Michael Che under fire after sharing shocking joke about Simone Biles
Saturday Night Live star Michael Che has sparked significant online backlash after sharing an offensive joke about Simone Biles.
Che on Instagram wrote, "Man, I wanna make fun of Simone Biles," the gymnast who recently withdrew from competitions at the Olympics to focus on her mental health, per Page Six.
"I got like 3 mins of Simone Biles jokes in my head," he wrote.
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.
From there, Che posted a joke about Biles that was shared with him, which said that Larry Nassar "understands Simone Biles better than anyone" because "he too had to quit doing what he loved at the pinnacle of his career because of mounting pressure." Nassar is the former U.S women's national gymnastics team doctor and convicted sex offender who Biles has said sexually abused her. Che reacted to this joke by calling it "absolutely tasteless" but rating it a "9/10." He also shared another joke that said, "Who said black don't crack," which he also praised and rated an "8/10."
Che's Instagram posts quickly drew heavy criticism, with director Matthew A. Cherry blasting the comedian as "trash" and journalist Stephanie Guerilus writing, "Michael Che is disgusting. He's always punching down. Simone Biles has more than enough going on without her sexual assault being turned into a cheap punch line." Activist Farrah Khan also wrote, "Larry Nassar sexually assaulted over 300 gymnasts including Simone Biles. Jokes about this immense violence are never okay," while tagging HBO Max and NBC and questioning why the comedian is "still on your roster."
After Che jokingly claimed to have been "hacked," Newsweek notes his entire Instagram account is now empty. Based on his reaction, writer Delia Harrington tweeted the comedian perhaps "had no idea how beloved Simone Biles is, or just how messed up it is to share a Larry Nasser joke."
-
How the ‘British FBI’ will workThe Explainer New National Police Service to focus on fighting terrorism, fraud and organised crime, freeing up local forces to tackle everyday offences
-
The best family hotels in EuropeThe Week Recommends Top kid-friendly hotels with clubs, crèches and fun activities for children of all ages – and some downtime for the grown-ups
-
Moon dust has earthly elements thanks to a magnetic bridgeUnder the radar The substances could help supply a lunar base
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
