Golden Globes viewers were left stunned after host Nikki Glaser made a brutal joke about the Epstein files just minutes into the ceremony.
Tonight (11 January) saw the 2026 awards season kick off with the Golden Globes, with the stars of Hollywood's biggest films and TV series from the past year hoping to secure themselves an award at the glitzy Los Angeles event.
Hosting the event is actor and comedian Nikki Glaser – and it didn't take long for the 41-year-old to make a brutal dig at Jeffrey Epstein and the infamous documents surrounding his case.
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During the introduction to the show, Glaser poked fun at the fact that most of the long-awaited Epstein files had been heavily redacted, telling the crowd: "I cannot believe the amount of star power we have in this room tonight, it's insane. There are so many A-listers... and by 'A-listers,' I do mean people who are on a list that has been heavily redacted.
"And the Golden Globe for the best editing goes to the Justice Department."
Ooft.
It didn't take long for viewers to share their thoughts on Glaser's risky joke online, with one person writing: "This opening is actually good and funny. That A-list/Epstein jokes and CBS jokes were hilarious."
"A Jeffery [sic] Epstein joke 4 minutes into the," added a second, alongside a 'Not bad' gif.
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However, not everyone was impressed by the reference, with a third person writing: "Oh the Epstein Hollywood joke was not funny come on."
The disgraced financier and convicted sex offender wasn't the only topic which Glaser took aim at, as the comedian also joked about US outlet CBS News and, of course, a dig at Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriends.
Risque jokes aren't unheard of at the event, with former Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais suggesting that Epstein 'didn’t kill himself' during his stint at the awards show.
Most outrageous Golden Globes jokes ever
An awards show isn’t complete without a bit of drama and part of that comes from the jokes told by the hosts - here are some of the most controversial gags from the Golden Globes over the years…
Jeffrey Epstein ‘didn’t kill himself’
Ricky Gervais - who has hosted the Golden Globes five times - brutally told the star-studded audience in 2020: “You could binge-watch the entire first season of After Life instead of watching this show.
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“That’s a show about a man who wants to kill himself cause his wife dies of cancer and it’s still more fun than this.
“Spoiler alert, season two is on the way so, in the end, he obviously didn’t kill himself. Just like Jeffrey Epstein. Shut up. I know he’s your friend but I don’t care.”
James Cameron’s marriage
While hosting the 2013 ceremony, Amy Poehler took aim at the filmmaker’s marriage to his third wife, Kathryn Bigelow, who was nominated for Zero Dark Thirty.
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Referencing the movie’s controversial depiction of torture, Poehler said: “When it comes to torture, I trust the lady who spent three years married to James Cameron.”
Cameron recently addressed the ‘ignorant dig’ in an interview with The New York Times.
Judi Dench’s ‘m*nge’
Unsurprisingly, Gervais makes the list once again, this time with his quip about James Corden and Judi Dench for their roles in Cats.
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In 2020, he said: “The world got to see James Corden as a fat p*ssy. He was also in the movie Cats.
“No one saw that movie. And the reviews, shocking. I saw one that said, ‘This is the worst thing to happen to cats since dogs’.
“But Dame Judi Dench defended the film, saying it was the film she was born to play because she loves nothing better than plonking herself down on the carpet, lifting her leg and licking her own m*nge. [Coughs] Furball. She’s old-school.”
‘Diddy’s credit card’
2025 host Nikki Glaser made a controversial joke about disgraced music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, before he was sentenced to 50 months in prison on prostitution-related crimes.
While addressing Zendaya, Glaser said: “Challengers, girl? Oh my God! That movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card, I mean, seriously. I’m sorry, I’m upset too. The afterparty is not going to be as good this year, but we have to move on.
“I know a Stanley Tucci freak-off doesn’t have the same ring to it. No baby oil this year, just lots of olive oil.”
Barbenheimer bomb
During his 2024 opening monologue, comedian Jo Koy was accused of making a ‘sexist’ joke about one of the biggest films of the year.
“Oppenheimer is based on a 721-page Pulitzer Prize-winning book about the Manhattan Project, and Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies,” he said in a true tumbleweed moment.
Barbie director Greta Gerwig later reacted to the divisive remark, saying: “Well, he's not wrong.”
Leonardo DiCaprio’s love life
It’s only fitting to end the list with another outrageous jibe from Gervais.
While speaking about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’s famously long runtime, he poked fun at Leonardo DiCaprio’s reputation for dating younger women.
“Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere and by the end, his date was too old for him,” the comedian said in 2020 (he clearly took no prisoners that year), before adding: "Even Prince Andrew is like, ‘Come on Leo, mate. You’re nearly 50.'"
Topics: Golden Globes, Jeffrey Epstein, Celebrity
Brenna Cooper