Amy Schumer says she got death threats over an Oscars joke
Chris Rock wasn't the only comedian to face some ugly blowback over an Oscars joke.
Amy Schumer revealed on The Howard Stern Show she received death threats over a joke she made while co-hosting this year's Academy Awards. The bit involved Schumer explaining to the audience what seat fillers are, jokingly pretending to think Kirsten Dunst was one and escorting her from her chair.
"They were like, 'Who do you think you are to disrespect Kirsten Dunst like that?'" Schumer said. "The Secret Service, the LAPD, [reached out] because [the death threats] were that serious and that many. They called me and they were like, 'Did you make fun of Kirsten Dunst at the Oscars?'"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
After the joke sparked backlash online, Schumer previously explained this was a scripted bit that Dunst was in on. In fact, Schumer told Howard Stern she reached out to people she joked about to get their approval first, including having Leonardo DiCaprio sign off on a joke about him dating younger women. She also said she told Will Smith she would be making a joke about his movie King Richard.
Smith would later infamously slap comedian Chris Rock at the show over a joke about his wife, and Schumer told Stern that when she was contacted about the death threats, her reaction was, "Oh, I think you have the wrong number, this is Amy, not Will [Smith] … Not that I want Will to get death threats, but the misogyny is unbelievable."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
The controversy over rewilding in the UK
The Explainer 'Irresponsible and illegal' release of four lynxes into Scottish Highlands 'entirely counterproductive' say conservationists
By The Week UK Published
-
How to decide on the right student loan repayment plan
The explainer President-elect Donald Trump seems unlikely to approve more student loan forgiveness, so you may want to consider other options
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: January 15, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Oscar predictions 2025: who will win?
In Depth From awards-circuit heavyweights to curve balls, these are the films and actors causing a stir
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Last updated
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box office
Speed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Movies to watch in October, from 'Joker: Folie à Deux' to 'Saturday Night'
The Week Recommends Joaquin Phoenix as Joker, a new Jason Reitman comedy and a buzzy Palme d'Or winner
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published