Late Night

Jimmy Kimmel gave Donald Trump a special shout-out on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Thursday night, after the prez called for ABC to "get the bum off the air" following Wednesday's show.

Check out the clip -- Jimmy laid into Trump ... and even urged viewers to listen to him, reasoning ... "He keeps saying we have bad ratings. And you should listen to him – because if anyone knows about bad ratings – it’s that guy!" Burn.

The late-night host went on to remind the prez he tried getting him fired back in September. But, he admitted he wasn't against the idea of leaving TV, and even proposed a deal -- "I’ll go when you go," he noted. "We’ll be a team. Let’s ride off into the sunset together!"

Donald Trump’s reigniting his beef with Jimmy Kimmel after the talk show quipped the Prez would be "bracing for Hurricane Epstein" Wednesday night ... and let’s just say, Trump did not find the weather forecast funny.

Trump went off in a Truth Social post Wednesday, ranting about why ABC "fake news" keeps Jimmy on air ... calling him talentless, dragging his ratings, alleging "biased" network coverage, and ending it with one heck of a burn ... "Get the bum off the air!!!"

Now, he could just be popping off for sport ... but it’s way more likely he’s reacting to Jimmy’s late-night talk show monologue last night, claiming Trump will be a major name in the Epstein files release.

John Oliver's made some big plays for good causes in the past ... and now he's planning on getting rid of a lot of his old stuff in the name of charity.

The comedian announced he's launched an auction website -- aptly named "John Oliver's Junk" -- during Sunday's episode of "Last Week Tonight" while discussing how President Donald Trump's choice to take $1.1 billion away from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting earlier this year has impacted radio and television stations, reports Variety.

All of the proceeds from Oliver's auction are set to go to Public Media Bridge Fund, which is helping broadcasters find new sources of funding.

The auction was apparently inspired by the estate of Bob Ross, which recently sold three of his paintings in an effort to provide support for public broadcasting.

One of Ross' paintings is being offered in Oliver's auction, and several other items featured on "Last Week Tonight" -- including the jockstrap Russell Crowe wore in "Cinderella Man" -- are all up for sale.

Oliver described much of what's up for auction as "a bunch of weird artifacts" his staff accumulated over the show's run.

He's also auctioning off a trip to meet him in New York City, and an opportunity to appear in a graphic over the comedian's shoulder in a future taping of "Last Week Tonight."

Jimmy Kimmel’s longtime bandleader, Cleto Escobedo III, died because his heart couldn't pump enough blood to keep him alive, TMZ has learned.

We obtained Cleto's death certificate and it lists cardiogenic shock as the immediate cause of death ... with vasodilatory shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation and alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver as the underlying causes.

The document also says other conditions that contributed to Cleto's death include sepsis, graft versus host disease, immunosuppressed, chronic kidney disease and pneumonia.

Cardiogenic shock is a life-threatening condition that happens when the heart suddenly can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs ... according to the Mayo Clinic.

The Jonas Brothers were starstruck on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" Thursday ... no, it wasn't a celeb who had their jaws on the floor -- it was the man whose résumé was being examined in the crowd at their show!

Here's the deal ... a video started blowing up on TikTok earlier this week when someone filmed a concertgoer reviewing Scott's CV at the JoBros show.

Several celebs -- including Nick Jonas and even Paddington Bear's official TikTok -- commented on the video, praising Scott ... and Jimmy Fallon surprised the brothers with him on the show.

Cleto Escobedo III had one of those careers not too many people get to enjoy -- because he worked alongside one of his childhood friends, Jimmy Kimmel, for many years.

However, the musician's stint as the late-night show host's bandleader came to an abrupt end in 2025 when he unexpectedly died.

We're going to take a look back at the saxophone player's history with Kimmel and see how his career in showbiz played out.

Escobedo was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. His father was a saxophone player who worked at Caesar's Palace as a busboy.

Escobedo and Kimmel -- who moved with his parents from Brooklyn, New York, to Las Vegas at an early age -- met when the comedian's family settled across the street from his future bandleader.

The pair grew incredibly close over the years, and Kimmel described their close connection as a "lifetime of friendship."

The musician started playing saxophone at an early age, and he later attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, although he ended up focusing on his musical career, according to The New York Times.

Escobedo started his career by playing gigs at various venues on the Las Vegas Strip before he was asked to join Paula Abdul's touring band in 1990.

He eventually landed a record deal with Virgin Records, and he also toured with artists like Marc Anthony and Luis Miguel.

Escobedo was touring with Anthony when Kimmel asked him to serve as his band leader, and the comedian had to take ABC's higher-ups to see his childhood friend play live to convince them of his musical chops.

Escobedo served as Kimmel's band leader for over two decades, and he invited his father to join his band.

Kimmel announced Escobedo's death in a post on his Instagram account in November 2025.

Details about the exact cause of the saxophone player's death were not immediately released.

Kimmel paid a lengthy tribute to Escobedo during his show on November 11th, and he became visibly emotional.

