Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris-supporting celebrities during her edgy monologue as she opened the 82nd annual awards show on Sunday.
Glaser called out Hollywood’s biggest stars during the event, criticizing their inability to sway voters in the 2024 election despite many openly supporting Harris.
“I am not here to roast you tonight,” she began, addressing the room of A-list stars while referencing her background in comedy roasts.
“I want you to know that. How could I really? You are all so famous. So talented… so powerful,” she teed up.
Say hello to your roast for the night—Oops, we mean HOST for the night… @NikkiGlaser! 🎙️ #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/MVa5FQ1NoS
— Golden Globes (@goldenglobes) January 6, 2025
“I mean, you could really do anything. I mean, except tell the country who to vote for. But it’s okay, you will get them next time. If there is one. I’m scared.”
She followed this up with a tongue-in-cheek moment aimed at actress Ariana Grande when she turned to her and asked, “Could you hold my finger?”
The quip referenced the online buzz surrounding awkward interactions between Grande and Cynthia Erivo during their “Wicked” press tour.
RFK Jr, in an attempt to get ahead of a forthcoming New Yorker story, says in a new video that he dumped a dead bear cub in Central Park and made it seem like a bicyclist did it.
The video is filmed with Roseanne Barr. pic.twitter.com/ajzbGzkuvg
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 4, 2024
She also took a jab at former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for admitting to dumping a dead bear cub in New York City’s Central Park during her set.
“‘The Bear,’ ‘The Penguin,’ ‘Baby Reindeer,’ these are not just things found in RFK’s freezer, these are TV shows nominated tonight,” the comedian joked.
Touching on trending topics, Glaser crowned the weight-loss drug “Ozempic” as the night’s big winner and threw in a biting jab about Hollywood’s scandals tied to the #MeToo movement.
She quipped, “I gotta say this feels like I finally made it. I’m in a room full of producers at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and this time all of my clothes are on. So, yeah, it was worth it.”
No topic seemed off-limits, including Sean “Diddy” Combs’ recent legal troubles, which Glaser managed to tie into the film “Challengers.”
“That movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card. I’m upset too. The after-party’s not going to be as good this year. But we have to move on! Stanley Tucci’s freak-off just doesn’t have the same ring to it.”
Days before the big event, Glaser hinted at the tone for her monologue. “I am doing what I was hired to do, which is, I got this because of the Tom Brady roast. That is not lost on me,” she said in reference to her previous high-profile gig.
She clearly set a boundary, saying, “…the tone will be different for this. I’m not gonna go so hard that anyone’s gonna be offended. I’ve made a point not to… this isn’t my last Golden Globes, this is my first one.”
“He [Ricky Gervais] really went hard on his last one. He was ready to burn some bridges [because] it didn’t matter anymore,” Glaser noted. “Celebrities shouldn’t be nervous because it’s a great opportunity for them to look cool.”
Repost if you wish @rickygervais was hosting again this Sunday. #GoldenGlobes
— The Ricky Gervais Clips (@gervaisclips) January 2, 2025
Meanwhile, Gervais, who famously stirred controversy as a previous Globes host, reflected on missed opportunities for shocking humor, posting mock setups on X.
“Sat in the bath wondering about what I would say if I were hosting The Golden Globes on Sunday. It’s been a pretty good year for material,” he wrote.
His potential zingers included lines like, “Hundreds of entertainers jumped at the chance to go to The Vatican to meet The Pope. Many from Hollywood. Obviously they weren’t content with only being part of the 2nd biggest pedo ring in the world…”
Kevin Hart said that being at one of Diddy’s parties was uncomfortable, as he wouldn’t leave him alone.
Eventually he had to shout “Imma Midget, not a child.” https://t.co/SwFijcB4EW— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) January 3, 2025
In another he took a shot at crooner Justin Timberlake, who got a DUI earlier this year, but was let off with a slap on the wrist.
“Justin Timberlake was convicted of Drunk Driving,” he joked. “If he’d have gone to jail he’d have heard the words ‘Sexy Back’ a lot more often.”
Touching on Diddy’s scandals, Gervais added, “Kevin Hart said that being at one of Diddy’s parties was uncomfortable, as he wouldn’t leave him alone. Eventually he had to shout ‘Imma Midget, not a child.’”
Meanwhile, controversy wasn’t relegated to humor alone. Conservative media personality Megyn Kelly took to X to vehemently critique the film Conclave, a mystery thriller featuring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci.
Kelly called the film both “disgusting” and “anti-Catholic,” outraged over its content and twist ending.
“Just made the huge mistake of watching the much-celebrated ‘Conclave’ & it is the most disgusting anti-Catholic film I have seen in a long time,” she vented.
Kelly didn’t hold back, slamming both its cast and director Edward Berger, and dropping plot spoilers about the “intersex pope” twist.
Just made the huge mistake of watching the much-celebrated “Conclave” & it is the most disgusting anti-Catholic film I have seen in a long time. Shame on Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci & John Lithgow for starring in it & shame on director Edward Berger (among others). “Spoiler:”…
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) January 5, 2025
“Shame on Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci & John Lithgow for starring in it & shame on director Edward Berger (among others)… Spoiler… ‘They make THE POPE INTERSEX!’” she wrote.
Adding to her post, she bashed the portrayal of other morally bankrupt characters in the film, claiming,
“Almost no redeeming characters in the movie—every cardinal is morally bankrupt/repulsive. The only exception, of course, is the intersex pope…”
She concluded, “They would never do this to Muslims, but Christians/Catholics are always fair game to mock… disgusting.”
“Conclave” was nominated for six categories and won the Golden Globe for best Screenplay of a Motion Picture on Sunday night.
Watch the “Conclave” trailer here: