Josh Groban, John Mellencamp, Tracy Morgan and the ever-present Jon Stewart will stand up at this year’s Stand Up for Heroes fundraiser.

Is comedy dead? We have to be modulated and Im a little worried about it, a little alarmed about things I cannot say. Dave Chappelle's most recent comedy special also came under fire for his controversial jokes. Comedian Shane Gillis was fired from SNL before he even started after his bigoted remarks from a podcast went public. How Jim Gaffigan and Wife Jeannie Found Comfort in Comedy After Her Tumor DiagnosisComedy Icon Carol Burnett Marks 50th Anniversary of Hit Show

(CNN) - Presidential candidate Andrew Yang still believes comedian Shane Gillis should not have lost his job on "Saturday Night Live," telling CNN's Van Jones, "We're all human, and we can forgive." But Yang, who's Taiwanese-American, has consistently said he did not believe Gillis should lose the gig. In an episode of CNN's The Van Jones Show, slated to air at 7 p.m. Yang told Jones that his first reaction to the news about Gillis was "hostility, confusion, anger." ..."If anyone should be offended, it's me," Yang told Jones.

NEW YORK - While some comedians are defending Shane Gillis after his firing from "Saturday Night Live" this week, others are supporting NBC's decision. "After talking with Shane Gillis, we have decided that he will not be joining 'SNL'," a spokesperson for the show said in a statement Monday on behalf of producer Lorne Michaels. "I don't know him, never heard of him," but "NBC of course bailed on him," Stern said. Two requested their names not be used in this story, citing "SNL's" influence in the comedy community and fear of professional retribution from comedy club bookers for defended Gillis. Another comic, who is based in Los Angeles and makes regular television appearances, said that while he doesn't know Gillis personally, he thinks industry executives are sometimes too quick to fire someone.

@2018 Jeff Kravitz/filmmagic.com via CNN(CNN) - "Saturday Night Live" has fired one of its most recent hires, Shane Gillis, just days after videos of comedian making bigoted comments came to light. "After talking with Shane Gillis, we have decided that he will not be joining 'SNL,'" an 'SNL' spokesperson on behalf of Lorne Michaels said in a statement to CNN. Following news of his ouster, Gillis wrote on Twitter, "I'm a comedian who was funny enough to get 'SNL.' Gillis responded to the backlash Thursday night, posting on Twitter that "I'm a comedian who pushes boundaries. Yang, who is Taiwanese-American, added in a second tweet that he didn't think Gillis should lose his just-announced job.

Yang, who is Taiwanese-American, told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" Sunday that racial epithets hurt and should be taken seriously, but also softened his criticism, saying Gillis' comments "should be taken differently" because he is a comedian. "And I do think Anti-Asian racial epithets are not taken as seriously as slurs against other groups. Yang's own jokesYang himself is a complicated figure to highlight the racist comments. The joke was criticized by some on social media and Asian American commentators accused Yang of leaning on the "model minority" Asian stereotype. When asked Sunday about the candidate's own jokes referencing Asian stereotypes, Yang characterized his comments as merely "poking fun" at such stereotypes to urge Americans to reflect on them.

The tweet prompted a response from Sen. Elizabeth Warren's campaign manager, Roger Lau, the first Asian American in the role for a major presidential candidate. The SNL controversy started just hours after NBC announced Thursday the hiring of Gillis as one of three new cast members. One of those three new members was Bowen Yang, the first full-time cast member of East Asian descent. About an hour after offering to meet with Gillis, Yang followed up with a second tweet saying he didn't think Gillis should lose his just-announced job. The joke landed like a thud with some on social media, with Asian American commentators accusing Yang of leaning on the "model minority" Asian stereotype.

Bowen Yang as Kim Jong Un for a March 30 episode of "Saturday Night Live." Yang, a writer on "SNL," is joining the cast as a series regular. NEW YORK (CNN) - NBC's "Saturday Night Live" has added comedians Chloe Fineman, Shane Gillis and Bowen Yang as featured players for the upcoming 45th season. The NYU graduate's casting is also noteworthy as he's the only Asian American series regular in this cast. The 45th season of "SNL" premieres September 28 with host Woody Harrelson and musical guest Billie Eilish.