Dave Chappelle at 'SNL' Working with Writers, Full Cast ... Rep Denies Boycott Report

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Dave Chappelle's starting his third day of meetings with 'SNL' cast and writers, and his camp says there's been zero talk of an alleged boycott related to Dave's issues with the transgender community.

DC is hosting 'SNL' this weekend -- his first time since 2020, and since the release of his controversial Netflix special "The Closer" ... which sparked protests and much debate over jokes many people felt were transphobic.

The potential issue at 30 Rock this week is 'SNL' now has its first nonbinary cast member, Molly Kearney, and at least one writer who is transgender.

According to Page Six, the show's writers are boycotting, but a rep for Dave tells TMZ ... Dave's first 2 meetings with the staff have been full, and everyone's pitching sketch ideas as they normally do.

One of the writers, Celeste Yim, reportedly posted an Instagram story saying, “I’m trans and non-binary. I use they/them pronouns. Transphobia is murder and it should be condemned.”

Their post said nothing about a boycott. It's unclear if Celeste has been in the staff meetings with Dave this week. We've reached out to NBC for comment.

This will be Chappelle's third time hosting. He previously hosted in 2020 and in 2016, which was memorable for being the first show after the election of Donald Trump.

Dave famously said America should give Trump a chance, but since then the comedian's admitted he was way off.

'MY THREE SONS' STAR DAWN LYN CONDITION IMPROVES ... After Brain Surgery, Coma

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Dawn Lyn -- a former child star on the TV show "My Three Sons" -- is slowly recovering from the brain surgery that sent her into a coma ... she's now breathing on her own.

Tina Cole, who starred opposite Dawn back in the '60s and '70s when their sitcom was on the air, tells TMZ Dawn is continuing to improve, she's opening her eyes at times and is breathing on her own with oxygen assistance.

Tina says Dawn's husband, John, texted her a positive health update Monday night, saying Dawn was doing the best she has in the hospital since undergoing a brain operation.

Sounds like Dawn's got a big support system around her ... Tina tells us she visited Dawn in the hospital last week, holding Dawn's hand and talking to her while she was unconscious.

As we reported ... Dawn was fighting for her life last month after going under the knife to remove a brain tumor.

Rock Whitehead, who is producing an upcoming movie featuring Dawn, also posted a positive update on Dawn's heath on social media ... he says she's made major strides since arriving at the hospital over two weeks ago.

Aaron Carter Starred In Sitcom Before Death ... Director Moving Forward With Pilot Episode

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Aaron Carter was working on a sitcom before he passed away ... and we're told the production is going to honor him by moving forward, dedicating the project to his memory.

Brian Farmer, writer and director of "Group," tells TMZ ... Aaron and co. wrapped on the pilot episode of the show a month ago -- and he's since gotten a blessing from Aaron's camp to complete the project and dedicate it to him.

He says the show revolves around group therapy and pushes for mental health advocacy -- something we're told Aaron was eager to open up about, playing a fictionalized version of himself.

Brian tells us he was a kind soul that was a true pleasure to work with -- adding being a part of the show gave Aaron something positive to work toward.

The pilot's currently in post-production, and will be shopped around to networks once completed ... alongside Aaron on the show -- "Freaks and Geeks" star Samm Levine, Anne Judson-Yager from "Bring It On Again," and Mike Starr from "Dumb and Dumber" & "Goodfellas."

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Olive Chiacchia, who played his love interest on the show, posted about losing her costar over the weekend ... saying, " I wish the world saw you the way I do, and saw your side of the story."

Whitney Cummings My Dirty Jokes Are Better On OnlyFans ... Twitter's Full of 'Dorks'

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COMEDY HEAVEN

Whitney Cummings says she's joining OnlyFans to tell dirty jokes, free from the backlash and controversy swirling on other social media sites ... and she's ripping Elon Musk's app.

We got Whitney at LAX and asked why she decided to hitch her wagon to OF, where she's producing a new show about comedy roasts.

Whitney sees OnlyFans as the future for comedians looking for a safe space to tell jokes ... seeing it as an alternative to places like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, explaining how comedians are dragged when jokes push boundaries.

