Jo Koy's Perspective on His Affirming Golden Globes Joke on Taylor Swift
Jo Koy, host of the 2024 Golden Globes, addresses the backlash surrounding his viral joke about Taylor Swift and the NFL He clarifies his intentions, discusses whether it was a form of flattery, and shares his perspective on the situation
During the 2024 Golden Globes, Jo Koy caused a stir by joking about Taylor Swift's ties to the NFL, but he claims he didn't mean any harm. "The main difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? At the Golden Globes, we see fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift. I promise," Koy, 52, quipped during the January 7 broadcast. He was referring to the constant TV coverage of Swift, 34, at her boyfriend Travis Kelce's football games. "Sorry about that," he interjected after the audience fell silent.
The first-time host of the Golden Globes struggled to land jokes during his opening monologue, but it was his reference to Swift that really made waves. When the camera cut to the musician, she seemed unimpressed, taking a sip of her champagne with a straight face.
In the past, Swift has expressed frustration with the NFL airing her reactions at Kansas City Chiefs games, telling TIME in December 2023, "There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you don’t know where it is, and you have no idea when the camera is putting you in the broadcast, so I don’t know if I’m being shown 17 times or once."
Check out what Koy has to say about the recent viral mistake:
Jo Koy Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
He Was Just Being ‘Cute’
Koy stated in an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Sunday that the remark was meant as a joke. "Aww, man, it was cute. I was just saying it was cute," he emphasized when informed of Swift's response. "I was just saying it's less cutaways, that's all."
Taylor Swift Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Was It a Form of Flattery?
“It was a compliment,” Koy told Extra after the awards show, explaining that he meant Swift “could be more intimate tonight, that’s all.”
Deal of the Day
Here’s How to Get Firmer, Tighter Skin in 15 Days — And Save 50%
View Deal
Does He Feel Bad About It?
During his guest appearance on the January 8 episode of GMA3: What You Need to Know, Koy mentioned that his Swift joke at the Globes was the moment he regretted. "I think it was when the Taylor one was just a little flat," he remembered. "It was a weird joke, I guess."
Koy explained, "I was actually taking a dig at the NFL, using cutaways to mock them, and pointing out that the Golden Globes didn't need to do that. It was meant to be a jab at the NFL, but it just didn't come across that way."
