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Shane just posted a statement addressing the video, saying, "I'm a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, you're going to find a lot of bad misses."

He continues, "I'm happy to apologize to anyone who's actually offended by anything I've said. My intention is never to hurt anyone but I am trying to be the best comedian I can be and sometimes that requires risks."

Shane Gillis, one of 3 newly added "Saturday Night Live" cast members, is catching tons of flak online over a resurfaced podcast that shows him hurling racial slurs toward Asians.

In the September 2018 clip, Shane and his podcast partner are yukking it up over Chinatown ... ripping the architecture, residents, culture and food.

Shane refers to noodles as "nooders" and uses a derogatory term for Asians in the expletive-laden discussion ... with both hosts bashing all things China.

People are pissed off with the new 'SNL' hire ... and critics say the optics look even worse considering NBC also hired it's first Asian-American for 'SNL' along with Shane.

BTW ... Shane is the guy on the right.

Farrah Abraham's never claimed to be a skilled orator, so it seems legit her referring to 9/11 as "7-Eleven" was an honest mistake ... but in her apology, she stepped in it again.

The former "Teen Mom 2" star was out in Hollywood Thursday with her daughter, Sophia, so we asked about the backlash over the video she posted at NYC's Freedom Tower ... specifically for her verbal slip-up 10 seconds in ... referring to 9/11 as 7/11.

Farrah apologizes for misspeaking and explains it away as a "blonde" moment, but insists she was being a good mom .... giving her daughter an important learning experience.

She also says her heart was in the right "space" ... adding  "Sophia definitely enjoyed 9/11."

As for Farrah taking heat for using the 2001 terrorist attack as a promotional tool for herself ... she's less apologetic.

Kevin O'Leary is back in front of the cameras after his fatal boating accident ... shooting new episodes of "Shark Tank."

O'Leary was spotted Monday at LAX ... our 'Tank' sources tell us he's resumed a normal shooting schedule and it's business as usual. O'Leary appeared to be flying solo at the airport. Our sources say no one on the set referenced the tragedy on the Canadian lake, which left 2 people dead ... at least nothing was talked about out in the open.

Meanwhile, Canadian law enforcement officials continue their investigation into the crash. We're told cops have been speaking with witnesses -- including those on the boat that was hit -- to determine what happened. A resident on the lake tells us ... last week police took several witnesses to the spot they were at when Kevin's boat crashed into another vessel carrying 8 people.

The investigation comes down to one issue ... did the boat Kevin's wife hit have its navigation lights on? If they were on, it was probably the wife's fault. If they were off, probably not.

We're told the boat that was hit was only 2 weeks old and had state-of-the-art technology that produced all sorts of data. That data almost certainly would tell investigators whether the lights were on.

O'Leary insists the other boat did not have its lights running. Sources tell us Kevin has obtained video -- which we believe to be from his dock -- that captures the area where the crash occurred. Problem is ... it was so far away, it's not clear to the naked eye.

We're told he's hired a company that specializes in video enhancement to determine if the other boat had its lights on.

Barbara Corcoran has found herself in an envious position -- she has too many beachfront properties in New York ... so she's looking for somebody to take one off her hands.

The "Shark Tank" star has put her gorgeous 6-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom beach pad on Fire Island on the market ... and it's listed at a cool and breezy $2,995,000.

The house is surrounded by 3 large decks featuring panoramic views, and comes with a sun room, a wood-burning fireplace and an open chef’s kitchen. There's also a hot tub.

Of course, Barbara's Saltaire home is located in a seasonal hot spot south of Long Island, so instead of selling and leaving the summer life behind ... she just went and bought another one ... right next door.

Anson Williams -- famous for playing Potsie Weber on "Happy Days" -- apparently is no longer happy with his marriage ... because he just filed for divorce.

According to court records, Anson filed for divorce from his wife, Jackie Williams, Wednesday after 30 years of marriage. It's unclear what led to the split.

Anson and Jackie tied the knot back way back in 1988, and they have 5 children together.

It's the second divorce for Anson ... he was previously married to Lorrie Mahaffey for 8 years from 1978 to 1986, before breaking things off.

Anson rose to fame on "Happy Days" playing Potsie, the gullible singer ... and for his role he was nominated for the Golden Globe award for best supporting actor.

He later became a big time TV director, working on huge shows like "Melrose Place," "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," and "Lizzie McGuire."

Felicity Huffman wants to make it clear to the judge sentencing her -- what she did in the college case didn't hurt anyone, and therefore there's no precedent to put her in prison for even a day.

Sources directly familiar with Felicity's case tell TMZ ... the "Desperate Housewives" actress and her defense team have 2 arguments for her to spend no time behind bars, despite prosecutors recommending a 1-month sentence.

We're told Felicity and co. are pointing to the Probation Department's findings that she should get as little as zero months, because nobody suffered any loss due to her actions. You'll recall, Felicity pled guilty to conspiracy charges for paying $15k to give her daughter a leg up on her college entry exam.

