There was a whole lot of shifting of expensively clad celebrities in a whole lot of seats at Sunday’s Golden Globe awards as comedian Jim Gaffigan referenced the unfolding saga of court documents naming names of those linked to the late alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Hundreds of pages of documents are being released that were part of a since-settled lawsuit by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre against Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who has since been convicted of sex trafficking.
The documents name a wide variety of people who were mentioned in either depositions or other documents. Some are names long linked to Epstein, who was a convicted sex offender, such as Britain’s Prince Andrew and former President Bill Clinton.
Others, such as magician David Copperfield, are being publicly mentioned for the first time in connection with Epstein, who moved in the A-list circle of financiers and entertainment industry stars.
Actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Bruce Willis, actresses Cate Blanchett and Cameron Diaz and model Naomi Campbell have all been among the celebrities named in the documents published to date. All have denied involvement with Epstein, according to the U.K. Daily Mail.
Gaffigan was rolling along as he introduced the winner of the standup comedy TV category, when he said, “I can’t even believe I’m in the entertainment industry. I can’t. You know, it’s so unlikely.”
Jim Gaffigan dropping bombs at the Golden Globes:
“I can’t even believe I’m in the entertainment industry. It’s so unlikely. I’m from a small town in Indiana. I’m not a pedophile.” pic.twitter.com/MGEjf9J9aZ
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 8, 2024
“I’m from a small town in Indiana, I’m not a pedophile,” he said.
Did Gaffigan go far enough with his joke?
“I don’t know if that’s a new category here,” he added, according to the U.K. Mirror.
The New York Post’s Page Six noted that some in the crowd, like singer Taylor Swift, got a good laugh out of the comment, but that “others remained awkwardly silent.”
The comment drew quite a reaction on Twitter.
Comedians have a long history of calling out the BS in our society. Weapons of mass destruction, public health officials during COVID, and now finally the elite’s class involvement in humman trafficking.
Good on Jim Gaffigan for having the courage to speak truth to power. Will… pic.twitter.com/PpjTkYtQOC
— Dr. Jon Bezrouch (@JonBezrouch) January 8, 2024
Jokes are funniest when they contain a bit of Truth
— Fullthrottle50 (@RonaldHurd) January 9, 2024
It was painful….
For them!
Truth hurts— Just another number (@justAnumber1458) January 9, 2024
The morality, or lack of same, among Hollywood’s celebrities, was fodder for comedian Ricky Gervais at the 2020 Golden Globes, when he called the crowd “perverts,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Tonight isn’t just about the people in front of the camera. In this room are some of the most important TV and film executives in the world. People from every background. But they all have one thing in common: They’re all terrified of Ronan Farrow,” he said, referencing a reporter involved in breaking several of the MeToo sex abuse scandals.
“He’s coming for you, he’s coming for you,” Gervais said next.
