Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is receiving criticism for his actions during an acceptance speech at the 74th Emmy Awards.
During the event on Monday night, “Abbott Elementary” creator and writer Quinta Brunson was presented with the award for Best Writing in a Comedy Series.
Before actor Will Arnett announced the winner, he dragged Kimmel on stage.
As Brunson took the stage, she looked down at Kimmel, saying, “Jimmy, wake up. I won. Jimmy?”
He proceeded to stay there on the ground next to the mic for the entire duration of Brunson’s acceptance speech.
In case you missed it:
Flames. Flames! Flaaaames…on the side of my face, breathing, breathless, heaving breaths. #Emmys #QuintaBrunson #JimmyKimmel pic.twitter.com/3OVLezT75c
— Ernie Bustamante (@votebustamante) September 13, 2022
Los Angeles Times reporter Ashley Lee later asked Brunson about the moment.
“It didn’t bother me that much. I consider him one of the comedy godfathers. I don’t know — tomorrow, maybe I’ll be mad at him. I’m gonna be on his show on Wed, I might punch him in the face. We’ll see,” Brunson said.
i asked Quinta Brunson about Jimmy Kimmel’s #Emmys bit: “It didn’t bother me that much. I consider him one of the comedy godfathers. I don’t know — tmrw, maybe I’ll be mad at him. I’m gonna be on his show on Wed, I might punch him in the face. We’ll see.” https://t.co/cQhv35yMOy
— Ashley Lee (@cashleelee) September 13, 2022
However, critics on Twitter were not too happy with Kimmel.
One user said Kimmel “should’ve made a public apology by now.”
He should’ve made a public apology by now https://t.co/TG3pFeEps2
— Alexis Johnson (@alexisjreports) September 13, 2022
Another called Kimmel an “unfunny and a bad person.”
Yes, Jimmy Kimmel is unfunny and a bad person. Welcome. https://t.co/DmYNPyDB92
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) September 13, 2022
Read more reactions below:
I honestly didn’t pay attention to him because I was so focused on her.
— alex. (@Alex_Washington) September 13, 2022
But seeing it frozen in time, Jimmy Kimmel owes Quinta a very public apology. Especially now that I know he did this after he lost.
It’s giving sore loser.
It’s not a moment she can get back. https://t.co/omSyrxqPXE
this just made me mad https://t.co/Ky41feGRih
— lizzy (@luvvlizzyyy) September 13, 2022
This was Quinta Brunson's moment and it has to be sullied by Jimmy Kimmel over a joke that was nowhere near funny. Shame on any and everyone in the production booth that signed off on this BS. https://t.co/0liRnuTRuO
— DreHausen (@_wealth_warrior) September 13, 2022
He’s even laying on her damn dress. This is beyond rude. https://t.co/KtCMFg984p
— Ishena (@ishenarobinson) September 13, 2022
Do you see it yet? The privilege, do you see it? https://t.co/SBvZfKXSNs
— Branwen Bingle (@BranwenBingle) September 13, 2022
This wasn’t funny and Kimmel was an ass https://t.co/ryJb0sDarN
— Lorenzo Cortes (@Hoyatexas) September 13, 2022
Later in the evening, Kimmel praised Brunson.
“She is so unbelievably talented and I saw her pilot before it came out on ABC and I wrote to her. I was like, ‘I don’t know how we got this but congratulations. You made a pilot that any network would be ecstatic to get,'” Kimmel said.
Jimmy Kimmel praises Quinta Brunson for #AbbottElementary after laying on stage during her #Emmys speech. pic.twitter.com/Z9Lkdcg9Ft
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) September 13, 2022
In his review of the show, The New York Times’ Mike Hale wrote that the Emmys “did a better job of getting past Covid-19 than they did of losing the big streaming-video chip on their shoulder.”
He added, “For one more year, we got the weird spectacle of broadcast TV nervously proclaiming its relevance as if it wouldn’t have the chance to do so much longer.”
