Comedian Jerrod Carmichael had many viewers laughing during the 2023 Golden Globes on Jan. 10 — especially when he took digs at Tom Cruise, Scientology, Will Smith and Kanye West. It was halfway through the three-hour telecast — after he took aim at the HFPA in his opening monologue — when he first took a shot at the Top Gun 2 actor’s decision in 2021 to return his three Golden Globe awards in protest of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
#GoldenGlobes host Jerrod Carmichael makes a dig at Scientology: "Backstage, I found these three Golden Globe awards that Tom Cruise returned…I think maybe we take these three things and exchange them for the safe return of Shelly Miscavige." https://t.co/m069JEKekW pic.twitter.com/fw25ng5nU2
— Variety (@Variety) January 11, 2023
“Hey, guys backstage I found these,” Jerrod said while holding three trophies in his hand on stage. “[It’s the] three Golden Globe awards that Tom Cruise returned. I’m just a host briefly, or whatever, but I have a pitch I think maybe we take these three things and exchange them for the safe return of Shelly Miscavige.”
Shelly Miscavige is the wife of Scientology leader David Miscavige, but Shelly has not been seen in public in many years. In fact, former Scientology member Leah Remini has often questioned Shelly’s whereabouts. And Tom is a member of the religion, so it was a clear dig at the actor and the religion he practices.
"I saw THE FABELMANS with Kanye and it actually changed everything for him," Carmichael says after mentioning Spielberg. At this point, you have to think that every time Jerrod calls out someone's name in the crowd they're halfway to bolting for the door. Love it. #GoldenGlobe
— Barry Hertz (@HertzBarry) January 11, 2023
Following Jerrod’s joke about Tom and Scientology, he took a dig at Kanye West while giving a shout out to director Steven Spielberg. While talking to Steven from up on stage, Jerrod said, “I saw [your movie] The Fabelmans with Kanye and it actually changed everything for him.” Steven loved the joke, put up prayer hands and laughed.
Then, Jerrod went in for a shot at Will Smith, saying that the actor was awarded with an honorary “Rock Hudson Award” for displaying masculinity on TV — a clear dig at his 2022 Oscars slap. Rock Hudson was a very handsome actor who represented the Hollywood ideal of American masculinity during the midcentury.