James Corden made an uncomfortable joke about Dame Judi Dench that left attendees stunned at the Breakthrough Prize gala in Los Angeles on Saturday.
During the event, Corden, 46, said, “Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together, other than of course that one magical evening where Dr. [Anthony] Fauci had a one-night stand with Dame Judi Dench.” The comment was met with awkward silence from the audience, with the camera cutting to Olivia Wilde, who appeared visibly shocked, according to the Daily Mail.
Representatives for Corden and Dench, 90, have yet to respond to requests for comment.
The gala was attended by several high-profile figures, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Drew Barrymore, Lizzo, Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg. Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, also attended, as did Katy Perry and Gayle King, ahead of Blue Origin’s all-female space flight on April 14.
This is not the first time Corden has faced controversy for his comments. In 2017, while hosting the amfAR Gala in Los Angeles, he made jokes about Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault allegations. One of his remarks, “It’s a beautiful night here in LA. So beautiful, Harvey Weinstein has already asked tonight up to his hotel to give him a massage,” drew criticism, as did his other comments about Weinstein.
Actress Rose McGowan, who accused Weinstein of rape, strongly condemned Corden’s remarks at the time. Corden later apologized, tweeting, “Sexual assault is no laughing matter. I was not trying to make light of Harvey’s inexcusable behavior, but to shame him, the abuser, not the victims. I am truly sorry for anyone offended, that was never my intention.”
