Jimmy Kimmel was the life of the Oscars this year. With his monologue full of jibes at celebrities in the audience and otherwise, the irreverent host of the 2024 Oscars took a daring leap with a controversial joke about former President Donald Trump’s critique of his hosting skills.
Though the joke landed quite well and led to a wave of laughter among the audience, it did not seem to have bore well with Kimmel’s wife. Though the joke was an impromptu addition, Kimmel’s wife was quite unhappy with it.
Jimmy Kimmel Makes A Daring Joke Against Donald Trump At The Oscars
56-year-old TV show host Jimmy Kimmel revealed in an interview with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos that producers informed him of some extra time during the ceremony’s closing moments.
Someone then casually showed him a post on Truth Social in which Trump called Kimmel’s opening monologue “less than average” and labeled the show “boring“. Kimmel took no time to seize the opportunity.
In the interview, Kimmel said someone had tried to stop him from making the Trump joke at the time, but did not say who it was. He said he went on the stage, read the lengthy post, and concluded with a zinger: “I’m surprised you’re still [up] — isn’t it past your jail time?” The room erupted in laughter at the sharp jab.
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“I Didn’t Want It To End On A Sour Note”: Jimmy Kimmel’s Wife Explains Why She Thought The Joke Was A “Risk”
In an interview later with Variety, Jimmy Kimmel’s wife Molly McNearney — who also co-executive produced the awards telecast — admitted she tried to talk him out of the risky move.
“I will tell you, I’m really not proud of this, but I tried to talk Jimmy out of reading that,” she said. “I feel like my instincts are usually right, but I was totally off on that.”
McNearney explained that she had concerns about giving airtime to Trump when they did not have to and also saw the joke as a “risk”.
“I just wanted to make sure it ended well, and I didn’t want it to end on a sour note,” McNearney explained. But Kimmel had assured his wife that everything would be fine. “He had a glimmer in his eye, and he said, ‘I got this.’ He really did. This is where he shines,” she said.
Though the joke was a hit, the issue is settled in the Kimmel-McNearney household. “I will tell you, I’m never going to win an argument in my household again!” McNearney joked.
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