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Anderson Cooper is one helluva story teller, but no one could expect this "bat s**t" crazy story -- his famous, and clearly eccentric, mom desperately wanted to be the surrogate who birthed his child ... AKA her grandchild!!!

The CNN anchor was talking about his late mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, Thursday night on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" when he revealed that in 2009 -- when she was 85 years old -- she claimed a gynecologist told her she could still carry a child.

Anderson says he was initially concerned Gloria wanted to have a child on her own, but Gloria put him at ease (not at all, really) when she explained ..."I'm not talking about having a child of my own. I mean, that's crazy. I was thinking, you get an egg and fertilize it with a sperm, and I"ll carry your child."

Oedipus say what?!?! 😲

Goes without saying ... Anderson said he was beyond stunned at Gloria's offer, and he made some jokes about the whole ordeal -- but adds, his mom didn't give up on the outlandish idea. He says 2 years later she made one last-ditch effort, and even brought him a newspaper article to support her theory.

Gloria, the famous jeans designer and member of the affluent Vanderbilt family, died in 2019. She was 95.

Chelsea Handler and Jo Koy aren't trying to hide their relationship anymore, and Jo's already playing the good BF role ... hyping her comedian chops at his own expense.

We got the comedy world's new couple Wednesday as they walked into LAX doing that new couple thing ... holding hands as they strolled. Yeah, they're official now.

So, when ya get 2 veteran comedians -- who are dating each other -- there's only one question that comes to mind, right? Who's funnier?

Okay, we admit it's potentially treacherous territory, especially when the relationship's as fresh as Jo and Chelsea's. Still, he didn't hesitate to answer ... telling us it's for sure, Chelsea. As for her opinion? You're gonna have to read her body language.

In the meantime, it's nice to see Jo is no longer sidestepping questions about dating Chelsea -- like he very slyly did when he was recently on "TMZ Live."

In any event ... seems this budding romance is moving fast. This week, Chelsea flat out said she's "finally in love, with the best kind of guy there is."

So, we asked if they'll be pouring all those feels into a joint performance anytime soon -- and it sounds like they're at least thinking about it.

Kim Kardashian is heading into Studio 8H at 30 Rock to do it 'Live' -- she'll be appearing on 'SNL' this season.

Kim's taking up hosting duties for an episode to air October 9 for the upcoming 47th season.

There's also this ... Kim's accompanying musical guest will be Halsey -- who's hosted before. She's been featured a handful of times as the music act, but handled hosting in early 2019. So, Kim can lean on her for some tips.

This seems impossible, but none of the Kardashians have ever hosted with the "Live from New York" crew ... Kim will be the first. Aside from acting in several skits, the thing everyone will be watching for is her opening monologue.

As for how this came together ... we know Kim and Kris Jenner had a face-to-face with 'SNL' honcho Lorne Michaels just last month in Bev Hills -- something their team played down by saying it was just a simple catch-up. Obviously, there was more wheeling and dealing going on during their convo.

Some of the other hosts for this season include Owen Wilson, Rami Malek and Jason Sudeikis. Musical guests include Young Thug, Brandi Carlile and Kacey Musgraves.

It also goes without saying, this is a little risky for Kim ... as she and her family -- including Kanye -- are frequently lampooned by 'SNL.' There's an entire running sketch they've brought back a handful of times over the years, where cast members play Kardashian sisters.

Move over, 50 Cent, there's a new worst first pitch of all time ... courtesy of Conor McGregor's ceremonial toss at the Cubs game on Tuesday!!!

The sharply-dressed UFC superstar strutted to the mound for the first pitch before the Cubbies faced off against the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field ... and chucked his attempt about 20 feet to the right of home plate.

As Harry Doyle would say, it was "juuuuuust a bit outside."

On a positive note, McGregor's repaired leg looked great!

The fighter was a great sport about it all ... dapping up Cubs infielder Patrick Wisdom after the wild pitch.

Of course, this is Conor we're talking about ... so we're assuming (and hoping) he was just trying to give fans a fun time.

Then again, we've seen him throw a football before ... and he was mocked incessantly for that, too.

It's a safe bet Conor's pitch will now take honors for "worst first pitch ever" from Fiddy, who had a straight-up embarrassing toss that went wide left before a Mets game in 2014.

Conor's been living it up while rehabbing his leg ... from hanging with Justin Bieber to attending the VMAs (where he also tested out his arm with a different object) and hitting up just about every hotspot L.A. has to offer.

