Here are 10 jokes Nikki revealed that didn’t make it to her opening monologue:
Ben Affleck
“Here’s to Ben Affleck, I can’t wait to see which Jennifer you try to ruin next,” was a joke Nikki thought would have been “insane” had it made it to the monologue. It’s in reference to Ben’s dating and marriage history with Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Garner. While he’s now divorced with Lopez, rumours claim he might get back with ex-wife Garner.
Another Diddy joke
“This is the last time all of you will be in the same room together until the Diddy trial,” Nikki’s original gag stated, but she chose this Diddy joke instead: “Zendaya, you were incredible in Dune. Oh, my God, I woke up for all of your scenes. You were so good. And Challengers, girl? It was so good. I mean, that movie was more sexually charged than Diddy’s credit card.” Nikki argued, “That one you don’t want to do, because it’s like you’re accusing the people of that room of being involved in that, and they might turn on you.”
Adrien Brody and Baby Hitler
“Oh, look, it’s two-time Holocaust survivor, Adrien Brody,” Nikki said during her monologue, referring to the actor’s Oscar-winning turn in The Pianist (2002) and his recent, Golden Globe-winning role in last year’s The Brutalist. But she had a more elaborate joke initially: “If Adrien Brody could go back in time, he would thank baby Hitler for his career.” But she dropped it after her Gen-Z assistant didn’t get the context.
Nicole Kidman as The Wild Robot
Nikki was going to refer to Chris Sanders’ animated sci-fi adventure film The White Robot as “Nicole Kidman after two white wines.” But she didn’t go ahead with it because she feared the actor might have “made a face.”
Kate Winslet as cocaine
Nikki was also going to compare Kate Winslet to cocaine because ‘she’s white. She’s always with Leonard DiCaprio, and I can’t wait to find her at the after party tonight,’ referring to Kate’s association with her Titanic co-star.
Alec Baldwin and Rust tragedy
Days after Alec Baldwin’s Rust case was closed, Nikki didn’t want to “retraumatise” the actor with her “too mean” joke: “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.” Alec accidentally shot dead cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the sets of his Western, Rust.
Joker 2
“I saw Joker 2 and, you know, it reminded me of when the first Joker came out and I was in the theaters and I was afraid someone was going to shoot it up. And then during Joker 2, I was really hoping they would,” Nikki would have said in her monologue, in reference to the criticism directed towards Todd Phillips’ 2023 sequel to his 2019 blockbuster, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.
Only Murders in the Building
“I think it’s so cool that legends like Steve Martin, Martin Short, Meryl Streep, we’re still at it, putting up some of the best performances of their careers, and it’s so inspiring. And it just goes to show you, you are never too old to still need money,” Nikki would’ve said.
Queer x Wicked
“Daniel Craig is nominated for his performance in Queer, which is a movie and not just what my uncle Chuckie calls Wicked,” also didn’t make it to Nikki’s monologue.
Signature self-depracation
Nikki, also known for her self-depracating jabs, had initially chosen not to spare even herself from her roasting: “Amy Adams is nominated for her performance in Night Bitch, while I was totally snubbed for my performance in ‘Day Slut.’”
