouldn't prevent them from making further attempts at AI comedy ... perhaps even making one down that road that features President Joe Biden.
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Tony Rock AI Isn't ALL Bad ... Tupac & Biggie Album, Anyone?!?
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Never mind all that talk about artificial intelligence killing the music industry, Tony Rock sees a huge upside to adopting the technology ... especially if you're a fan of late greats like Tupac and Biggie!!!
TMZ Hip Hop linked with the veteran comic Tuesday at LAX and it's clear he has some deep thoughts on the AI topic, because he rattled off some suddenly possible collabs -- between deceased rappers, or even Michael Jackson and Jay-Z sparring on a track.
There's currently a fake Drake and The Weeknd song with millions of views so yeah, there's clearly a demand for dream AI pairings.
AI generated Drake & The Weeknd song.
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 16, 2023 @barstoolsports
We are so fucked. pic.twitter.com/Agwd4skLQP
Going further, Tony proposed a Coachella-style, 100% AI-generated festival ... and he even nominated Billy McFarland and Ja Rule to organize it!
Pump the brakes, Tone ... we were with ya right up until the Fyre Fest callback.
Universal Music Group recently put down a block to slow AI on streaming sites and Drake hasn't exactly warmed to the idea, either ... so, the industry's not about to embrace Tony's idea. But, fans might!
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'Mighty Ducks' Shaun Weiss Addiction, Arrest Jokes in Stand-Up ... And Crowd Loves It!!!
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"The Mighty Ducks" star Shaun Weiss is taking his past addiction problems and arrests, and turning it all into comedic gold -- using it as brand new material for his stand-up career ... and it's pretty freakin' hysterical.
Shaun got candid about his addiction at the Mic Drop Comedy Club in San Diego this month, taking incredibly serious source material and turning it into stand-up ammo.
He got the crowd laughing pretty hard by poking fun at his own mugshot from his 2020 arrest. He dives deep into his struggles with substance abuse -- with some wit of course -- and gets a roar of applause when he announces he's now 3 years sober.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Check out his last bit about what his "triggers" are for wanting to use drugs. Again, he's probably not joking ... yet he finds a way to crack up the crowd.
Shaun, who played Goldberg in 'Ducks,' has been working on his stand-up act for a little over a year. He's currently on the road and says, "100% of the proceeds go toward helping a child actor stay off drugs."
As we reported, the former child star opened for fellow comedian Russell Peters at a show last year ... following his time living on the streets and having several run-ins with the law.
BTW, Shaun tells us he was recently hired by the treatment center where he used to be a patient to be a sober coach and interventionalist.
He's looking to jump-start a program that helps people turn their personal trauma into comedic material, just like he's doing.
Way to go, Goldberg!!!
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Pete Davidson My 🍆 Is Average, No Biggie!!! And Here's 'Bupkis' with MGK, Jadakiss & Cam'ron
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Pete Davidson officially premiered his "Bupkis" series trailer on "The Breakfast Club," but it kinda got overshadowed by Pete's dong, and its effect on his dating resume.
Charlamagne Tha God sat down with Pete Thursday, and grilled him about his alleged super-sized penis, which is at least related to "Bupkis" ... it's a thing on the show.
Pete's been linked to Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale and most recently, Chase Sui Wonders ... but the 29-year-old star swears there's nothing special about his penis. Like a tailored suit, he says it's just the right fit. 😉
Which is where "Bupkis" comes in.
The series serves as a fictionalized version of his regular life and brings together an ensemble cast of Chase, Joe Pesci, Charlie Day, Ray Romano, Machine Gun Kelly, Jadakiss, Cam'ron and many more.
Fact is Pete's life hardly needs dramatization ... as we reported last week, he's currently dealing with a stalker so mentally ill, they were deemed unfit to stand trial ... and he and Chase were involved in a March car accident that landed them in a Bev Hills yard!!!
Plenty of source material for his TV show!!!
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Will Smith All Smiles On 'Bad Boys' Set ... More Work After Slap Buzz
Will Smith couldn't look happier to be back in the swing of things ... smiling during his latest gig since the infamous slap at the Oscars.
Will was on set Tuesday in Atlanta, filming "Bad Boys 4" and fully in character as Det. Mike Lowrey.
He's definitely grinning through the work, although, it's hard to say if that's Will smiling or his character.
It's not the first time we've seen WS doing movie star stuff since his infamous 2022 assault on Chris Rock. Will, Jada, and his whole fam first stepped out for the "Emancipation" film premiere last December -- and he's also been filming at least one other project.
