TV

Ted Cruz just served up his own late-night hot take ... and Jimmy Kimmel's talk show return is squarely in the spotlight.

TMZ got the Senator talking Monday -- and he didn’t mince his words, saying Jimmy used to be hilarious, but somewhere along the way, he traded punchlines for political rants ... and, in Ted’s view, that’s when the laughs (and ratings) nosedived.

Still, Cruz isn’t cheering for a cancellation -- in fact, he says the FCC needs to butt out completely, 'cause according to him, the government threatening comedians is a slippery slope that could bite everyone in the bum.

Kieran Culkin finally got his wife to hold up her end of their bargain ... 'cause his better half's pregnant, months after he revealed she promised him four kids if he won an Oscar!

The actor rolled up to opening night of "Waiting For Godot" on Broadway with Jazz Charton -- his wife of more than a decade -- and, he put his hand protectively on her belly ... and she's clearly with child!

The two are positively beaming in the photos ... with Culkin looking particularly proud of himself -- since he sorta manifested this whole situation.

Katie Thurston's sending a message from beyond the virtual grave ... 'cause she's joking that since social media says she's dead, it must be true!

The former Bachelorette shared a clip on Instagram Saturday morning ... thanking randos on Facebook for alerting her friends, family and even herself that she'd passed away after her battle with breast cancer.

She says she's got a message while up in paradise -- chilling with her pal God -- for all of us still holding on tight to the mortal coil ... before plugging a casket company she says won't charge insane marked-up fees.

Honey Boo Boo's got a boo-boo -- her mom, June "Mama June" Shannon, revealed she was involved in a serious car accident Friday afternoon.

The reality star detailed the horrific crash in an Instagram video, revealing a young man T-boned Honey Boo Boo, real name Alana Thompson, as she was pulling out of the driveway of her Colorado residence. She gave the 23-year-old some credit, saying he admitted he was speeding down the road at 40 MPH when he hit her on the driver's side.

The TLC star was treated at the hospital but was able to return home ... and is now resting her aches and pains away.

Three members of the Putman reality television family have died in a tragic car accident, the family announced Saturday morning.

The devastating news was shared on the family's Instagram page, and they revealed "Papa, Neenee and Aunt Megan" have passed. While they did not say Papa's real name -- the family's patriarch, Bill Putman, was referred to as "Papa." His wife, Barb, was known as "Neenee."

Meanwhile, several family members -- Uncle Blake, Lulu, Alena, Noah, and Gia -- remain hospitalized.

Jimmy Kimmel ain't holding back after 'Live!' was reinstated on ABC ... taking to Instagram to mock President Donald Trump's escalator mishap at the United Nations General Assembly this week.

Check out Jimmy's post on his show's official Instagram Friday -- he shared a photo of his longtime sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez smiling down at him on an escalator and captioned it ... "Headed to Brooklyn! Escalator is working great!"

As you know, the prez was PO'd after he and First Lady Melania Trump stepped onto the escalator ahead of the general assembly Tuesday and it suddenly halted, jerking them forward.

Selena Gomez's wedding to Benny Blanco will be as star-studded as it gets ... with some of her "Only Murders in the Building" co-stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Paul Rudd confirmed to be supporting her on her special day!

Check out our gallery -- the actors all gathered Friday evening at Santa Barbara, California's luxury hillside hotel El Encanto for some mingling on the elegant patio before heading off to the rehearsal dinner.

All three actors look dapper, dressed in suits and smiling as they spoke among other well-dressed guests. Paul is even seen cracking up as he speaks to Steve at one point.

Ellen DeGeneres shares a heartfelt tribute to Tayt Andersen-- a young boy born with only half his heart -- after he passed away on Friday.

The former talk show host shared a video on Instagram in which she expresses her grief at Tayt's death and sends condolences to his mother, Chrissy Becker ... calling him a very special guest.

Fans will remember Tayt as a little boy who called Ellen his "girlfriend" ... and, Ellen called him her "boyfriend" in return -- which she jokes came as a shock to her wife, Portia de Rossi.

