Whitney Houston’s estate responds to ‘distasteful’ Golden Globes joke

Earlier this week the 80th Golden Globes took place in The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, USA. The eye-popping event saw some incredible artists being honoured with awards, such as Austin Butler for his Elvis Presley impersonation, and Ke Huy Quan for his Everything Everywhere All at Once performance. But the host of the show, Jerrod Carmichael, has been criticised for one joke about Whitney Houston.

Carmichael took aim at a number of major stars across Hollywood throughout the night, including the likes of Tom Cruise. However, it was a jibe about Houston which sent viewers into turmoil.

Houston died aged 48 in 2012 after accidentally drowning in a hotel room bathtub. It was later confirmed the I Will Always Love You singer suffered the “effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use”.

With this in mind, Carmichael quipped during the ceremony: “So, we are here, live, from the hotel that killed Whitney Houston, the Beverly Hilton.”

Now, Houston’s estate has responded to his joke, branding it as being delivered in “poor taste”.

They said in a statement: “The Whitney Houston Estate is disappointed in the joke, and felt it was in poor taste.”

TMZ noted that the estate’s message came from Pat Houston, Houston’s longtime manager and sister-in-law.

The singer’s estate was joined in their disappointment by a number of fans who sounded off on Twitter during and after the Golden Globes ceremony.

One wrote: “I’m typically a fan of Jerrod Carmichael’s comedy. But I just cannot understand why he’d think a joke about Whitney Houston’s death would be funny. It wasn’t clever or even relevant.”

Another fan wrote: “GET HIM. Jerrod Carmichael is disgusting AF for making such a grotesque and vulgar “joke” about Whitney Houston. It was so unnecessary. No one in the audience received it well. He was horrible all night.”

Houston’s death in 2012 left a profound mark on the music industry. Many tributes poured in from professionals, including the legendary Tony Bennett.

He lamented the loss of another music icon, saying: “First, it was Michael Jackson, then Amy Winehouse, now, the magnificent Whitney Houston.”

He added: “When I first heard her, I called Clive Davis and said, ‘You finally found the greatest singer I’ve ever heard in my life.'”

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