The way Whitney sees it, the audience at OnlyFans is already used to the taboo -- the site is infamous for offering subscriptions to models selling nude content -- whereas places like Twitter are littered with "dorks" and "snitches" who want to report humor as hate speech.

Whitney's planning to charge about $10 a month for her OnlyFans page, where she will experiment with material she says may be too explicit for someone scrolling the timeline at lunch ... and she's already got jokes about potential nudes making their way to her page too.

It'll be interesting to see if other comedians follow Whitney's lead ... and she tells us how Cardi B influenced her to take the OnlyFans plunge.

Kardashian Sisters We're Channeling Our Inner Kris ... Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

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Kris Jenner's 67th birthday provided another chance for her daughters to get into costume ... Kim, Khloe, Kourtney and Kylie celebrated by dressing up in some of their mom's iconic looks.

The birthday bash went down Friday night, with Kim explaining the theme ... "Dress up as your best Kris."

For Kim, that meant mimicking her mom's signature hairdo with a black, pixie cut wig ... and a teal sequin dress recreating Kris' outfit from an old family Christmas card.

Khloe's take on Kris -- platinum blonde, oversized sunglasses, floral pantsuit and red heels -- pays homage to a 2017 Instagram post of her mother.

Meanwhile, Kourtney brought back Kris' look from her appearance in Ariana Grande's "Thank You Next" music video ... rocking a pink jumpsuit.

The youngest of the bunch, Kylie went with a super throwback version of Kris ... wearing a long black sequin dress with red lipstick, a la Kris from the 1980s.

Kris had a front-row seat to her daughter's creative costumes ... and judging from the videos, it looks like she was having a great time, even singing some karaoke.

Kendall Jenner was noticeably absent ... but it's her birthday week too.

The Kris-themed party was Friday, and her 67th birthday is today ... with Kim posting a bunch of black-and-white photos from the bash and wishing her mom happy birthday.

Kim says dressing up like Kris "felt powerful and fun" ... just like her mom.

Scott Disick Out With Kim K Cameras Close Behind

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Scott Disick is doing something we rarely see anymore -- spending some one-on-one time with Kim Kardashian -- as cameras for the family's reality show trailed close behind.

Scott and Kim had a late-night dinner together at Il Fornaio in Woodland Hills Thursday ... where you have to imagine they caught up on the latest family drama, and Kourtney's marriage with Travis Barker.

Fans of "The Kardashians" know Scott's been notably absent from the show lately.

Scott's spoken up about not getting invited to family functions -- for those unaware, he was a big part of Kourtney's life post-breakup, but that changed after she and Travis got hitched.

Kourt and Travis Barker's very public romance is what many have seen as why Scott's been pushed away ... and we're betting Scott and Kim will dive into that in the upcoming season.

Joe Exotic This Prison Is the 'Bottom of Hell!!!'

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Joe Exotic's had enough of his living conditions behind bars ... so he's putting the whole place on blast, basically saying Satan is his warden now.

The "Tiger King" star fired off on Instagram Thursday -- yes, while in a federal pen -- and wrote, "I have officially landed at the bottom of hell, at the Federal Prison in Atlanta GA."

He continued "Senator Ossoff, Warnock and Walker are all lying to you Black Voters of Georgia because the Animals at the Atlanta Zoo are living better then [sic] your loved ones are in here I promise. #fixthiss***".

As you know ... the documentary star is serving a 21-year sentence for trying to hire 2 men to murder his nemesis, Carole Baskin.

Even before his transfer to ATL -- he was previously in a Texas federal prison -- Joe's had a rough go of it behind bars ... battling an aggressive cancer. In fact, he's moved a few times in order to get better medical attention.

The Atlanta facility he's in has reportedly been at the center of a monthslong investigation over allegations of drug abuse, violence and unsanitary conditions.

Sounds like Joe would love to testify.

Selena Gomez I Contemplated Suicide During Bipolar Episode

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Selena Gomez is opening up even more about her struggles with bipolar disorder ... revealing she had suicidal thoughts and checked into 4 different treatment centers.

