It’s been almost 24 hours since the 80th Annual Golden Globe Awards took place on Jan. 10, and people are still talking about host Jerrod Carmichael‘s joke regarding the death of singer Whitney Houston. In addition to the internet reacting to the joke, Whitney’s official estate released a statement in response, via TMZ. The late hitmaker’s manager and sister-in-law, Pat Houston, shared via a rep that the estate felt the joke was “poor taste” and was not pleased. “The Whitney Houston Estate is disappointed in the joke, and felt it was in poor taste,” the Jan. 11 statement read.
Unacceptable!! #GoldenGlobes poor taste of comedy maaan! #jerrodcarmichael #WhitneyHouston pic.twitter.com/zL95j5NlzT
— Amo (@amojmcd) January 11, 2023
Along with many other jokes that evening, The Carmichael Show alum noted that the show wanted him to “shout out” the location the ceremony was taking place, and he highlighted that is where Whitney died. “They wanted me to shout out the venue what we’re in so… we are here live from the hotel that killed Whitney Houston, The Beverly Hilton,” Jerrod began. “So that’s very exciting.” Right after he made the joke, the 35-year-old quickly introduced the next presenter, Cole Hauser along with another castmate from Yellowstone.
Soon after the joke was made viewers flocked to social media to react to Jerrod’s remark and many people were not pleased. “Unacceptable!! #GoldenGlobes poor taste of comedy maaan [sic]! #jerrodcarmichael #WhitneyHouston,” one Twitter user wrote, while another chimed in, “cannot put into words the disgust i feel from the whitney houston ‘joke’ jerrod carmichael just made, no words.”
Jerrod did, however, have some supporters who cut him a bit of slack. “Jerrod Carmichael, the host of last night’s Golden Globes, was pretty funny but maybe too hip for the crowd,” one viewer noted. “I did think however, his joke about Whitney Houston dying in the same hotel that the the Globes were being held in, was really out of line and taking it a bit too far.” A second online viewer noted that Jerrod’s remark might not have been a joke at all. “y’all are dragging jerrod carmichael but i don’t think the whitney houston line was a ‘joke.’ i think he was actually calling out the GG & HFPA for not only celebrating & hosting the ceremony at the BHH but requesting that he actually name drop the hotel during his monologue,” they penned.
Whitney Houston was a beloved singer known for her hit songs “I Will Always Love You”, “I Have Nothing”, and more. She was born on Aug. 9, 1963, in New Jersey and died on February 11, 2012, at the age of 48. The brunette beauty sadly died by “accidental drowning” in a bathtub at the famous Beverly Hills hotel. Most recently, Whitney was remembered in the biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody starring newcomer Naomi Ackie.