British comedian Ricky Gervais, who is well known for his iconic no-hold-barred, celebrity roasting monologue at the 2020 Golden Globes ceremony, won a coveted statuette Sunday night for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television for his Netflix special, “Morality.”
The 64-year-old Gervais was not in the audience to accept his award, but later posted about it on X, writing, “I f***ing won. Again.”
The moment of Gervais’ triumph was hijacked by Golden Globes presenter Wanda Sykes, who used Gervais’ absence to mock him.
“There’s some people pissed off that a queer black woman is up here doing the job of two mediocre white guys,” Sykes said while presenting the award, “But first I want to give them some love.”
She referenced one of the nominees, Bill Maher, by saying, “You give us so much. But I would love a little less. Just try less.” The camera panned to Maher, who appeared perplexed and was not smiling.
“Ricky Gervais, I love you for not being here,” she said while still listing nominees. “No, I love you. But if you win, I get to accept the award on your behalf, and you are going to thank God and the trans community. Oooh, Ricky!”
After Sykes announced Gervais, an atheist, had won the award, she followed through on her promise.
“He would like to thank God and the trans community,” the comedian said from the podium. “Ricky Gervais could not be here, so we’ll accept this on his behalf.”
Sykes was in a huff over jokes Gervais made in his 2022 Netflix stand-up special “SuperNature.” These included quips about “old-fashioned women… the ones with wombs.”
He also imagined a conversation with a woman who doesn’t want to share a bathroom with a “trans woman.”
“They are ladies, look at their pronouns. What about this person isn’t a lady?” Gervais said before providing the response, “Well, his penis.”
Gervais said during an interview with Variety in May that he “likes that people feel slightly uneasy” when he makes a joke. “I can justify anything. I’m never that brutal. It just seems like it.”
Sykes was one of several Golden Globes attendees wearing anti-ICE pins in protest of President Trump’s enforcement of immigration laws. The comedian appeared at the awards show wearing a “Be Good” pin following the shooting death of anti-ICE activist Renee Good during a confrontation with ICE agents.
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