Obviously, Felicity agrees with that "no loss" argument put forth by the probation department. However, in new court docs obtained by TMZ, she also says the prosecution is drawing unfair comparisons between her and other defendants in the case.

According to team Felicity ... the prosecution has cited 2 dozen old cases in which prison time was often handed down to the ring leaders. Felicity says she wasn't the big fish in this scheme, and shouldn't be sentenced like one. In short, she was just a customer of Rick Singer, not a mastermind of his plot.

She cites one case the prosecution is attempting to use as precedent ... where a guy got prison time for hacking a university's system. Felicity says that's an apples to oranges comparison.

Bottom line ... Felicity is hoping the judge recognizes she didn't harm anyone -- especially because her kid didn't even end up attending college this year.

Phaedra Parks is jumping back into reality TV, but instead of sniping at housewives ... she'll be sniping at her BF on 'Marriage Boot Camp.'

Sources close to production tell TMZ ... Phaedra's already started shooting episodes. She'll be featured with actor Medina Islam, who she's been dating for several months.

We're told Phaedra and Medina's issues center around her desire to move from Atlanta to Los Angeles with her kids, so she can be closer to Medina. You get the picture ... are they ready to shack up together, and what's the next step in their relationship?

Phaedra hasn't had a regular TV gig since her long run on 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' came to an end. As we first reported, she was booted from 'RHOA' after season 9.

Alyssa Milano just got done sitting down with Sen. Ted Cruz for a discussion about gun reform ... and she tells us despite their contrasting opinions, the powwow was cordial.

We got Alyssa strolling the halls outside the Texas Senator's office on Capitol Hill ... and she says their Tuesday meeting was not at all like their exchange of Twitter barbs that sparked the much-anticipated discussion.

Alyssa and Ted's face-to-face talk was streamed live and, during the hour-long session, the actress said she was begging Cruz "to have the courage to lead" on gun reform, and told him his stance on the polarizing subject "has made you almost like this caricature of a villain."

Cruz talked about the division in America, calling it an "angry time" in our nation's history ... and said the convo was beneficial, because it could show people how to treat others with civility and humanity, no matter what side of the issue they feel strongly about.

As you know, Ted agreed to the meeting after Alyssa called him out on Twitter for offering "thoughts and prayers" after a gunman went on a shooting spree earlier last month in Texas.

The company that owns Comedy Central, which produces David Spade's new late-night show, is being sued after one of the staffers allegedly left the launch party drunk, and killed a pedestrian.

Here's what happened, according to a new lawsuit. Viacom was hosting the party at Nightingale Plaza nightclub in WeHo back in August, celebrating the premiere of "Lights out with David Spade."

The suit claims Jacob Gralitzer, who worked on the show, got drunk at the party and no one stopped him from driving. The suit characterizes Gralitzer as "severely intoxicated." It says he got drunk "with the permission and knowledge of one or more of his supervisors at Viacom."

According to the lawsuit, Gralitzer went to the valet, provided by Viacom, and the valet gave him the keys and he drove away.

The suit claims Gralitzer was driving on Melrose at excessive speeds and ran into another car which careened onto the sidewalk, striking and killing 24-year-old Noah Benardout.

Gralitzer was arrested and booked for gross vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence.

According to the lawsuit filed by Benardout's estate, Viacom is responsible because it had authority over Gralitzer and could have stopped him from excessively drinking and driving. The suit claims by providing valet service the company was encouraging employees to drive to and from the party.

David Spade is NOT being sued.

Joe Giudice is tired of being kept behind bars and feels the least the judge can do is let him out to see his family ... especially if he's going to get deported soon anyway.

Sources close to Teresa's husband tell TMZ ... he'll have a bond hearing Wednesday morning in a Pennsylvania immigration court to decide whether he can be released from ICE custody while he's appealing his deportation case.

We're told Joe's extended family will be attending along with Teresa, but not his kids. Joe won't physically be in the courtroom, as he's being held some hours away at the Clinton County Correctional Facility ... but he'll appear by video.

Our sources say the former 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star is extremely homesick and believes he's getting a raw deal ... remaining behind bars.

Joe went to prison in March 2016 and has been detained ever since, even after serving his 41-month sentence for conspiracy to commit wire and bankruptcy fraud.

As we reported ... he was released from federal prison in March but was immediately transferred to ICE custody, because a judge ordered him to be deported to his native Italy once he got out. However, Giudice appealed that decision and lost, but appealed again to a higher court ... which is where the case stands now.

We're told Joe just wants to be able to return home to New Jersey while he waits for a final ruling.

The Giudice family attorney, James Leonard Jr., tells us ... "What is happening to Joe Giudice and to his family and thousands of other families regarding these draconian immigration laws is nothing short of inhumane."

He adds ... "We are praying for some sort of relief tomorrow from the Court. This family has paid their debt to society and then some. Enough is enough."

Jade Cline's not just coming off the bench to sub in for Jenelle Evans on "Teen Mom 2" -- she wants fans to be crystal clear ... she's bringing her own real, raw story lines.

