Nikki Glaser Requested Benny Blanco, Selena Gomez About Golden Globes Joke

Regardless of her success at celeb roasts and comedy specials, comic Nikki Glaser revealed on the TIME100 Summit on Wednesday (April 23) that there was one joke she instructed in the course of the 2025 Golden Globes on Jan. 5 that she frightened went too far.

“I didn’t say something that was like, calling anybody ugly or fats,” she instructed TIME deputy editor Kelly Conniff in New York Metropolis. “I feel I get a fame of being imply due to the roasts. I’m employed to be imply for these. [At] the Golden Globes, it’s not my job to damage their night time.”

Nonetheless, she conceded she was initially involved sufficient a few quip aimed toward Selena Gomez’s fiancé, producer Benny Blanco, that she ended up texting Blanco to get his permission to go forward with the road.

“I mentioned that ‘Selena Gomez is right here due to Emilia Pérez and Benny Blanco is right here due to the genie who granted him that want.’ And looking out again, I’m like, that would [seem] imply, as a result of everybody’s like, ‘He’s not engaging sufficient for her,’” she mentioned. “For me, I’ve by no means checked out them and really thought that. I really feel like she received too. I feel he’s actually cool. So, as a result of that joke didn’t truly come from a imply place, I felt prefer it was OK for me to say.”

Nonetheless, she was involved sufficient about it that she texted him. “I bought his quantity. I mentioned ‘You don’t know me, however I’m internet hosting this factor, and I hear you’re going to be there. Can I say that you simply’re there as a result of a genie granted you a want?’ He was like, ‘That’s hilarious; let me run it by Selena.’ We had been all simply ready within the writers’ room. He mentioned ‘Selena thinks it’s nice.’ So that they gave me permission. It was truly Jimmy Kimmel who instructed me should you’re frightened a few joke and the way it’s going to go over, simply ask them.”

The truth that Glaser reached out to Blanco to get his permission to inform a borderline-mean joke exhibits her character. And the truth that Blanco gave her the go-ahead to inform a joke at his expense exhibits his.

Gomez was nominated for 3 awards at this 12 months’s Golden Globes: greatest supporting actress, movement image for Emilia Pérez in addition to two awards (performing and government producing) for Solely Murders within the Constructing. She didn’t go dwelling with a Globe, however she went dwelling with one thing higher – a accomplice who’s safe in himself and has a superb humorousness.

Glaser was the primary lady to host the Globes solo and has already been employed to steer the awards present once more in 2026.

On the TIME occasion, she mentioned that she sensed that the viewers this 12 months was not sure of how exhausting she was going to go in her humor. “Once I first walked out, I knew the vitality was like ‘We don’t know what she’s going to do. We’ve seen her do the Tom Brady roast most not too long ago’ – that’s type of the place I popped for most individuals. On reflection, I appeared again at how terrified all of them appeared as a result of they had been like, ‘She’s going to roast us! She’s going to be simply as imply as she was to Tom Brady.’ So, I heard from a whole lot of them that they had been actually, actually scared. I want I’d have recognized that. I’d have finished one thing to defuse that slightly bit.

“Subsequent time goes to be much more enjoyable as a result of I feel they know the tone that I’ve now. I’m going [for jokes], however I’m not going to embarrass you. And should you snicker, I’m solely going to make you look good since you’re going to look so relatable laughing. It’s among the best methods for an untouchable type of celeb on a pedestal to look regular.”

Right here’s a hyperlink to Glaser’s 17-minute dialog on the TIME100 Summit.