As you you know Will was involved in one of the biggest moments in Oscars history ... when he stormed on stage and smacked host Chris Rock dead in the face.
Of course, there's been a ton of fallout ... from the Academy adding a crisis team to banning Will from attending for 10 years. He can still be nominated and even win, so perhaps all the new projects won't be done in vain.
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Betty White Longtime L.A. Home Demolished
Betty White's former home in L.A. -- where she'd lived for decades -- is nothing but dust and dirt now ... as the new owners apparently aim to build up a massive mansion in its place.
The late actress's relatively modest Brentwood property -- modest for A-list celebs, that is -- was recently demolished ... and now, photos of the aftermath are surfacing, showing construction crews already hard at work laying the groundwork for something new.
As you can see, her old house -- a roughly 3,000-square-foot structure with 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms, complete with a pool -- is practically all gone, meaning the folks moving in did, in fact, want to build out from the ground up without a trace of the former estate intact.
Per real estate records, reviewed by TMZ, the buyers ended up being a dentist and his wife ... and it looks like they filed for a permit to bulldoze back in November. In February of this year, they filed more paperwork signaling they're interested in putting in a new pool and spa.
It would also appear they're geared up to get an entirely new main house built as well. Considering what they've already suggested they'll be putting in -- you can bet it's gonna be a lot bigger than what BW was staying in for quite literally decades.
As many know, Betty had lived at this Brentwood address since the '60s ... and her career in Hollywood got fully in swing shortly after that. Her crib was a staple of celeb sight-seeing for tourists visiting town -- but now, they won't be able to get an eyeful of what was once.
Pretty sad, to be honest. But, when you drop upwards of $10 mil for a piece of real estate -- you're entitled to do whatever the hell you want with it ... regardless of its iconic status.
The Golden Girl's castle has crumbled. 😭
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Pete Davidson Alleged Stalker Unfit To Stand Trial ... Sent to Psych Facility
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Pete Davidson's alleged stalker has been deemed unfit to stand trial after cops say the woman trespassed on Pete's property and claimed to be his wife ... TMZ has learned.
The Staten Island District Attorney tells TMZ, "Ms. [Michelle] Mootreddy is unfit to stand trial. She has been placed in the custody of a psychiatric facility where she will receive treatment and regular evaluations to determine whether or not she is able to return and participate in her defense."
TMZ broke the story ... Mootreddy allegedly snuck into Pete's Staten Island home through an open side door a couple years ago. According to law enforcement sources, Pete wasn't home at the time, but a relative was -- and promptly called the cops.
Pete Davidson Gets Protection From Fake Wife, She's Charged with Felonies
Mootreddy was charged with burglary in the second and third degree -- both felonies -- as well as 2 misdemeanor counts of stalking, and 2 misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and harassment ... but now it looks like she won't stand trial until she receives treatment and is ready to participate in her defense.
FYI -- Mootreddy apparently also sent out a fake press release days before the alleged trespassing, claiming she and Pete tied the knot. The 'SNL' alum got court-ordered protection against Mootreddy after she was arrested, too.
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Comedian Bobby Lee Tijuana Prostitute Story's Made Up, 'Dark Joke' ... I Didn't Have Sex with Minor
Bobby Lee is defending a controversial story he's repeated over the years about traveling to Tijuana for sex and paying for an underage prostitute -- sordid, for sure, but he says it's also total fiction.
The comedian's recently come under fire on social media due to resurfaced clips of the Tijuana tale ... where the story goes Bobby went to "hooker alley" and picked out a young prostitute who seemed shy.
There are different versions of the story where the prostitute's age differs, including one where Bobby says the prostitute looked like then-13-year-old Natalie Portman in "The Professional" ... but the stories all end with him having sex with the young woman in a cheap hotel room.
Bobby is finally responding to the backlash in the latest episode of his "TigerBelly" podcast ... where he says, "At the end of the day it's not real and I didn't do anything."
The way Bobby explains things ... he first told the joke on "Opie and Anthony," the shock jock radio show from back in the day -- and he says the story was actually a combination of "a couple awful dark jokes."
Bobby understands the current uproar, but he says back when he first told the Tijuana story, "it was encouraged to say crazy stuff without thinking about it" ... and he says "when I listen back to it now it puts a chill down my spine."
He says his views changed with society and now he feels guilt over the story, which he describes as "terrible" and "stupid."
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Tommy Lee's Wife It's All Love Now with Pam ... At Least On My Side!!!
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Tommy Lee's wife says there's absolutely no bad blood between Pamela Anderson and her, despite the fact they aren't speaking right now -- but she's down to change that.
