TV

Jon Hamm doesn't like to be left out, especially if Hollywood's boarding the Apple train without him ... which he made perfectly clear in an ad that would make Don Draper blush.

The smooth-talking actor is featured in a new campaign from Apple TV+ that made its debut this weekend during primetime NFL playoff coverage -- and the consensus seems to be ... damn, that was a good spot. Even more illuminating ... JH is pretty freaking funny!!!

Check it out ... the commercial shows Jon hanging out at home on the couch and surfing through Apple TV+'s many offerings -- with Jon scoffing at the fact that there's all these celebs plastered on the screen, but no sign of him anywhere.

He then asks the camera ... "Hey, Apple -- did I do something to offend you?" He goes on to pitch himself as someone worthy of a show or movie, like all his famous pals seem to have these days, and even makes a fake phone call to Tom Hanks ... which is hilarious.

Apple hits the point home ... they've got all the stars on their roster -- except one, that is. Of course, by hiring him for the ad, they nabbed their man in the end after all. Clever, clever.

Like we said, the commercial's a big hit and even went viral Saturday ... with many saying it was Super Bowl worthy, even though the game is still weeks away. And as for Jon's comedic chops -- well, that sorta took people aback as well ... since he's a big drama (genre) guy.

Regina King's only son has tragically died.

Ian Alexander Jr. took his own life Wednesday, according to law enforcement, the day he turned 26.

Ian is the son of Ian Alexander Sr., who married Regina in 1997. They were together 10 years before divorcing.

Regina said, "Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian. He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you."

Regina and her son would sometimes walk the red carpet together for events and it was apparent how proud she was of him.

As for tributes ... they are cascading in ... "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Garcelle Beauvais said, "My heart breaks for you @ReginaKing Ian was sweet & kind."

Marc Lamont Hill echoed that ... "Sending all of my love and condolences to Regina King. I pray that she's surrounded by love and healing energy."

Ian once said of Regina, "She's just a super mom. She doesn't really let bad workdays or anything come back and ruin the time that we have. It's really awesome to have a mother who I can enjoy spending time with."

When Regina turned 50 in 2021, Ian posted this on Instagram ... "Happy birthday to my co, so extremely proud of you and inspired by your love, artistry and gangsta. To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i will forever be grateful for. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for. To be all that you are while always having the time to be there, love and support me unconditionally is truly remarkable. The whole marvel universe ain't got s*** on you, your the real superhero! Love you mom! This day and everyday YO DAY!!"

And ... just a couple of months before he died, Ian posted a throwback pic of him, his mom and a friend, with the caption ... "My joys 🥰."

Ian was 26.

Mark Cuban is offering the general public a way to get the healthcare they need at a truly affordable price ... and all it took was a little less corporate greed. Whodathunkit?!?

The Mavs owner/entrepreneur just launched an online pharmacy that sounds too good to be true -- providing more than 100 common generic drugs ... practically at cost. In other words, the medications are significantly cheaper than most anywhere else on the marketplace.

It's called the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Company, and it operates as a prescription drug wholesaler ... buying these meds directly from manufacturers, and doesn't gratuitously price hike upon reselling them on his site ... unlike a lot of other pharmaceutical companies.

Now, Mark and co. don't wanna fool anyone -- they are turning a bit of a profit in their endeavor here ... acknowledging upfront there's a 15% markup on their drugs, plus a small pharmacist fee of $3 (and slight shipping costs too). Plus, you gotta pay for their drugs out of pocket.

Still ... it ultimately comes out to a smaller price tag than what you may pay otherwise through your insurance copay or by other means (coupons) at just about any other pill depot.

Also, MC's markup isn't anywhere near the usual 100% (or oftentimes way more) gouging you'll see elsewhere on the market. An example ... imatinib -- a common leukemia treatment -- is being offered through MCCPDC for just $47/mo. ... whereas it normally retails for nearly $10k/mo.

And, get this ... Mark's price is still cheaper than the cheapest option already out there ($120/mo.), so you actually are getting the best deal. Ditto for mesalamine (an ulcerative colitis treatment) and colchicine (gout) ... among dozens and dozens of other generic drugs.

Mark's business model is being as "radically transparent" as possible ... to help as many people as possible, so it's truly a humanitarian effort in spirit.

Don't worry if your medication isn't available on their site just yet either -- Mark says they're working quickly to add a lot more, and are gearing up for the opening of a plant in Dallas to help make this operation run even more smoothly. On its face ... this is pretty incredible.

Bill Maher is back!!! And boy, this one's a doozy ... a plan for Democrats to stay in power after the 2024 election ... and it involves Joe Biden, Barack Obama and gay marriage.

This is going to sound absurd on its face ... but there's a hugely important message behind the farce, so play along. Maher says Republicans have changed the rules and even flouted the law with zero shame to get their way ... and Democrats need to do the same thing.

