Ricky Gervais is hitting back at claims Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Apolecia is a “disability” following the controversial Oscars joke that shook Hollywood last weekend.
The Office funnyman has defended Chris Rock’s Oscars joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head, calling the comedian’s GI Jane quip “tame”.
Many have slammed comedian Rock for the gag, but former awards show host Ricky has jumped to his defence branding it the “tamest joke I would’ve ever told.”
Speaking to his followers on Instagram Live, the 60-year-old said: “You don’t hit someone over a joke, however bad it is – and it wasn’t bad. That was like the tamest joke I would’ve ever told.”
(Image: 2020 NBCUniversal Media, LLC via Getty Images)
“I’m going a bit thin – I’m disabled,” he added, pointing at his head. That means I can park right up next to Tescos now.”
He added: “And I’m fat. That’s a disease, isn’t it?”
Gervais then joked about how he should be able to apply for benefits due to his “disability”.
“I’m fat and balding. I should get f***ing benefits,” he fumed.
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Ricky is known for burning celebrities as a frequent host of the Golden Globes, though he has never hosted the Oscars.
His jokes about Hollywood stars are famously close to the bone. His awards show repertoire has included gags about Jeffrey Epstein’s “suicide” and the age of Leonardo DiCaprio’s date.
The latest comments follow a former comment the comedian made on stage while performing in London last week: “I’ll get it out of the way. I have not got any Will Smith material.
(Image: Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
“I trended when that happened and I was not even there. ‘What would have happened if Ricky Gervais had been doing it [hosting the Oscars]?’”
“Well, nothing, as I would not have made a joke about his wife’s hair. I would have made a joke about her boyfriend.”
Gervais also joked that he might change his tour name from Armageddon to Alopecia, the Mirror reported.
After the Oscars incident, the comedian also shared a cringe-worthy tweet of his character from The Office making fun of people with alopecia.
Gervais recently hosts of ABC’s The View that he would host the Academy Awards for free — but only if organizers would agree to let him say whatever he wanted.
Appearance on Today with Hoda and Jenna, the star that he’d likely be cancelled halfway through if the Academy hired him for the event.
“They’d never let me do what I wanted. That’s why the Globes got me,” he explained.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
