Shane Gillis’s Espys Monologue Draws Mixed Reactions from Sports Legends

LOS ANGELES, California — Comedian Shane Gillis faced an uneasy reception during his opening monologue as host at the Espys on Wednesday night.

Gillis kicked off the night by addressing the crowd at the Dolby Theatre, making a poorly received joke about retired WNBA star Diana Taurasi, who won the Icon Award later that evening. He mistakenly called her ‘Deanna,’ prompting a visible shake of the head from Taurasi. After realizing his error, Gillis quickly apologized, saying, ‘My bad on that.’

The comedian then joked about fellow basketball star Caitlin Clark‘s future, saying, ‘When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she’s going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist fighting Black women.’ While the joke elicited some laughs, others in the audience appeared uncomfortable.

Over the next ten minutes, Gillis’s comedy drew a mix of laughter and boos, including jokes about Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. He remarked, ‘Donald Trump wants to stage… The last time he staged a fight in DC, Mike Pence almost died.’ He continued, referring to Epstein, ‘There was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but I guess it got deleted.’

His performance sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some defending the Trump criticism while others criticized the racially charged comment regarding Clark.

Gillis did find more favorable reactions with jokes aimed at NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who smiled during a quip about foul trouble, and former Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Gillis noted, ‘A bookie is what Bill Belichick reads to his girlfriend before bedtime.’ The audience seemed to appreciate the humor.

Gillis ended on a self-aware note, saying, ‘I see a lot of you don’t like me and that’s OK. That went about exactly how we all thought it was going to go.’

Eventually, awards were presented to Gilgeous-Alexander and Simone Biles for best male and female athletes, respectively. Gilgeous-Alexander thanked his family, stating, ‘It’s a dream come true and for dreams to come true it takes a village.’

Biles, after winning awards for her performance in the Paris Olympic Games, noted, ‘That was very unexpected, especially in a category of all men.’