She says, "I think when I started hitting my early twenties is when it started to get really dark, when I started to feel like I was not in control of what I was feeling, whether that was really great or really bad.”

In the Rolling Stone interview, Selena also recounts having extreme highs and lows for weeks or months, before understanding her bipolar diagnosis. At times she would have symptoms of mania like feeling the need to buy everyone in her life a car so she could share her "gift" -- but then she'd fall into a deep state of depression and not be able to get out of bed.

And in her darkest moments, she said ... “I thought the world would be better if I wasn’t there." After a 2018 episode, she says she ended up on a ton of meds, which helped her psychosis, but made her feel unlike herself.

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BIEBER BREAKDOWN

She also touched on all the fan-stirred drama, where fans accused Hailey Bieber of stealing her ex, Justin Bieber ... saying it made her feel bad about herself.

In the past, she says this kinda incident could've set her back for months ... but this time it was diffused with kindness.

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You'll recall, Selena and Hailey posed with each other last month at an event -- seemingly putting the whole mess behind them.

Selena gives a deeper look into her life in her new doc "Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me." It premiered Wednesday night in L.A. ... and stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Camila Cabello and Billie Eilish were all in attendance.

The documentary is out on Apple TV+ tomorrow.

If you or someone you know is thinking of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

Christina Applegate I Gained 40 Pounds & Walk With Cane ... As A Result Of MS

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Christina Applegate is opening up about her struggles with multiple sclerosis, ahead of her first appearance on the big screen ... revealing she put on 40 pounds and can't walk without a cane.

The "Married... with Children" star got candid with the New York Times ... saying the upcoming season of "Dead to Me" would be "the first time anyone’s going to see me the way I am."

Christina said she had been struggling to accept the weight gain and her impaired mobility ... saying she's aware of all the changes but says, "I'm never going to accept this."

She took it a step further, saying she felt she had to "process the loss of [her] life" ... and was forced to accept a new normal.

As we reported, the actress revealed she'd been diagnosed with MS back in August, 2021. At the time she said, "It's been a strange journey. But, I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition."

She continued, "It's been a tough road. But, as we all know, the road keeps going. Unless some asshole blocks it."

The "Dead to Me" series is returning to Netflix November 17.

'My Three Sons' Star Dawn Lyn in Coma, Fighting for Life After Brain Surgery

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Dawn Lyn -- a former child star on the TV show "My Three Sons" -- is fighting for her life after undergoing brain surgery and falling into a coma ... this according to her former costars.

Word of Lyn's condition first cropped up on social media through posts from people like Stanley Livingston and Tina Cole ... who starred opposite her back in the '60s and '70s when their sitcom was on the air.

Livingston wrote, "Just found out my little TV Sis', DAWN LYN (Dodie), is in a COMA and fighting for her life. She had surgery recently to remove a brain tumor. Please pray for her to have a swift and full recovery. I took Dawn out to lunch a couple of months ago. We had a great time reminiscing about our MTS days. Dawn is one of the nicest human beings I have ever known. Thoughts and prayers also go out to her husband, John, at this time. This is devastating news!" Stanley played Dawn's TV brother, "Chip" Douglas.

Cole addressed it as well, saying ... "My heartfelt prayers go out to my "My Three Sons" sweet "lil' sis", Dawn Lyn (Dodie) and her husband John. Dawn is fighting for her life after undergoing brain surgery."

She adds, "I'm in touch with John and I will keep you all updated. Please keep her in your prayers as well."

Lyn's real-life blood brother, Leif Garrett tells TMZ ... "My sister, Dawn, never wanted anyone to know about the surgery. Since it has been leaked on social media, I would really appreciate everyone’s understanding that it has already been a difficult time having lost both of our parents and a cousin recently."

Leif also says, "Please just keep my sister in your thoughts and prayers and respect our family’s privacy. Thank you."

While Dawn is certainly most famous for her role as Dodie Douglas during the last 3 seasons of 'MTS,' she went on to do more ... including voice acting work, additional TV roles and even some films here and there.

