Jay Pharoah | Entertainment News, Photos, and Videos

Gigi Hadid‘s 2016 American Music Awards co-host Jay Pharoah is coming to her defense over her controversial Melania Trump impression during the show’s opening this past weekend.

VIDEO: Watch Gigi Hadid’s Melania Trump impression

“Everybody pump the brakes one damn minute! Over the last 8 years the beautiful Michelle Obama has been the victim of excessive slurring! The Beautiful Flotus has been called Ape, Gorilla, Monkey, Manish, Ugly, Disgusting, ‘Not fit to be in the whitehouse,’ always physically attacked by the general populous, nobody really snaps about it! Flotus has always been on point with the wordplay in her speeches. At the AMA’S we exaggerated a SPEECH THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED, where Melania CLEARLY PLAGIARIZED(cause that was the joke) didn’t call her ugly, manish, or anything, and everybody LOSES IT?! Really? GTFOH,” Jay wrote on his Facebook.

If you missed it, Gigi also responded to the backlash in a handwritten note on her social media.

Gigi Hadid is hosting the 2016 American Music Awards tonight (November 20) and she debuted her impression of our future First Lady Melania Trump during the opening monologue!

The 21-year-old model was joined on stage by co-host Jay Pharoah, who did a bunch of impressions, so Gigi prepared one of her own.

“I love my husband, President Barack Obama and our children, Sasha and Malia,” she jokingly said while impersonating Melania.

“I got through it!” Gigi said while shaking off some nerves after doing the impression. Watch the full opening monologue in the video below!

FYI: Gigi is wearing an Atelier Versace dress.

Jay Pharoah is promising a really great show ahead of the 2016 American Music Awards!

The 29-year-old former SNL star will be co-hosting the show with Gigi Hadid, which will be held at the Microsoft Theater on Sunday (November 20) in Los Angeles.

“The comedy ground is a fertile ground right now because there are so many things happening and we ain’t holdin’ back, so buckle up and get ready!,” he told E! News. “Tune in baby because it’s going to be lit. Lit like a biatch.”

Make sure to tune in for the American Music Awards, hosted by Gigi and Jay, tonight at 8/7c on ABC!

FYI: Jay is wearing a John Varvatos tuxedo.
More Here! »

Jay Pharoah is very much aware that Gigi Hadid is taken by Zayn Malik, but he’s open to meeting her friends!

The Saturday Night Live alum, who is hosting the 2016 American Music Awards alongside Gigi, says he already got “friend-zoned.”

“I can’t wait to meet her friends. I know she got friends,” Jay told Billboard. “She taken, she with Zayn, I can’t mess with her, but I can talk to her friends. We’ve already established I’m already in the friendzone, so it’s cool for me.”

He added, “I know where I stand, it’s all good, I’m just like, ‘Hey, can you introduce me to the fellow Taylor Swift gang?’ That’s what I want: The squad. I want to see the squad.”

Jay and Gigi are hosting the 2016 AMAs TONIGHT, November 20 @ 8PM on ABC.

In case you missed it, check out the full list of nominees, as well as the performers and presenters!

It was just announced that Gigi Hadid will host the 2016 American Music Awards alongside former Saturday Night Live star Jay Pharoah.

This isn’t the first time for the 21-year-old model to host an awards show. She previously hosted the MuchMusic Video Awards in Canada earlier this year!

“I’m so excited to host the 2016 AMAs with Jay Pharoah,” Gigi said in a statement. “Jay is known for his spot-on impressions so I can’t wait to take the stage with him to show my goofy side and celebrate this year’s nominees!”

“Can’t wait to host the AMAs with the beautiful Gigi Hadid (so much innocence in her eyes) and being in the building with some of my industry friends, who I’ve probably impersonated at some point I’m sure,” Jay added. “It’s gonna be a fun night!”

The 2016 American Music Awards will air on Sunday, November 20!

Heidi Klum is joined by an army of clones while attending her 17th Annual Halloween Party on Monday night (October 31) in New York City.

The 43-year-old model and television personality was joined at the event by Danielle Brooks, Gabrielle Union, Ice-T, Coco, Jay Pharoah, Lewis Hamilton, Chanel Iman, Cynthia Erivo and Jasmine Sanders.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Heidi Klum

Heidi took to her Instagram to document the entire process of her costume coming together!

“Are you seeing double, triple, quadruple, quintuple, sextuple?! #Ready #HeidiHalloween courtesy of @bookingcom,” Heidi wrote. Heidi used Booking.com to help her get ready for her party in a very cool $16 million penthouse!

15+ pictures inside from Heidi Klum‘s Halloween party…
More Here! »

Saturday Night Live‘s head honcho Lorne Michaels has given an interview about the sudden departures of Taran Killam and Jay Pharoah, two fan favorites.

“I think they were great, and they did wonderful work when they were with us,” Lorne told USA Today. “They served the show well, and are two people I really care about. [But] change is the lifeblood of the show; it always has been. And you have to keep bringing new people in. Hopefully it’s for the best. I’m not worried about either of them going on to success.”

Saturday Night Live will debut this Saturday.