Nikki Glaser reveals the brutal Ben Affleck divorce joke that got cut from her Golden Globes monologue
Nikki Glaser made history as the first solo female host of the Golden Globes in 2025, bringing her sharp wit and fearless humor to Hollywood’s most glimmering night. But while her monologue received widespread praise, some of her edgiest material didn’t make it to air, including a scorching joke about Ben Affleck and his divorces from Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Garner. During her appearance on 'The Howard Stern Show' the day after the event, Glaser shared behind-the-scenes details about her monologue, particularly about the jokes that were cut for being too risqué. One of the most controversial? A zinger aimed right at Affleck.
As per Unilad, she revealed, "Am I gonna roast or am I not gonna roast? You know what? I'm not roasting. I'm gonna toast. And I just did all these toasts that were roasts. Like, 'Here's to Ben Affleck, I can't wait to see which Jennifer you try to ruin next.' I argued like, 'Oh, I didn't say ruin them. I said he tried to ruin them so it's not against them.' But I was like, 'That would have been insane.'" Affleck has been at the center of tabloid headlines for decades, including his high-profile relationships with Lopez and Garner. His rekindled romance with Lopez, which led to their 2022 wedding, ended in divorce in 2024, sparking public fascination with his roller-coaster love life.
Nikki Glaser crushed Golden Globe roast:
— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) January 6, 2025
- “Ozempic’s biggest night!”
- “You’re all so famous and powerful. You can do anything, except tell the country who to vote for.”
- “The Bear. The Penguin. Baby Reindeer, these aren’t just things in RFK’s freezer.” pic.twitter.com/DKVPgEPhhH
Even though the Affleck joke was cut, Glaser still managed to include a playful nod to his reputation during her monologue. She managed to slip in a sly nod to his reputation, quipping, "Tonight, we celebrate the best of film and hold space for television. Yes, 'Wicked', 'Queer', 'Nightbitch', these are not just words Ben Affleck yells after he orgasms. These are some of the incredible movies nominated tonight." Affleck wasn’t the only celebrity in Glaser’s crosshairs. She also faced backlash for a joke about Diddy, referencing allegations surrounding Diddy in a quip directed at Zendaya.
As per The Independent, she quipped, “Zendaya, you were incredible in Dune. Oh my God, I woke up for all of your scenes. You were so good... and Challengers, girl? Oh my God! That movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card. I mean, seriously.” The audience groaned, and social media quickly labeled the joke “gross” and “disrespectful.” Glaser shared a list of cut jokes that targeted everyone from Alec Baldwin and the Rust shooting tragedy to Nicolas Cage and Timothée Chalamet. One particularly controversial joke she chose to omit involved Baldwin. She shared, “Michael Keaton was so great in Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, and Alec Baldwin, sadly, did not come back to play a ghost because he was too busy making them.”
She shared that hosting the Golden Globes was an ultimate dream job for her. She shared, “Some of my favorite jokes of all time have come from past Golden Globes opening monologues when Tina [Fey], Amy [Poehler], or Ricky [Gervais] have said exactly what we all didn’t know we desperately needed to hear. I just hope to continue in that time-honored tradition (that might also get me canceled).”