We got the newest addition to the 'Teen Mom' fam Monday in NYC, along with her almost 2-year-old daughter, and asked what she wants people to know about her. Of course, she is replacing Jenelle on the second half of Season 9 -- but that's a technicality for Jade.

She says her story has plenty of twists that a lot of people will find relatable. Humbly, Jade says she is "a great mom," but like all moms ... she makes mistakes. She just learns from hers.

That might sound like a dig at Jenelle ... but fact is, Jade didn't fire any shots at her or her husband, David Eason. As we reported, MTV severed all ties with Jenelle in May after David killed the family dog.

What followed was an animal cruelty investigation, Jenelle and David losing custody of their kids, a court battle and the couple eventually regaining custody.

Indiana native Kerri Kenney arrested the world's heart with her kooky character, Deputy Trudy Wiegel, on the hilarious Comedy Central cop show "Reno 911!" and the 2007 film follow-up, "Reno 911!: Miami."

Kerri Kenny was cast in the mockumentary alongside an awesome squad of stars, including Cedric Yarbrough as the dreamy "Jonesy," Robert Ben Garant as the NASCAR loving clumsy cop Junior, Carlos Alazraqui as the trigger happy Garcia, Niecy Nash as the fierce one on the force Raineesha Williams, Wendi McLendon-Covey as the buxom babe with a badge Johnson ... and, of course, Thomas Lennon as the leggy leader Lieutenant Jim Dangle.

Jenelle Evans and David Eason are walking away from the cameras, so they say, while she pushes her new cosmetics line.

Jenelle and David hit up the Elf Sacks clothing fashion show Saturday at New York Fashion Week and even scored front row seats.

They told our photog everything's back to normal. Their kids are back home and in school. Of course, as we reported, the kids were taken away by Children's Services after David shot and killed the family dog. The judge eventually gave the kids back to Jenelle and David, and the Children's Services case was dropped.

Bill Maher thinks obese people need a little fat shaming ... in order to save their lives.

Bill launched on his HBO show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," jeering at liberals who have made criticism over weight taboo. He scoffs at the Democratic candidates who are fighting for health care coverage for people with preexisting conditions, when he says the most serious preexisting condition is obesity ... yet it's not only overlooked by the candidates, raising the subject is considered bullying.

Maher goes on ... saying we "eat like assholes" in the U.S., putting fried chicken on a sandwich, adding bacon and other ridiculous things until the gluttony will "make my mouth cum."

Bill doesn't stop there ... he notes that the number of shooting deaths pale by comparison to deaths and illnesses triggered by obesity, calling liberals who shun fat shaming, "NRA mayonnaise."

Ahhh, but there's more ... he says being fat is not a birth defect, citing the NYT which reports poor diet is the leading cause of mortality.

"Fast N' Loud" star Richard Rawlings surprised the hell out of one of his fans ... an off-duty cop whose heroic effort is now being rewarded with a free trip to Richard's famous garage.

The hot rod guru tells TMZ ... he got on the horn this week with East Chicago Police detective Bill Johnsen to commend him and reward him for his selfless act during a shooting inside a Walmart in Hobart, Indiana.

ICYMI ... Johnsen and his family were shopping for fishing supplies last weekend when, out of nowhere, gunshots rang out. Naturally, it triggered a stampede for the exits. Johnsen rushed his family out of the store, but then ran back inside to locate the shooter.

Johnsen says he first found the victim -- who'd been shot in the stomach -- and then the shooter. The cop, who works with the gangs/narcotics unit, says the shooter appeared to give up, but with the rise in mass shootings, he wasn't taking any chances. He snatched the shooter's gun and disassembled it on the spot.

When Rawlings saw news stories about the incident, he noticed Johnsen wearing a tee with the logo for Gas Monkey Garage -- the Dallas-based garage where they shoot 'FNL.'

Rawlings -- who's a former police officer and even got shot in the arm once -- invited Johnsen and his wife, Nikki, to visit his garage and his restaurant. He says they're gonna hook up September 19.

RR's gonna pick up their whole tab -- air travel, accommodations, food, beer ... the whole shebang.

Production on one of Hulu's newest shows is gonna be delayed, courtesy of Hurricane Dorian blowing through its set.

Sources connected to the production of "Reprisal" -- a new drama series -- tell us they had to stop shooting Thursday as the Category 1 storm approached its Wilmington, North Carolina studio. As you know, Dorian crept along the coastline of the Carolinas after decimating the Bahamas ... where it killed at least 30 people.

We're told the entire staff was sent home Thursday and told to seek shelter. The plan is to return Monday and resume filming. Staffers were also told they had the option to be put up in a hotel in Raleigh ... 130 miles away from Dorian's impact.

"Reprisal" -- starring Abigail Spencer and premiering December 6 -- shoots on a 50-acre production facility with 10 stages. It's a massive facility that's not only fully prepared to shoot movies like "Iron Man 3" and "We're the Millers" but also prepared for the furious weather conditions.