Never change, Conor ... but maybe try some practice throws next time???

Nicole Richie is probably wishing for a fire extinguisher on her 40th birthday ... because her hair was set ablaze during her birthday dinner.

The actress posted a video Tuesday showing herself blowing out the candles on a cake to ring in the big 4-0 -- and all seemed to be going well, until she reached the final candle ... and flew a little too close to the sun.

Some stray strands of her locks made contact with the flame below, and the fire quickly jumped onto her body and started climbing up. It actually looks like the other side of her head might've caught fire as well -- but that was quickly put out by someone nearby.

However, her right side was still caught in the flame ... and she starts to scream as it spreads. The video cuts out before we can find out what happens next -- but we're assuming NR is okay.

Her caption to this read, "Well... so far 40 is 🔥." Pretty jokey, so you gotta figure she walked away from this relatively unscathed. Still, pretty freaky nonetheless.

Conan O'Brien stole the show Sunday night, barreling down the aisle to celebrate Stephen Colbert's Emmy win for Outstanding Variety Special ... thing is, Conan had nothing to do with it!

The famous stage crasher was beside himself with joy -- bear hugging Colbert. As Colbert gave his acceptance speech, Conan was effusive, prompting Colbert to quip, "And all of these people behind me, most of these people behind me ... most of the people behind me really deserve this Emmy right now."

Well, maybe this was all an act, because Colbert said backstage, "I said 'why don't you come on stage with us if we win?' We love Conan. We're honored to be superfans of Conan O'Brien."

And, that wasn't the end ... as the Academy Prez, Frank Scherma, said a few words to the crowd, Conan was back in fine form, saluting him with audible approval.

When the Foo Fighters roll outta NYC, Taylor Hawkins' pockets are gonna be a little bit fatter because he's struck a deal -- a not-so lucrative one -- with autograph seekers.

We caught the drummer as the band was leaving their hotel, and witnessed some cold hard capitalism going down as a handful of guys moved in for Taylor's signature. This was no free-for-all, though -- in fact, it kinda sounded like an auction.

You gotta see it ... autograph seekers start shouting out dollar amounts to get Taylor's attention. Someone offered $40, and TH beelined for him, and signed a photo. We know what you're thinking -- why the hell does a rock star need the few extra bucks???

Well, we put that question to Taylor, and he explained ... it's all about avoiding ATMs and keeping his wife happy. Smart man!

He says there's no going rate, BTW ... seems like he'll take whatever they offer, as long as it's legal tender. Taylor jokingly tried to school guitarist Pat Smear on the art of the deal too -- he needs the help.

Andy Reid will be there for Patrick Mahomes when s*** hits the fan -- or in this case, the diaper -- 'cause the superstar QB says his coach is teaching him how to change his baby!!

Mahomes admitted that he's not an MVP when it comes to changing his 6-month-old daughter Sterling's diaper ... but Coach Reid, who's a father of 5, is helpin' him out.

"I’ve gotten alright at changing diapers. I’m not the best. I’m not going to lie to everybody," the Kansas Chiefs QB said on "Good Morning Football."

"But, I think if you gave me the dummy baby and I could do it on paper, but as far as applying it to a moving baby that’s screaming a little bit, crying a little bit ... I crack a little bit under pressure."

This is coming from a Super Bowl champ who's always dodging pressure and ends up making insane plays that even has the defense impressed ... so it's SHOCKING to hear about the dude's vulnerability.

And, like football, changing diapers is not just a physical thing but a mental as well ... something Coach Reid taught the 25-year-old dad.

"You gotta have the right mentality going in. I think that’s the biggest thing he preaches to me," Mahomes said.

"You gotta have the right mindset going in and know that you might face some adversity when you’re there."

Mahomes also gives credit to his fiancée, Brittany Matthews ... saying she's "an amazing mom, who’s done great job at helping me out becoming a new dad."

Soccer's G.O.A.T. apparently has a problem with sheep ... 'cause Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly had to move mansions this month -- after baaing animals on his property kept waking him up!!!

Shortly after departing Juventus for Manchester United ... Ronaldo and his fam moved into a 7-bedroom pad in the UK -- but packed up and bolted to another palatial estate just days later.

As for why, The Sun says it's because sheep on the first property could not stop making racket!!