Brittany Furlan was grabbing a bite in L.A. after her stand-up comedy gig at The Improv in Hollywood. Considering she recently mocked Tommy's ex-wife, suggesting Pam wouldn't care if she died ... we had to ask Brit if Pammy was the butt of any of her jokes that night.
The TikTok clip -- which Brittany posted and quickly deleted -- drew some backlash from fans ... so, kinda makes sense she laid off Pam during her comedy set.
When we got her afterward she said, "We're all good. We want happiness, we want everyone to be friends."
Sounds great ... however, she also admitted she hasn't actually heard a peep from Pam.
So, maybe it's not all that good -- not yet, anyway. Brittany says she'd definitely be down to talk, though, IF Pam ever reaches out.
The tension between the ex and current Mrs. Lee started when Pam was promoting her memoir and Netflix documentary, "Pamela, A Love Story" ... in which she declared her undying love for Tommy.
That prompted Brittany to respond on social media, saying she wasn't sweating Pam's comments ... or the haters attacking her on behalf of PA.
Now, as for BF's comedy routine -- while it's light on Pam, it's heavy on her hubby. Or at least part of him. We'll give ya one guess. Check out a little bit of her set ... we're guessing she and Pam could bond over this bit. 😂
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'Chabelo' Beloved Mexican Comedian ... Dead at 88
Xavier Lopez -- aka, 'Chabelo,' who'd been on Mexican and Latin American families' TV screens for decades, providing laughs and entertainment -- has died.
The legendary comic and actor, famous for dressing up as a little kid and starring in a number of sketch and comedy shows, passed away Saturday ... which was first announced by the President of Mexico, no less -- Andrés Manuel López Obrador -- on Twitter.
Abrazo a familiares y amigos por el fallecimiento de Xavier López "Chabelo". Cómo olvidar que mi hijo mayor se despertaba temprano para verlo hace más de 40 años.
— Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) March 25, 2023 @lopezobrador_
He wrote (in Spanish), "Hugs to family and friends for the death of Xavier López "Chabelo". How can I forget that my eldest son woke up early to see him over 40 years ago."
Chabelo's Facebook page went into more detail about how exactly he died with a message from his family, noting there were abdominal complications he was dealing with -- which they say took his life suddenly. It's unclear what sort of illness he may have been battling.
In any case, the post goes on to say this ... "With a torn soul and knowing that many and many people have loved him for many years and that they will feel his departure, we ask you to pray for his rest and give us the opportunity to spend in peace the mourning that overwhelms our entire family."
Chabelo was well-known in Spanish-speaking households -- not just in Mexico, where he lived and worked, but here in the States as well ... as his content was a staple for early morning children's programming. His most famous contribution might be his long-running variety show, "En Familia con Chabelo." He played the host -- in character as a little kid named Chabelo, dressed in childlike overalls, etc. -- and would play games, do interviews and more.
The fact this show, in particular, ran for so long (1968-2012) uninterrupted with him as the host actually won a couple Guinness World Records -- one for Longest Career as a Children’s Television Host and another for playing the Chabelo character in general (57 years).
Other hit shows he helped spearhead and star in include ... "La carabina de Ambrosio," "La Güereja y algo más," "La escuelita VIP," "La familia P. Luche," and many, many others.
Chabelo is credited with creating a whole subgenre of comedy in Latin America ... namely, adults portraying themselves as kids -- which has been done time and again over the years. This guy's the original ... and his passing is akin to losing someone like Fred Rogers.
He's survived by his wife and children. Chabelo was 88.
RIP
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Kanye West Says He's No Longer an Antisemite ... Thanks to Jonah Hill
Kanye West says he's done a 180 on his views about Jewish people and is no longer an antisemite -- thanks to actor Jonah Hill.
The rapper took to Instagram Friday night to announce that he was watching the 2012 film, "21 Jump Street," starring Hill and Channing Tatum, when he had his epiphany about the Jewish race.
Kanye said, "Watching Jonah Hill in 21 jump street made me like Jewish people again. No one should take anger against one or two individuals and transform that into hatred towards millions of innocent people."
He continued, "No Christian can be labeled antisemite knowing Jesus is Jew. Thank you Jonah Hill. I love you."
Kanye's statements are hard to swallow, given his recent professed love for Hitler. He went on a prolonged, scorched earth campaign against Jews as he alluded to issues he had with some execs in the music biz.
