HFPA President Reportedly ‘Shocked’, ‘Upset’ by Jerrod Carmichael’s Jokes at 2023 Golden Globes

The 2023 Golden Globes may be over, but it’s not stopping folks from reflecting on the highs and arguable lows of the ceremony—namely how host Jerrod Carmichael’s dry jokes landed amongst audiences and more specifically, the president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. I’ll explain.

You see, according to The Hollywood Reporter, a handful of “sources” have reportedly shared that the organization’s president, Helen Hoehne, was left “shocked” and “upset” by Carmichael’s opening monologue—so much so that she had to be “consoled” in the bar area. However, another person with close ties to the HFPA says folks who were sitting at the table with Hoehne during the night’s festivities say that that wasn’t the case at all.

“It’s disappointing and perplexing that people would take this approach to try to hurt Helen,” a source said. “It doesn’t accurately reflect the resilient, positive and effective leader that she is.”

As previously reported by The Root, Carmichael’s jokes were met with mixed reviews that night with some saying his jokes went too far (looking at you Whitney Houston joke), while others thought he did a great job at taking the organization to task by not shying away from the lack of diversity scandal that essentially blackballed them over the past year.

I’m not too sure why people would push the narrative that the HFPA president would be upset, especially consider how she nor the organization have officially putting out a statement saying so. Were Carmichael’s jokes cringey most of the night? Hell yes. But did they (the HFPA) know what they were getting when they booked him and were vehemently trying to meet with him after he said yes to the gig? More than likely, otherwise they would’ve gone with a “safer” option.