Maher says whether fair or not, Biden doesn't seem to be a winning candidate in '24. He ticks off others like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders but dismisses them too.

So, who then? Bill says the only person who Democrats will swarm to the polls to vote for is Barack Obama.

So, here's his plan ... Obama and Biden divorce their wives (but only in title ... they'd still be together) and then marry each other. Obama goes back into the White House and becomes a de facto Prez.

Now, Bill's still gotta learn the lingo ... he calls Obama "First Lady." Bill, it's "First Gentleman." It's 2022.

Now, don't misunderstand his point. Maher is saying Democrats are losing to Republicans because of rule adherence, something scoffed at by the GOP. Bill wants the Dems to pull a Gus -- Remember the movie, "Gus," where a mule became a kicker for a football team after the team argued there was no specific rule preventing mules from becoming team members?

He's not really saying Obama and Biden should marry ... he's making a do-or-die point.

BTW ... in case you're wondering, Biden couldn't pick Obama as his VP ... the 12th Amendment prohibits a Vice President from being elected if they're not qualified to be President, and Obama can't become Prez again because of the 2-term limit.

The Kim-ticipation's been killing fans of the "Sex and the City" reboot, and this could be a smidgen of good news for 'em ... 'cause someone who's been on set isn't ready to write off a Kim Cattrall comeback.

We caught up with Thomas Canestraro Friday afternoon as he left Complete Body in NYC, and if you've seen his role on "And Just Like That ..." as hot mover, Nick, then you know why he was at the gym.

Anyway, we digress ... we asked Thomas if there was any buzz on set about Kim possibly squashing her beef with Sarah Jessica Parker, and making a cameo. Check out the clip ... he plays it coy, for sure, but what he did NOT say could be a clue.

As you've probably heard, Kim turned down the offer to play her beloved character, Samantha Jones, on the reboot, but that hasn't killed hope for fans ... who continue to cross their fingers there's a HUGE plot twist coming that leads to Kim's return.

What Thomas says here won't crush that dream.

Of course, he's far from calling the shots on the production ... but actors hear things.

Byron Allen says losing Louie Anderson so closely on the heels of Bob Saget's death is a tremendous gut punch to comedians ... who were more like family than co-workers.

The TV mogul, who bonded with Louie over several decades, joined us on "TMZ Live" to take us behind the scenes of their most recent gig together ... the Byron-produced game show, "Funny You Should Ask."

Byron says Louie lived to make everyone laugh -- even when cameras weren't rolling -- and always preached kindness above all else.

There was one thing that especially stood out for Byron, though... he says every time they wrapped up their show, Louie would give him a hug and say "I love you. He would say goodbye to us as if it was the last time we were going to see him."

As we reported, Anderson died Friday morning after battling lymphoma -- and Byron explained why we've heard so many celebs -- especially comedians -- gushing about Louie and Bob.

He told us they're a tight-knit group, really a family, because they all came up together -- more than 40 years ago -- when no one knew their names.

To celebrate her 100th birthday, Betty White's sent a final message, thanking fans for all their love and support over the years.

The video was supposed to go out on Jan 17, which would've been Betty's 100th bday. BW used the opportunity to thank fans for all the money and donations raised for animals through the #BettyWhiteChallenge. In the post, the beloved actress sits in a chair and shares her last words of love and gratitude.

The posthumous post says she would never have imagined such an outpouring of love, and she would be extremely grateful to everyone ... if she were here to see it. The post ended by saying "I think it’s appropriate to post today as a thanks from Betty and the animals."

TMZ broke the story ... the adored actress and comedian died at her home just weeks before her birthday ... she had the longest-running career of any woman in television.

Louie Anderson's death has one of his comedy peers remembering what's now an incredibly poignant moment ... when Louie and Bob Saget came together with their friend Gilbert Gottfried.

All 3 comedians posed together in a photo Gilbert posted Friday morning ... reacting to the loss of both men in such a short period. Gilbert said, "This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed."

It's unclear where and when they snapped the shot -- which shows Bob holding up a phone to take a selfie with his pals. Very meta.

As we reported, Louie passed away Friday morning in Las Vegas, where he'd been battling lymphoma. Bob died on Jan. 9 in his Orlando hotel room ... a few hours after doing standup in Jacksonville.

Louie actually appeared on Bob's podcast last May, and they shared some old stories from their gigs at L.A.'s legendary venue, The Comedy Store.

Meat Loaf -- the singer with some monstrous hits -- has died at the age of 74.

The singer's manager, Michael Greene, confirmed Meat Loaf died Thursday night. Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... he was supposed to attend a business dinner earlier this week for a show he's working on -- "I'd Do Anything for Love" -- but the dinner was canceled because he became seriously ill with COVID. Sources tell us that his condition quickly became critical.

