Jimmy Kimmel has insisted there was no ill intent meant with the controversial bit he performed at the 2022 Emmy Awards.
Prior to presenting the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at the ceremony staged in Los Angeles earlier in the month, the talk show host was dragged across the floor by Will Arnett as part of a joke.
But when Jimmy remained onstage after Quinta Brunson won the writing prize for “Abbott Elementary,” which she created and also stars in, and stayed there during her speech, fans called out the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host online for being “disrespectful.”
Addressing the situation during an appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show,” Jimmy maintained that he had no idea that he would be in view of the TV cameras.
“How I visualized this happening is, (Will) 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,” he explained. “But the stage was very different. The stage was like a catwalk. So, I was kind of like, in the way. 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 (won).”
Despite this, Jimmy took accountability for the situation.
“It did take away – especially afterwards – because then she (Quinta) had to answer questions about (my prank) instead of just celebrating her Emmy,” the 54-year-old added.
The week after the Emmys, Jimmy issued a public apology to Quinta during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
She accepted his apology and insisted that the drama didn’t impact her night.
“Jimmy let me just say thank you. It’s very kind of you to say that. Honestly, I was in such a moment of having a good time. I won my first Emmy! I was up there like, you know, happy!” the 32-year-old exclaimed. “And I was wrapped up in the moment, just having a good time. I didn’t see any of that… honestly, I had a good night. It was a good night and a good time.”