ESPYs Host Makes Black Women The Punchline (Literally) In Cringe Caitlin Clark Joke

Comedian Shane Gillis made an abominable joke at the 2025 ESPY Awards that people won’t soon forget.

On Wednesday, he kicked off hosting the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles by taking aim at Black women and WNBA star Caitlin Clark.

“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,” he told the audience, which awkwardly laughed and groaned in response.

Social media users on X quickly slammed the stand-up comic’s ill-conceived comments.

Gillis has garnered criticism for making offensive jokes in the past.

The actor was fired as a cast member from “Saturday Night Live” in 2019 for making racist remarks before he made his debut on the sketch comedy show.

Gillis was let go just days after it was announced that he would join the show after a clip of him using an anti-Asian slur on his podcast resurfaced on X.

Gillis apologized in a since-deleted X post, but claimed that being a comedian is a job that occasionally “requires risks.”

“I’m a comedian who pushes boundaries. I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, you’re going to find a lot of bad misses,” he said at the time, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “I’m happy to apologize to anyone who’s actually offended by anything I’ve said.”

Gillis added: “My intention is never to hurt anyone but I am trying to be the best comedian I can be and sometimes that requires risks.”

WNBA players of color have been vocal about being targeted by racism, hate speech, aggressive internet trolls and unfair standards. The WNBA issued a statement in 2020 condemning racism.

“The WNBA opposes racism in all its forms and will work to bring measurable and meaningful societal change,” the statement reads.

The league added, “As part of our commitment to make an impact, the WNBA will donate proceeds from the sale of its ‘Bigger than Ball’ women’s empowerment merchandise to groups working against racial inequities.”

Clark also called out the internet “trolls” who spew out racism and hate online.

“It’s definitely upsetting. Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism – hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, the WNBA,” Clark said in September 2023 during an interview following her team’s playoff exit.