Our sources say Meat Loaf has been outspoken about COVID, railing with folks in Australia recently about vaccine mandates. We do not know if he was vaccinated.

Greene added that Meat Loaf's wife and 2 daughters were by his side when he passed away.

Meat Loaf was one of the greatest rock singers of all time. His 1977 "Bat Out of Hell" album sold an astounding 65 million copies. That album produced several hits, including "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," which charted at #11 on Billboard.

Meat Loaf followed up with a sequel years later -- "Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell" - which produced a number 1 hit, "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." He won a Grammy for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance.

Meat Loaf also appeared in a ton of movies and TV shows, including "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," "Spice World: The Movie" and "Fight Club" He also performed in the musical "Hair," both on and off-Broadway.

His real name was Marvin Lee Aday. As for how he acquired the name of a delicious meal ... his football coach named him Meat Loaf because of his weight. His first band was called Meat Loaf Soul.

Now get this ... his first album was a duet with a singer named Stoney and it was released on Motown.

Meat Loaf appeared on "TMZ Live" back in 2014, promoting his new show in Vegas.

We last got Meat Loaf in NYC back in 2019, where he told us why his stage name should appeal to vegetarians and vegans alike.

Sha'Carri Richardson won't be running to the "Big Brother" house any time soon, cuz reports the one-time Olympic favorite is joining the show's cast just ain't true ... TMZ has learned.

The American track superstar's name flooded "Celebrity Big Brother" message boards and then hit outlets Wednesday reporting she'd be an upcoming contestant on the popular show.

Unfortunately for Sha'Carri fans, the reports just aren't true ... her rep, Ashley Blackwood, tells TMZ, “Sha’Carri was contacted months ago to be on Big Brother and declined. All coverage on her participating are false and simply just rumors.”

You'll remember -- Sha'Carri was a favorite to represent the USA at last year's Olympic games ... but those dreams were dashed when she failed a drug test with marijuana in her system.

She later made headlines when she appeared in a Beats by Dre commercial which featured a first listen of Kanye West's song "No Child Left Behind."

Other possible contestant names that circulated this week were "RHOBH" star Erika Jayne and former "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star NeNe Leakes ... sources close to both tells us neither will be on the show.

As for some celebs who actually might be on the show? Tiffany "New York" Pollard, Vanilla Ice and Todrick Hall are all names still floating around as possible houseguests.

The creator of "Full House" is selling his house for a fortune ... and it's got a lot of history to it.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... sitcom creator Jeff Franklin is moving on and is inviting buyers who are interested to make an offer ... buyers, that is, who have $85 mil to spend.

The house sits on the land where the Manson Family slaughtered Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Steven Parent, Wojciech Frykowski and Jay Sebring back in 1969. The house was razed in 1994 and a new mansion was built in its place.

There's more recent history ... Jeff hosted the reception at his home for Bob Saget's family after his funeral last week.

The home is 21,000-square feet with 9 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms and sits on 3-acres, with a jetliner view of the city.

The modern estate is decked out with a movie theater, spa, gym, hair salon, billiards room and a bar ... and the backyard features a 75-yard pool with 3 waterfalls, 2 Jacuzzis, a 35-foot water slide, swim-up bar, private grotto, koi pond, lazy river, cabana, BBQ area and fire pits.

Oh and we didn't mention the detached guest house and an underground garage with room for 16 cars.

Tanya Roberts home has officially hit the market ... almost a year to the day of the actress' untimely death.

The 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home is listed at $2.999 million and tucked away in Hollywood Hills. The pad has plenty to offer in the views department, with a good look at both the canyon and DTLA.

Tanya used to totally zen-out on the property's 1.15 acres -- complete with a bridge and koi pond -- and there are hiking trails nearby, where she used to take her dogs daily.

Mark Cianciulli from The CREM Group has the listing.

Tanya died unexpectedly on January 4, 2021, after first collapsing at the home. We were told doctors believed a UTI that spread into her bloodstream is what caused the medical complications that eventually killed her.

Gaspard Ulliel -- a well-known French actor and face of Chanel -- has died ... this according to his agent.

The sad news comes after word of Ulliel's involvement in a serious skiing accident in the Alps Tuesday, which left him hospitalized in Grenoble. He's said to have collided with another skier on the slopes, and suffered a devastating blow to his skull ... needing a helicopter transport.

While Ulliel was a bona fide star in his homeland, he was pretty prominent here in the States as well ... especially among horror fans, who might recognize him as a young Hannibal Lecter in the 2007 flick 'Hannibal Rising.'

He's also notable for portraying fashion mogul Yves Saint Laurent in the biopic 'Saint Laurent,' as well as for roles over the years in projects like 'A Very Long Engagement,' 'It's Only the End of the World,' 'The Art of Love,' 'The Dancer' 'Twice Upon a Time,' 'One Nation One King' ... and many other films and TV shows, a majority of which were French.