The report claims the soccer star was losing sleep over the creatures' sounds ... so "it was decided it was best if he and his family moved."

Don't worry ... Ronaldo's new place is apparently just as badass as the first -- minus the noisy sheep -- with The Sun reporting it's got a cinema room, a pool and a big garage.

Clearly, the moves haven't affected the 37-year-old's play on the pitch -- because he's been stellar in his return to Man U, scoring three goals in his first two games.

Of course, he did have an incident where a wayward warmup shot this week knocked a security guard in the head ... but, hey, with more sleep on the way -- we're expecting far less of that and far more goal-scoring.

Kim Kardashian sees how incredibly close -- and physical -- Kourtney and Travis Barker's relationship is, and newsflash ... she's all about it!!!

Kim told Ellen DeGeneres Wednesday she loves how much her sister and Travis have grown together. She said it's incredible how they went from being friends and neighbors for almost 15 years to where they are now -- which is PDAVille, U.S.A. ... where they're clearly co-Mayors.

Ellen couldn't avoid the obvious topic ... asking Kim why Trav and Kourt can't seem to keep their hands, and tongues, off each other. Kim had 3 words to describe how she feels about it.

Kim did laugh and agree with Ellen that "it's a lot," but in the end ... she finds it cute. Kim says she loves love, so she loves them. There ya go.

As we, and the sickeningly happy couple have documented, it doesn't matter where they are -- in the studio or on a NYC loading dock -- these 2 never have any problem showing some serious PDA.

When their relationship started it was all hands on deck. But, it hasn't been ALL about the physical part -- back in August, Kourtney notably helped Travis fly for the first time since the 2008 fatal plane crash that killed 4 of his friends, and left him with third-degree burns on 65 percent of his body.

Some of the closest people to Norm Macdonald didn't know the comedian was battling cancer for a decade ... so the surprising and sudden loss floored them as much as it did fans.

We got 'Tonight Show' announcer and producer Steve Higgins in New York City and asked how he's dealing with Norm's death. They'd worked very closely ... Steve was an 'SNL' writer when Norm was a star cast member.

Steve says they were really close outside of work too, and he's taking Norm's death hard ... because he had no clue his friend was diagnosed years ago.

He also explained -- with a vivid and perfect metaphor -- exactly why everyone in the comedy community loved Norm.

Steve recalls spending tons of time with Norm back in their 'SNL' days ... saying Norm was "truly brilliant" for his comedic timing.

Octavia Spencer is saying sorry to Britney Spears and Sam Asghari ... she acknowledges her prenup comment on their engagement announcement wasn't funny.

The Oscar-winning actress says she was just trying to make a joke when she left a comment on Britney's social media post saying, "Make him sign a prenup" ... and she says she's since privately apologized to both Britney and Sam.

Octavia says her "intention was to make them laugh not cause pain" ... and now she hopes to "restore just a smidge of happiness they were robbed of."

The actress wasn't alone in telling Britney to get a prenup ... and as we reported, Sam told fans almost right away he would sign a prenup alright ... joking the prenup would be designed to protect his Jeep and shoe collection.

Octavia's singing a different tune in the wake of her apology ... she says she's thrilled for Britney and thinks the singer has found happiness after going through a lot of pain.

But, here's the real story ... Britney IS getting a prenup, because our sources say literally a day after she got engaged her team was on the case.

No word if Octavia's getting a wedding invite.

"You f***ing a**hole, Jimmy Kimmel. Honestly Jimmy, f*** you. bro."

Logan Paul just went scorched-earth on Jimmy Kimmel for dissing him last week ... saying the late-night host is "so f***ing lame" for making him the butt of a joke.

In case you missed it, Kimmel name-dropped the YouTube superstar during one of his opening monologues ... when he made a reference to former President Donald Trump's wildly expensive appearance at Triller Fight Club.

"Between Logan Paul and Donald Trump, boxing is once again the top source of income for the very worst people," Kimmel joked.

But, LP ain't laughing ... in fact, he's calling out the host for bashing him after he was a guest on the same show just 3 years ago.

"F*** you, Jimmy Kimmel. F*** you," Logan said on his "Impaulsive" podcast Tuesday.

Paul has received similar treatment recently -- he was mentioned in Bo Burnham's song, "That Funny Feeling," during his popular Netflix special, "Inside" ... which LP says he was cool with.

Paul also takes aim at Kimmel's staff ... saying, "Your writers are so lacking content and creativity they had to do some lame-ass Paul joke??"