DECEMBER 2022
And, it was all very ugly. Kanye went on "Infowars" hosted by conspiracy nut Alex Jones and praised Hitler and the Nazis. Ye also hung out with white nationalist Nick Fuentes and the two even flew to Mar-a-Lago for an infamous dinner hosted by Donald Trump.
During an interview with Piers Morgan, Kanye doubled down on his antisemitic remarks, but clarified that he was only referring to Jews who had done him wrong. This was in reference to an earlier remark he made about going "death con 3" on Jews. Again, hardcore antisemite.
His comments led to a crushing downfall. Kanye became a pariah of sorts within Hollywood and the music industry. His close friends dropped him like a bad habit. And he lost major business deals with Adidas and Balenciaga.
He also had his honorary college degree ripped from him by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A watchdog group called StopAntisemitism named Kanye "Antisemite of the Year" in 2022.
As for whether this is really a change of heart ... one post does not erase a string of hate.
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Adam Sandler Gets Mark Twain Award ... Chris Rock Jokes About Trump Arrest
Adam Sandler is the latest to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor -- which got just about every comedian to D.C., including Chris Rock, who dropped some new, timely Donald Trump material.
Sandler was on hand Sunday to get the prestigious award at the Kennedy Center ... with a packed house of celebs and politicians watching and joining the celebration. Some of the A-listers included Ben Stiller, Dana Carvey, David Spade, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Conan O'Brien, Steve Buscemi and more.
A lot of people got on the mic to sing the legendary comic/actor's praises -- including Drew and Steve -- highlighting his epic 'SNL' tenure and his prolific career in Hollywood. But, the recipient himself got major laughs during his acceptance speech ... he joked he was worried the award "might be the weapon used to bludgeon me to death."
One person who sorta stole the spotlight was his pal Chris ... who did a mini stand-up set and referenced the supposedly imminent arrest of the former prez. Chris humorously, we think, warned that doing so would make Trump more popular than ever.
CR also made a crack about Paul Pelosi -- who was in the audience next to his wife, Nancy -- by saying he was the only one who knew what it was like to get assaulted ... referring to the SF attack at his home. So yeah, Chris is still talking Oscars slap.
He also gave President Biden a back-handed compliment, saying he'd come "back from the dead" to become Commander in Chief. Edgy stuff, but it seemed to go over well enough.
Anyway, back to Sandler ... the guy's contributions speak for themselves, and he's certainly deserving of some recognition.
Some of his most notable movies include 'Billy Madison,' 'Happy Gilmore,' 'The Wedding Singer,' '50 First Dates,' 'The Waterboy,' 'Mr. Deeds,' 'Big Daddy,' 'Punch-Drunk Love,' 'Uncut Gems' ... just to name a few.
Adam joins an exclusive and pretty damn funny list -- other recent Mark Twain honorees include Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Letterman, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy and more.
Congrats!
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Pauly Shore Oscars Jabs at Me Were Funny ... Movie Industry's Been Tough, Though!!!
10:24 AM PT -- Pauly tells us he was misquoted as far as his feelings about the Oscars jokes ... he actually thought Kimmel's monologue jab at him was "very funny," and even posted about it on IG.
However, he says he is critical of Hollywood as an industry ... and that's what he was referring to when he talked about people putting him down and "buying and selling" human beings.
Pauly Shore is pissed off at Jimmy Kimmel making him the butt of a joke during the Oscars ... saying it was gratuitous and hurtful.
The comedian/actor told Page Six how he felt when JK used him as a punchline while celebrating his 2 former costars from 'Encino Man' -- one of Pauly's cult classics from the '90s.
Turns out ... the jab left a wound. PS says, "We love to hate people when they’re on top. People wanted to smash me down and they did. I was always nice to everyone, always cool, I put my heart into all my films."
He adds, "You’re buying and selling a human being. Human beings have feelings, it’s not like selling real estate." He says he's quite happy for Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan ... both of whom acted in 'Encino' and each of whom won their own statuette Sunday night.
Pauly goes on to talk about a comeback of his own and how he wants to get back into acting. At the moment, he's touring and about to hit SXSW soon -- he also teases a possible TV show that might come about that focuses on his upbringing from the '70s and '80s.
It seems having a couple of his old costars swing back into the spotlight has him itching for some of that too. Pauly ends by saying, "I am not going to stop. I’m going to keep going. I know I’m going to get that call, and get that opportunity. That’s what it's about."
While Pauly might be craving mainstream success again ... he's actually been steadily working. Dude's got roles racked up for just about every year going back to the 2010s/'00s ... albeit, none of those projects are as memorable as what he did in the 20th century.
