Jimmy Kimmel is facing backlash from viewers for making a joke about Robert Downey Jr’s history with drug addiction during his opening monologue at the 96th Academy Awards.
Many deemed his jokes insensitive and criticized the Oscars host for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about addiction recovery.
In his opening monologue, Jimmy cracked a joke referencing the Iron Man star’s well-documented battle with substance abuse.
“This is the highest point of Robert Downey Jr’s long and illustrious career… well, one of the highest points,” Jimmy said.
His remark prompted Robert to tap on his nose while nervous laughs were heard from the audience.
Robert Downey Jr looked visibly uncomfortable with Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes about him
Emily Blunt reached out from behind Robert and rubbed his shoulders as the actor began to look uncomfortable.
“Was that too on the nose or a drug motion you made?” Jimmy said.
Starting to look visibly annoyed, Robert began motioning at Jimmy to move on with his monologue.
“Look at this guy. He’s so handsome, so talented, he’s won every award there is to win,” Jimmy said.
“Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket, or do you just have a very rectangular penis?” the Oscars host added.
The jab didn’t sit well with Robert, who looked irate by Jimmy’s words.
“What a story. Not even 20 years ago, things weren’t going that great for Robert. He played the villain in a movie where Tim Allen turns into a dog,” Jimmy continued before moving on with the rest of his monologue.
“He’s insulting and rude,” one person said about Jimmy Kimmel
People online were unimpressed by Jimmy’s joke about Robert’s addiction.
“He’s insulting and rude,” one wrote on Facebook, while another added, “Does Kimmel realize that making fun of a recovered addict could send some right back to their addiction. You should really be a better person, Jimmy.”
“Making fun of the drug issues of Robert Downey Jr. is actually pretty lame. I’m not surprised though, because Jimmy Kimmel has always sucked,” said one Twitter user.
One person said the exchange between Jimmy and Robert had the makings of another Will Smith-style slap at the Oscars.
“Robert Downey Jr if you want to Will Smith slap Jimmy Kimmel I don’t blame you,” one Twitter user wrote.
Jimmy Kimmel’s joke about Robert Downey Jr. sparked outrage online
Robert, who has been arrested in the past for a series of drug-related charges, has been open about his struggles with addiction over the years. The actor has also spoke about the influence his film-making father Robert Downey Sr. had on his relationship with drugs.
“It was just a wild era,” said Robert, talking about becoming addicted to drugs while making the 1987 film Less Than Zero.
“That whole world, it gets tied into creativity. We were all altering our consciousness with substances. I was just kinda playing a game of just wanting to self-soothe or just stay loaded rather than deal with the fact that things had gone off the tracks a little bit,” he shared in the Netflix documentary called Sr.
The actor’s father has also spoken publicly about being the first person in Robert’s life to offer him drugs at the age of 6.
“We were all sitting around, smoking grass and playing poker down in the old West Village loft, and Robert was staring at me kind of funny — Robert was always an observer of it all, even at a very young age. And I go, ‘You know, you ought to try a little of this instead of drinking.’ I passed him a joint,” the father was quoted telling Vanity Fair in 2000. “And suddenly I knew I had made a terrible, stupid mistake.”
Robert Downey Sr. said he will never forgive himself for giving the Iron Man star drugs when he was just a child.
“Giving a little kid a toke of grass just to be funny,” the late father continued. “The story keeps getting repeated. By now you’d think Robert was Jimmy Cliff’s dealer at age 8. I’ll never forgive myself, but Robert and I have dealt with it, and he’s said to me, ‘I’m not a victim, Dad. I don’t blame anybody.'”
Robert Downey Jr. won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘Oppenheimer’
When life gives you a second chance! ♥️
Robert Downey Jr has won his first ever #Oscar pic.twitter.com/aDjXGch6Oj
— Gaurav (@SRKgaurav1) March 11, 2024
The younger Robert is now being showered with praises from around the world for taking home a well-deserved Oscar statuette. He won Best Supporting Actor at Sunday’s award show for his iteration of the character Rear Adm. Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.
“I’d like to thank my terrible childhood” Robert said “and the academy — in that order.”
He also expressed his gratitude to his wife, Susan, as he gave his acceptance speech.
“You loved me back to life and that’s why I’m here,” he said.
The nominees and winners of some of the 96th Academy Awards categories:
Best Picture:
Winner: Oppenheimer
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Best Actress:
Winner: Emma Stone – Poor Things
Annette Bening – Nyad
Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Huller – Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Best Actor:
Winner: Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction
Best Supporting Actress:
Winner: Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
America Ferrera – Barbie
Jodie Foster – Nyad
Best Supporting Actor:
Winner: Robert Downey Jr – Oppenheimer
Sterling K Brown – American Fiction
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
Ryan Gosling – Barbie
Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things
Best Director:
Winner: Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan
Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet
Killers of the Flower Moon – Martin Scorsese
Poor Things – Yorgos Lanthimos
The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer
Best Original Song:
What Was I Made For? – Barbie (Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell)
The Fire Inside – Flamin’ Hot (Diane Warren)
I’m Just Ken – Barbie (Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt)
It Never Went Away – American Symphony (Jon Batiste, Dan Wilson)
Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People) – Killers of the Flower Moon (Scott George)
