Whiney Houston’s estate “disappointed” in Jerrod Carmichael’s Golden Globes joke

12 January, 2023

a black and white image of Whitney Houston performing live onstage

The estate of Whitney Houston has issued a response to Jerrod Carmichael’s controversial joke about the late singer at the Golden Globes.

Carmichael was on hosting duties at this year’s awards ceremony, which took place in Beverly Hills, California on Tuesday (January 10).

Throughout the evening, the comedian and actor took aim at various Hollywood icons and institutions including Tom Cruise and Will Smith.

As for what Carmichael said about Houston, he joked: “So, we are here, live, from the hotel that killed Whitney Houston, the Beverly Hilton.”

The singer was found unconscious in her suite at the Beverly Hilton on February 11, 2012, and was subsequently pronounced dead. She was 48 years old. Houston had been due to attend a pre-Grammys dinner at the Los Angeles hotel.

It was later confirmed that she had accidentally drowned in a bathtub. The LA County Coroner’s Office cited drowning and the “effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine us” as the cause of death.

In a statement issued to TMZ, the late icon’s estate said of Carmichael’s comment: “The Whitney Houston Estate is disappointed in the joke, and felt it was in poor taste.”

Jarrod Carmichael cracked a joke about Tom Cruise during the 2023 Golden Globes
Jarrod Carmichael cracked a joke about Tom Cruise while he hosted the 2023 Golden Globes. CREDIT: Getty

The outlet said that the message came from Pat Houston, Whitney’s longtime manager and sister-in-law.

Some viewers on Twitter also criticised Carmichael over the on-stage remark.

“Jerrod Carmichael is disgusting AF for making such a grotesque and vulgar ‘joke’ about Whitney Houston,” wrote one user. “It was so unnecessary. No one in the audience received it well. He was horrible all night.”

Another said: “Cannot put into words the disgust i feel from the Whitney Houston ‘joke’ Jerrod Carmichael just made, no words.”

A third person commented: “I really don’t think Jerrod Carmichael is gonna make many fans out here making jokes about Whitney Houston on this platform. There is nothing funny about it. Some things just aren’t meant to be made light of.”

You can see those tweets and more reactions below.

You can see the full list of winners from the Golden Globes 2023 here.

In other news, Naomi Ackie recently said she’s “potentially putting myself in the firing line” for taking on the role of Whitney Houston in the new biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

Directed by Kasi Lemmons, the film focuses more on the triumphant moments in Houston’s life, rather than her struggles with drug addiction and numerous scandals.

In a three-star review of the biopic, NME wrote: “Ackie’s performance as the late superstar is genuinely transformative. She doesn’t just nail Houston’s distinctive speaking voice and stage mannerisms – the lip quivers, the dramatic hand gestures – but also captures her plucky spirit.”

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