Jimmy Kimmel opened up about his stunt during Quinta Brunson's speech at the Emmy's and talks about the infamous Oscar's slap at The Howard Stern Show, per Vanity Fair.
Howard Stern asked late-show host about his onstage presence during Quinta Brunson’s Emmys speech where he pretended to be unconscious at her feet as part of an ongoing skit. Kimmel predicated that he would lose the variety-talk-series category, so he pitched the idea of being dragged onstage by fellow presenter Will Arnett afterward. However, the host had miscalculated how the stage layout would play into his bit.
“How I visualised this happening is, he drags me out, we read the winner, and then I’m just basically just out of the shot, and it’s not really a factor. But the stage was very different. The stage was like a catwalk. So, I was kind of, like, in the way,” said Kimmel. “Some people read racial stuff into this, and everybody has their own perspective, but the fact of the matter is… this was a plan I had no matter who [would win].”
The talk show host also addressed the fact it may have taken away the attention from Brunson’s moment. “It did take away —especially afterward— because then she had to answer questions about [my prank] instead of just celebrating her Emmy,” he said. The pair made peace when Brunson appeared as a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
When asked how Kimmel would have handled another major award show moment, the slapgate involving Will Smith and Chris Rock, the talk show host elucidated, “I would’ve went right out onstage because somebody needed to go out there at that time. And I think that was one of the drawbacks of having three hosts [Regina Hall, Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes], it wasn’t clear who should go out there and go handle it.”
In 2017, Kimmel went out on-stage when Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty wrongly presented best picture to La La Land, instead of the true winner, Moonlight.
“I think I probably would have started talking to Will Smith, who was still sitting there. I think I would’ve been like, ‘What are you doing?’ That would’ve been my first step,” he said. As for Rock, Kimmel said he has spoken to him since the incident, but isn’t disclosing details. “I don’t want to share what he told me because I don’t think it’s my story to share,” he said, “but he was surprised by it.”