Jo Koy’s mom defends son amid Golden Globes criticism
By Ryan General
January 17, 2024
Jo Koy’s mother has spoken up against the wave of criticism her son has faced for his hosting at the 81st Golden Globes on Jan. 7.
What went wrong: Koy, 52, who accepted the gig just a couple of weeks before the event, received disapproval for some of the jokes he delivered, particularly those referencing Taylor Swift and the film “Barbie.” Despite the criticism, some supporters defended the Filipino American comic, pointing out the difficulty of hosting such a large event and the lack of preparation time afforded to him. Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin, Howard Stern and Kevin Hart were among those who came to his defense.
Jo Koy’s mom reacts: Josie Harrison, Koy’s 75-year-old mother, conveyed her unwavering support for the comedian during an interview with ABS-CBN News.
“If you love somebody and you know they’re hurt it hurts me [too],” she was quoted saying. “I know that Joseph tried his best during that night. So, I am with my son no matter what.”
On Filipino critics: Harrison emphasized that her son’s job on the Golden Globes stage that night was to make people smile and laugh. She expressed disappointment that a significant portion of the criticism aimed at Jo Koy came from fellow Filipinos. She urged the Filipino community to take pride in Koy’s representation of Asians and Filipinos on the global stage.
“I feel sad especially when I see that the source of naysayers are Filipinos,” she said. “I told him (Koy), don’t be so concerned about the naysayers. You cannot please everybody, not even in normal life.”
Koy’s response: Koy earlier responded to the criticism by owning up to his work and expressing pride for taking on such a challenging task.
“It was a long journey, and the opportunity came,” he told “Good Morning America.” “No one knew where the Golden Globes was gonna be, and then at the last second, CBS picked up the show and everyone was kinda turning down the offer because of the time, and I jumped on it.”
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