Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser has lifted the curtain on the most controversial jokes that never made it to air during Sunday’s star-studded ceremony, revealing a sharp and unapologetic brand of humour that was ultimately deemed too risky for live television.
The 41-year-old comedian returned as Golden Globes host for the second consecutive year and made headlines for her fearless monologue, which took aim at Hollywood’s biggest controversies — from Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged client list to CBS News’ much-discussed “anti-woke” shift and Leonardo DiCaprio’s reputation for dating women under 25. However, according to Glaser, the jokes viewers heard were only the tip of the iceberg.
Appearing on The Howard Stern Show on Tuesday, Glaser shared that she keeps a running list of uncensored material on her phone, jokingly titled “The Stern File.” Howard Stern explained that the Notes app contained “all the jokes she wanted to say”, but couldn’t.
One of the most cutting punchlines targeted Sydney Sweeney and her boxing biopic Christy, which reportedly earned just $1.3 million upon its theatrical release in November, ranking among the weakest box office openings in recent years. In the film, Sweeney portrays real-life boxing champion Christy Martin, undergoing intense physical training and gaining more than 30 pounds of muscle for the role.
Glaser’s scrapped joke referenced declining cinema attendance, quipping that Sweeney starred in “a movie where she played a lesbian who just bounced around in tiny shorts for two hours and it made $14.” The comedian ultimately abandoned the joke after learning that Sweeney would not be present at the ceremony.
Another cut joke addressed Particle6’s AI-generated actress Tilly Norwood, whose 2025 debut sparked backlash over fears that artificial intelligence could replace human performers. Glaser’s dark humor suggested that, despite being computer-generated, the character had “still been sexually assaulted by three different studio execs.”
Glaser also revealed multiple unused jabs aimed at Sean Penn, including calling him “the defiant last tree standing in a rainforest” and joking that he, Benicio del Toro and Leonardo DiCaprio should have been nominated for “Least Eyes” due to their frequent onscreen squinting.
DiCaprio remained a favourite target, with Glaser admitting she had another age-gap joke prepared about the actor allegedly squinting to read his girlfriend’s ID — just to confirm the birth year “starts with a 2.”