If Brendan and Ke can do it ... anyone can, we suppose. Go get 'em, Mr. Shore!
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Diana Ross Singin' The Hits At Byron Allen's Oscar Gala
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Diana Ross pulled out all the stops in the name of Oscar Sunday ... giving people in attendance at Byron Allen's annual gala a night of endless love.
The former Supremes singer was havin' a blast headlining Byron's shindig at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, busting out some of her classics from the past 6 decades.
The 78-year-old icon performed for about an hour and had 3 costume changes over that period. Yes, Miss Ross still knows how to put on a show!
Believe it or not, Diana wasn't the only big event at this shindig -- attendees could also pay money, which went to Children's Hospital L.A., to get roasted by the famed roastmaster Jeff Ross -- and Chrissy Teigen's mom Vilailuck was one of the lucky donors.
Take a look, Jeff doesn't go easy on her, but we guess that's the best bang for your buck -- no pun intended. Howie Mandel MC'd the roast and threw in his 2 cents too.
Despite Jeff's harsh roasting of several folks who donated to the cause, not a single comedian was slapped!!!
All that AND Diana belting out her hits? An invite to this party was the second best thing you could win Sunday night.
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Nick Cannon I Got No Beef with Kimmel ... Oscars Joke Cool with Me!
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Nick Cannon says Jimmy Kimmel's Oscars jab at him and his ever-growing family tree is all in good fun ... telling us the "too many kids" jokes can keep on comin'.
We got Nick leaving Avra in Bev Hills Sunday night, after Jimmy had been on stage at the Dolby Theater poking fun at this year's nominees and yes, Nick too.
ICYMI, Nick's children came up when Jimmy brought up "Avatar: The Way of Water" ... saying in order to break even on the $2 billion film, "All of Nick Cannon's kids had to see 'Avatar' 4 times."
Nick tells us he's got no problems with the punch line, adding he and Jimmy are tight. He says he's cool with being the butt of all these jokes -- Kimmel's far from the first to do it -- and Nick says the creator of 'Wild 'N Out' should be able to take a few comedic jabs.
BTW -- we ask him if he's got a limit in mind when it comes to family planning, and he clearly doesn't have one ... but check out his pretty wild response.
As we reported, Nick said last month the cap on his children isn't up to him, because "God decides when we're done" ... and warned he might even pump some out in his 80s.
Jimmy Kimmel Grim, Grisly Jokes About Oscars Slap ... Ahead of Award Show
Jimmy Kimmel's hosting the Oscars again tonight, and a year out from the infamous slap ... the dude has been talking a lot about it, kinda turning the moment into a punchline.
The late night funny man has been doing a ton of press in the weeks leading up to the big gig -- his third such time handling MC duties for Hollywood's biggest show -- and yes ... he's been asked repeatedly about Will Smith smacking Chris Rock, and how he'll address it.
#Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel joked that "no blood will be shed" at the Academy Awards as he attended the roll out of this year’s champagne-colored carpet. https://t.co/Qe60Trtj5g pic.twitter.com/xiHRZTYZs3
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 12, 2023 @AP
Here's a few quotes of JK's from the past couple weeks or so. When asked by THR what he would do if someone tries to pull a copycat and slap him, Kimmel said ... "If I’m bigger than they are, I beat the s*** out of them on television. And if it’s The Rock, I run."
A few days ago, as preparations were underway, Kimmel made another joke about carnage ... with reference to the color of this year's walkup. He said, "People have been asking, 'Is there going to be any trouble this year? Is there going to be any violence this year?'"
He adds, "We certainly hope not. But if there is, I think the decision to go with a champagne carpet over a red carpet shows how confident we are that no blood will be shed."
In other words, he's been swearing off the brutality by teasing the possibility of more, albeit in jest. On the issue of actually talking about it in his monologue, Jimmy says he'll do it.
He's said in interviews that he's going to "squeeze just a couple more drops out of it" and give a take that he thinks no one has heard yet. Kimmel did note he doesn't plan on talking about it at length but says it's the elephant in the room and that it must be addressed.
As for the whole crisis team thing -- namely, AMPAS hiring a bunch of people to "deal" with any craziness that might go on -- JK says he isn't privy to it ... and knows nothing of the logistics of what they have planned or how they would implement him if things go south.
It's interesting that Jimmy's been making light of the slap as much as he has, and will presumably do so again come 5 PM. Ya gotta figure ABC and the Academy have signed off on it all ... they're the producers and showrunners of this thing, and they call the shots.
Rather than gloss over/move on, they're gonna sit it in the ugliness just a tad bit longer. 🥴