'Unsolved Mysteries' Flooded with Tips On '18 Murder Suspect's Location

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The producers of Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" might be able to close a grisly case soon -- we're told the tips are pouring in about the whereabouts of the suspect in a now 4-year-old murder.

Terry Dunn Meurer, executive producer of the popular series, tells TMZ her team's handed over 90 tips to law enforcement regarding Tammy Williams -- the prime suspect in a particularly gruesome murder case recently featured on 'UM.'

Since 3 new episodes dropped on October 18, we're told the majority of the tips they're getting have been regarding the unsolved slaying of David Carter.

ICYMI, David ... who was Tammy's ex-boyfriend, was found dismembered along an Ohio highway in 2018 with a single gunshot wound to the head. He was last seen with her at his son's football game before he went missing.

Williams was arrested in Michigan back in 2018, but was released a few days later when authorities said there wasn't enough evidence to press charges. She promptly left the state, and has been missing ever since.

U.S. Marshals Supervisory Deputy Jimmy Allen confirms they've gotten "quite a lot of tips"... and all of them claim Williams is still on U.S. soil.

Allen says her past experience as a travel agent might be why it's so difficult to find Williams -- noting she'd know exactly how to flee the country without being detected.

We're told she's still the prime suspect in the case, and it's possible she is using an alias or has changed her appearance.

The marshals are currently combing through the tips, and offering a $10K reward to anyone with information on Williams' location. Both "Unsolved Mysteries" and the U.S. Marshals are accepting tips online.

Alyvia Alyn Lind Teen 'Chucky' Star Slaying at Bank ... Over Half a Mil Per Season!!!

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Alyvia Alyn Lind doesn't have to close her eyes to peek at her bank account ... because she's making tons of money as a main character in the "Chucky" TV series.

The 15-year-old actress is in her second season playing Lexy Cross in the SyFy and USA Network horror show, and her minor's contract shows just how well she's being paid.

According to the contract, filed with the court and obtained by TMZ, Alyvia is earning $73,500 per episode for the second season. The contract called for her to make $70k per hour-long episode in the first season, and now she's earning more thanks to the 5% raise included in her deal.

Alyvia appeared in all 8 episodes in the first season ... meaning she made $560,000 just for her acting. She also earns some back-end royalties on any merchandise sold that uses her voice or likeness.

According to the deal, Alyvia is guaranteed to be paid for at least 8 episodes in the second season ... meaning she's set to earn $588k. If the show gets picked up again, she gets another 5% raise, which would bump her per-episode pay up to $77,175.

Evan Peters Went Method for Dahmer Role ... Tricks to Shake Darkness

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Evan Peters says he had to transform himself into Jeffrey Dahmer to do the story justice -- and he means that literally ... 'cause the dude went totally method for the killer role.

The actor dished Saturday about what exactly went into preparing for the job when he was cast by Ryan Murphy and co. to play the lead in "Dahmer -- Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" ... and, as it turns out, there was a lot that went into embodying the guy.

During a Q&A, EP revealed he actually wore Dahmer's actual clothing and accessories -- including his glasses, his shoes and his jeans. How exactly the production got their hands on that stuff to begin with is anyone's guess ... but Evan says he put it to good use for months.

He even says he wore weights on his arms to help maintain Dahmer's straight-as-an-arrow posture, and Murphy had previously revealed Evan stayed in character while he was on set.

Luckily, though, the guy didn't take Dahmer home with him ... and had some techniques to shake the darkness he was living with on a daily while shooting the show. Some of that included watching comedies and lighthearted content, not to mention feel-good music.

He specifically cited "Step Brothers" as one flick he'd watch to drop the Dahmer effect when the cameras weren't rolling ... clearly, becoming Dahmer took its toll on the dude.

Evan's costar, Niecy Nash, also spoke her piece at the panel ... and said she was glad the series examined different lenses into the Dahmer story -- especially as it pertains to the victims and his watchful neighbor, Glenda Cleveland, whom NN portrays on the show.

She addressed the racism and homophobia present in the saga -- especially on the part of cops at the time -- and noted they'd done a good job at capturing that facet of it.