Paula Abdul is remembering late "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" band leader Cleto Escobedo III of Cleto and the Cletones ... honoring him with a heartfelt tribute post on social media.

Cleto toured with Paula, as well as Earth, Wind and Fire, and had his own record deal before Jimmy got him on late-night TV ... and Paula says Cleto's "talent and energy were undeniable."

Paula says she first met Cleto back in the day when he was playing saxophone at a small bar inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas ... and from the moment she heard him, she knew she had to hire him for her band.

Tragedy for friends and family ... Jimmy Kimmel just announced his show's longtime band leader and childhood friend, Cleto Escobedo III, died Tuesday morning.

Jimmy paid tribute to him in an IG post Tuesday ... saying he's heartbroken, especially since he and Cleto had been inseparable since Jimmy was 9 years old.

Jimmy writes ... "The fact that we got to work together every day is a dream neither of us could ever have imagined would come true. Cherish your friends and please keep Cleto’s wife, children and parents in your prayers."

Morgan Freeman's received praise over the length of his acting career ... including a tremendous, intimate compliment from Diane Keaton.

Freeman heard about his late costar's opinion of his lip-locking abilities on Thursday's episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live," when Jimmy brought up how the actress -- who costarred with Freeman in "5 Flights Up" -- was really into his smooching skills.

Kimmel quoted Keaton, who said Freeman's lips were "so luscious" and their on-screen kisses "felt gooey and good."

Freeman gave Kimmel advice for kissing, and said "puckering" leads to tight kisses, while leaving lips naturally loose and soft is way more comfortable.

The late-night show host said he'd kissed Keaton on a past episode of his show, pointing out she obviously preferred Freeman's style.

Jimmy Kimmel left no stone unturned while hosting Selena Gomez’s 3rd annual Rare Impact Fund Benefit ... even joking about his show's brief suspension, and taking a jab at the Trump administration!

Check out the hilarious clip -- Jimmy kicks off his monologue Wednesday night cracking a joke about "Jimmy Kimmel Live" getting put on ice by ABC for a bit ... saying he almost joined OnlyFans during those uncertain times.

Jimmy later throws shade at Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s controversial claim that Tylenol is linked to autism ... noting we can't take the pain reliever anymore to deal with the state of the world.

It looks like Emma Thompson's not really a fan of A.I. ... because she described using A.I.-supported programs as an "intense irritation" during her appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Monday.

The comedian broached the topic with the actress by asking her about how she felt about the ongoing A.I. revolution, which plenty of Hollywood's scared of at the moment.

Thompson expressed she couldn't stand the idea of using artificial intelligence to help her creatively, and went so far as to claim she wrote her scripts the old-fashioned way with a pen and paper.

Kim Kardashian made it a two-for-one kinda night ... rolling straight into round two of her 45th birthday bash after hitting the French premiere of her new Hulu legal drama.

The birthday girl made sure the spotlight was hers at Paris’ Deflower Club Tuesday night ... rocking an off-the-shoulder metallic mini while rolling in with costars Teyana Taylor, Sarah Paulson, and Naomi Watts.

Of course, Kris Jenner pulled up too -- no way she was skipping Kim’s big 4-5 -- and the girl squad clearly went full throttle.

Jimmy Fallon is heartbroken ... revealing his beloved family dog has passed away.

On IG Monday, the talk show host posted sweet snaps of their pup Gary -- writing a heartfelt tribute about how the silence at home feels deafening without her ... but that it’s slowly being filled with stories, laughter, and a few sniffles.

Jimmy even shared a few of those memories -- calling the unforgettable pup their "first baby, a therapist, a pillow, a big sister, a schoolmarm, a comedian, a party girl and a rebel" all rolled into one.

Jimmy first introduced Gary to his IG followers way back in 2012 -- so it’s clear she’s been a huge part of the family’s life for over a decade.

Jimmy Kimmel's still on the air despite President Donald Trump's protestations ... but, if he wants to tell Kimmel's whole audience exactly what he thinks of the host, Jimmy's willing to give him a chance.

The comedian sat down for an interview with Bloomberg Radio ... and, he was asked if he or his team had reached out to Trump or Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr about appearing on his show since his temporary suspension was lifted.

Kimmel says he wouldn't want to have Carr on the show -- though he doesn't give a specific reason for that ... however, Kimmel adds he's super interested in putting President Trump in the hot seat.

Taylor Swift is pulling back the curtain on what it was like having Travis Kelce join her on the road with her during her "Eras" tour ... telling a hilarious story about a time where he confused an A-list actor's wife with his favorite director.

Swift sat down with Seth Meyers on 'Late Night' -- part of her press run for her new album "The Life of a Showgirl" -- and dished on what it was like watching Travis rage alongside celebs like Tom Cruise, Ashton Kutcher, Liam Hemsworth and more at one of her star-studded London shows last June.

Tay says before the show, Travis was over the moon when she told him his favorite director, Greta Gerwig, would be in the VIP tent -- and he couldn't wait to tell her how much he loved "Barbie."