Ulliel was also on the come-up in the Marvel world ... he's reportedly set to play the big bad guy in the upcoming 'Moon Knight' series opposite Oscar Isaac, which is currently in post-production. In addition to his on-camera work, Ulliel dabbled in the fashion and fragrance world too -- he's been the face of a men's Chanel commercial, plugging Bleu de Chanel.

He's survived by his partner, Gaëlle Piétri, and one child. Ulliel was 37.

Danny Cooksey's ex-wife claims he's gone off the rails again — but this time, she's alleging a beating that actually required a judge to step in.

Amber Cooksey filed for and was granted a temporary restraining order against her "Diff'rent Strokes" ex ... because she claims the guy thrashed her on NYE ... and in front of their young son, no less.

In court docs, obtained by TMZ, Amber says Danny came over to her house on the holiday to be with their boy ... but his presence quickly became unwelcome, Amber says, because he allegedly started boozing and turning aggressive.

Amber claims she repeatedly asked him to leave, to no avail. She claims he hurled insults at her and "grabbed [her] breasts and crotch violently." She says she was terrified and tried to escape but claims Danny grabbed her by the neck and choked her until she passed out and he then stomped on her.

Amber says cops came the next day. In the meantime, she says she fears for her safety and needs court-ordered protection. The court agreed, giving her the TRO until a hearing later next month.

Keep in mind ... this isn't the first time Amber has asked for help with Danny — she got a restraining order against him in 2019, when they were in the thick of their divorce.

Jim Belushi's digging into life as a cannabis farmer, but he's running into a bunch of new challenges -- some caused by rodents, and some by politicians. Yes, there's a difference.

JB's reality show, "Growing Belushi," is back for a second season, and on Tuesday's "TMZ Live" he revealed one of the biggest surprises he's encountered on his 93-acre marijuana farm in Oregon are underground pets.

Farmer Jim says he's constantly battling gophers and ground squirrels, which seem to love getting high off his plants. We think he's joking but seems plausible! Then again, we're no scientists.

Sounds like he'll be doing his best impression of Bill Murray in "Caddyshack" when the show returns Wednesday night on Discovery.

On the business end of things, we talked to Jim about the push for federal legalization and, sorry to harsh your buzz, but he doesn't see it happening anytime soon ... because of how much money's at stake.

Fact is, his farm sits in the area Jim calls the Napa Valley of marijuana -- it produces the best buds in the land -- and, right now, the states of Cali and Oregon are enjoying all the tax revenue that comes along with that.

You gotta see his explanation, but, in a nutshell, he's not so sure states are willing to share -- or let's say, puff puff pass -- all that dough with the feds.

Jamie Lynn Spears says she was treated much like her older sister, Britney, was during her teenage pregnancy in the mid-2000s, and it got so bad ... she almost legally broke free.

The former Nickelodeon star dishes about attempts to seek emancipation from her parents in her memoir, "Things I Should Have Said," -- and she went into more detail about that dark period on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast.

According to JL, she actually hired lawyers and drafted up paperwork in her would-be bid for freedom at just 16 -- this after she claims her parents isolated her from the outside world, not to mention her then-BF Casey Aldridge ... upon learning she'd gotten pregnant.

Jamie describes her parents being super controlling amid her pregnancy, saying they completely cut her off from all outside communication ... fearing news of the pregnancy would leak. At the time, they were also dealing with Britney's very public breakdown.

Speaking of which, Jamie Lynn claims to have been mostly ignorant to what was going on with Brit ... acknowledging she was absorbed in her own drama and problems. When she finally had the kid -- against her parents' wishes, she alleges, and after the story had leaked -- Jamie says she continued being heavily monitored by her family, and realized she'd never be able to get out from under their collective thumbs ... unless she went to court.

Jamie Lynn says her mom, Lynne, was served emancipation papers, but in the end ... they struck a deal that allowed Jamie to buy her own home and be with her own new family unit.

There's more here about Britney's episodes too ... Jamie Lynn talks about how her mom would often fly out to go handle a Britney-related matter any time something came up, which she says became more and more frequent. Again, Jamie Lynn denies knowing details ... insisting her parents and the team at large kept everything on a need-to-know basis.

With that said, Jamie says she remembers exactly where she was when she learned Britney had shaved her head ... and it sounds like the whole saga hurt her little sis as well. She breaks down in tears recounting and processing everything ... and it obviously impacted her.

BTW, the recent back and forth bickering Jamie Lynn and Britney have been engaged in also gets addressed in this sit-down ... with JL providing what she claims is text message evidence to clear her name, something 'CHD' teased hard in their promo of the interview.