There's been outrage over the project being made, as some feel that it glorifies Dahmer. However, those who've actually seen it in its entirety know it's more nuanced than that ... showing this tragedy from multiple sides and not hiding from the truth of what happened.

Peters is almost certainly going to be nominated for an Emmy, and will probably win too.

Henry Cavill I'm Outtie on 'The Witcher' ... Here's Liam, New Geralt!!!

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Henry Cavill is stepping away from "The Witcher," and a new Geralt of Rivia has been tapped ... one Liam Hemsworth.

The announcement came down Saturday, and it's kinda shaking up TV land ... as HC has helmed the lead role for 3 seasons now, to much acclaim. Now, though, he says he's outta there and passing on the baton for round #4 -- and the timing makes total sense.

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Henry writes, "My journey as Geralt of Rivia has been filled with both monsters and adventures, and alas, I will be laying down my medallion and my swords for Season 4. In my stead, the fantastic Mr Liam Hemsworth will be taking up the mantle of the White Wolf."

He goes on to wish Liam luck playing a character he says he adored. Liam, meanwhile, is embracing the new job ... saying, "Henry, I’ve been a fan of yours for years and was inspired by what you brought to this beloved character."

LH adds, "I may have some big boots to fill, but I’m truly excited to be stepping into The Witcher world."

The news is a big deal, but also predictable. Fact is, Henry is back for the DCEU as Superman -- thanks, in large part, to The Rock -- and there's at least one more movie he's gonna do as the Man of Steel, if not more. Seems HC wants to clear the deck for that.

Like we said, Henry has gotten rave reviews for his performance as Geralt -- with many viewing it as his post-Superman era and giving him kudos for leaving DC behind ... which, for a long time, didn't seem to want him back to reprise his iconic role.

Of course, there's been some major regime changes at WB lately -- and it looks like Henry's all in on his first love again. As for Liam taking on the mantle in his stead  ... mixed bag reaction, frankly. He's got the king's blessing though, which is really all that matters.

Matthew Perry My Addiction was So Bad ... I'd go to Open Houses to Steal Pills

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IN PURSUIT OF PILLS

Matthew Perry revealed the depth of his addiction in an interview Friday night, and it was shocking.

Perry, who told Diane Sawyer during the run of "Friends" he would sometimes pop 55 Vicodin pills a day, said in real life he traded out friends for drug dealers who helped fuel his habit.

Matthew said he would sometimes go to realtor open houses, beeline it for the bathroom and rummage through medicine cabinets looking for pills. He felt safe, because, as he said, "I think they thought, 'Well, there's no way that Chandler came in and stole from us.'"

You may recall ... during the "Friends" reunion show earlier this year, Perry seemed to slur his words and seemed out of it.  Matthew said he had just had major dental surgery ... one of many surgeries that had some connection to his drug use.

The great news ... Matthew is in a good place now -- clean and sober, and his new book has a clear purpose ... to let people read about his journey and the tools he's found to keep his addiction in check.

'Pawn Stars' Rick, Chumlee Eye $1M Pokémon Card ... Raiders Star's Prized Possession

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"Pawn Stars" Rick Harrison and Chumlee have a chance to snap up a one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia ... courtesy of an NFL player holding on to a Pokémon card worth 6 figures!!!

Rick and Chum met up with Raiders' linebacker Blake Martinez Thursday night during a meet and greet at Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.

Blake brought his very rare card -- a Pokémon Illustrator -- and the guys got a close look. It is said to be one of the rarest cards in Pokémon history, as only 4 were ever made.

That makes it a bona fide commodity ... one experts believe could rake in more than $1 mil. There is one in better condition, which sold for $4 million!!!

As for how it got in Blake's hands -- the Pokémon fanatic's been collecting 'em all since he was 6 years old. This trophy card in particular he had FedExed from a guy in Japan.

While the linkup might seem unlikely to some, we're told the guys came together because Blake and Chum both trade cards on the same website.

Blake is selling the card through Goldin Auctions ... and it's already hit $360K.

If, unlike Rick, you wanna move on this gem, bidding closes at 7 PM PT.