Kate Quigley is back on the outside after her scary overdose incident ... which left 3 of her friends dead, and her hospitalized in critical condition.

The comic was spotted out Tuesday for the first time since being released from the hospital. She was cruising through Venice in her convertible -- stopping at a barbershop for a quick chat, and then got back on the road.

She looked pretty casual -- rocking a black T, cut-off jean shorts, flip-flops and a cap -- as she seems to be getting back to her normal life after the ordeal.

As we reported ... Kate was rushed to the hospital a couple weeks ago after cops got a call about a possible overdose situation. Three comedians -- Kate's friends Fuquan Johnson, Rico Angeli and Natalie Williamson -- were found dead on the scene. Kate was still alive.

We're told cocaine laced with fentanyl is what they're suspected of using that night. Autopsies are underway for an official cause of death.

Michael Che made a bad call when he did a "homegrrl" sketch on his HBO Max show, because he jacked it from a TikToker's "HomeGirl Hotline" bit ... or so she claims in a new lawsuit.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... Kelly Manno says she's a popular TikTok creator who came up with the fictional idea of a service where "people unable to cope with certain social situations can call a hotline and order a 'home girl'" to help 'em out.

Manno says she created and posted a video of her bit in August 2020, and it racked up a couple hundred thousand views on TikTok ... while a second one in September 2020 got more than half a million views.

Fast-forward to April 2021 and the release of "That Damn Michael Che" on HBO Max ... Manno claims the sixth episode of the comedy series included 4 segments about a fictional service where people order a "homegrrl" to show up where they are and help them out of uncomfortable situations.

According to the suit ... Manno says each segment ended with a character saying a variation of "Thank you, homegrrl" ... which she claims infringes on her copyright that includes the phrase "Thank you, HomeGirl Hotline!"

Manno alleges this is willful copyright infringement, and she wants maximum damages and an order blocking Che and HBO Max from using it.

Norm Macdonald -- a veteran comedian, actor, writer and producer famous for 'SNL' and more -- has died.

According to his team, Macdonald passed away Tuesday after a multi-year, private battle with cancer that he kept hidden from the public, fighting the disease behind the scenes for nine years.

His longtime producing partner, Lori Jo Hoekstra, says ... "He was most proud of his comedy. He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him. Norm was a pure comic. He once wrote that ‘a joke should catch someone by surprise, it should never pander.’ He certainly never pandered. Norm will be missed terribly."

The revelation is absolutely stunning ... as Macdonald was a household name in comedy, and has been for decades. He's perhaps most famous for being one of the OG 'Weekend Update' co-hosts on 'Saturday Night Live' -- among many other TV shows and movies over the years.

He starred on 'SNL' from '93 to '98 ... what many consider the glory years of the sketch comedy series. Like many other comedians, 'Saturday' gave Norm his jumpstart -- and his career only skyrocketed from there.

Norm went on to star in (and make a number of memorable cameos) in famous flicks like 'Billy Madison,' 'Dirty Work,' 'Dr. Doolittle,' 'Screwed,' 'Deuce Bigalow,' 'Man on the Moon' ... and several other Sandler flicks. He also had his own sitcom, "Norm" ... plus his own talk show at varying points. Speaking of late-night, Norm was a regular guest for David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Larry King, Jay Leno, Howard Stern ... and many other iconic hosts.

His TV resume is just as impressive -- he starred in (and wrote for) 'Roseanne,' 'My Name is Earl,' 'The Drew Carey Show,' 'Family Guy,' 'The Fairly Odd Parents,' 'The Orville,' 'The Middle,' 'Sunnyside,' 'A Minute with Stan Hooper,' and many, many others.

Norm was infamous for his edgy humor -- which, of late, was clashing with modern-day sentiments ... including PC/cancel culture. In fact, the last time we saw him -- just a few years ago -- he was telling us that he couldn't really be funny anymore because of political correctness.

Keep in mind, Norm famously claimed NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer got him yanked him off 'Weekend Update' in 1997 because he kept slamming Ohlmeyer's pal O.J. Simpson with jokes about the double murders.

The guy was still hitting stages even in the past year ... he was doing standup at the Improv, talking coronavirus -- and despite him battling cancer right then and there, he still looked sharp ... maintaining the same witty humor he'd always had.

Norm is survived by his son, Dylan. He was just 61.