Carmen Electra’s one of the OG "Baywatch" bombshells ... so naturally, we had to ask if she’s suiting up for the just-announced reboot.

Check out the video ... Carmen tells TMZ she’s actually in talks with the reboot team ... but admits the big question is how much she can really dive in, since hitting the ocean is a total no-go for her.

Catch the full clip … because Carmen explains why she's all about the ocean life, just not the ocean work life.

2 PM PT -- Hours after Sinclair's update, Nexstar has also announced the company's ABC affiliate stations will return "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to the air starting tonight.

The Jimmy Kimmel extended blackout is seeing more daylight ... starting tonight, 'Live!' is storming back onto all of Sinclair Broadcasting Group's 38 ABC affiliate stations, the company declared Friday.

Sinclair said the past week had brought a flood of feedback -- from viewers, advertisers, and community leaders -- all pushing them to decide keeping Kimmel on-air is key to fostering respectful dialogue across a spectrum of differing voices.

Earlier this week, ABC announced Kimmel would return to the airwaves Tuesday night ... but Sinclair and Nexstar Media Group -- two media companies that own a significant amount of local affiliate stations -- said they were both resisting bringing Jimmy back ... leaving about 20% of the country without his show while talks with Disney dragged on.

New details have emerged in the death of Kelsey Bateman ... the 'Rock of Love' contestant was found with a bunch of pill bottles near her body.

According to a St. George police report, obtained by TMZ, Bateman was found dead inside a bedroom in her Utah apartment on August 27 with several prescription pill bottles nearby.

Police say Kelsey's boyfriend got worried when he hadn't heard from her in a while and called a friend, who went to her apartment and discovered her corpse. The friend then called 911.

“Big Brother” contestant Ava Pearl is making it clear she wants nothing to do with fellow housemate Vince Panaro once the show wraps ... blasting him just moments before her eviction.

It all went down Thursday night ... when Ava made a desperate plea trying to convince Vince -- who held the sole vote -- to keep her, despite their rocky relationship all season long.

Things came to a head when Ava got up on her feet and said, "Vince, the only thing I can ask of you is to not contact me at all outside of this."

Chanel West Coast says "Ridiculousness" secret to success is simple ... in a world full of negativity, people just want to laugh!

We caught up with the TV personality and musician at Craig's in West Hollywood on Thursday ... and, we had to ask her about how the MTV staple is still on the air while other beloved shows have ultimately gotten the axe from the network.

CWC says "Ridiculousness" fans are just incredible, and they love to laugh ... adding they aren't the only ones -- everyone can use a little laughter in their lives these days!

Brittany Cartwright is facing her fears head-on in "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test" ... but not without a serious struggle when it comes to jumping from a helicopter.

TMZ obtained an exclusive clip from tonight's episode showing "The Valley" star battling major nerves as she prepares to make the leap. With the chopper blades spinning overhead, Cartwright admits just how overwhelming the moment feels, telling the camera how terrified of heights she is.

In the clip, she hesitates, inching toward the door, desperately clinging to the rope as she hangs over the helicopter skids, unable to let herself go, as the guy in charge yells at her to  "Go, go, jump!"

Alyssa Milano’s ditched the boob job -- and it’s not just a vibe -- she hopped on IG to spill the real reason behind it.

On Wednesday, the 52-year-old posted from the doc’s office and tagged her plastic surgeon, Dr. Tim Neavin, saying she’s finally freeing the body that was sexualized and abused -- the one she once thought she needed to be loved, wanted, and successful.

Alyssa said she’s also doing it for her daughter Bella, hoping to free her from the same pressures ... before citing Michelle Visage as inspo for openly sharing her own implant journey.

Jimmy Kimmel’s back and everyone’s cheering -- even a bunch of A-listers signed a letter of support for him after ABC tried to bench him ... and yep, Ethan Hawke’s in the mix too!

Ethan hit the stage during Jimmy’s return this week, calling him a hero and flashing the ACLU-backed letter signed by 400 celebs defending his right to speak.

The actor was all smiles on stage on Kimmel's second night back on the air Wednesday, telling Jimmy man-to-man that signing the letter was one of the greatest privileges of his life.