Jimmy Kimmel told the Huffington Post to “f**k off” after the site criticized the talk-show host for jokingly telling Megan Fox on Tuesday’s show that he felt “lied to” because the actress hadn’t revealed she was pregnant during a previous appearance. While clearly a humorous exchange, HuffPo chastised the late-night comic in a piece titled “Dear Jimmy Kimmel, Megan Fox’s Pregnancy Is None Of Your Business.”
The article notes Fox was on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to promote her new filmTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, but then sanctimoniously writes that her interview with Kimmel “spoke volumes about the way Hollywood treats female bodies.” After stating that Fox was previously on the program in February, but wasn’t talking about her pregnancy then, HuffPo reprints the exchange the actress had with Kimmel this week to absurdly lash out at the talk-show host.
When Kimmel explains that he was under the impression Fox was “not pregnant at all” during her last appearance, the actress admits, “I was definitely pregnant. I was already in my second trimester. I just had on, like, three pairs of Spanx and we were really harnessing that in.” Kimmel then cracks, “Do you feel, in a way, like you lied to me by coming out here pregnant and not indicating it in any way?” to which Fox lightheartedly replies, “Do you feel like I owe you that sort of intimate information?” “Yes, I do,” answers Kimmel, prompting an appropriate amount of laughter from the audience. You can see the interview in the video below.
But it wasn’t funny at all to the Huffington Post, which blasted Kimmel for “his invasive questioning.” “Whether you’re a famous actress or not, the world acts like your pregnancy is their business,” adds the wrongly offended outlet. The site ends it diatribe by writing, “Last time we checked, broadcasting your personal life was not part of the ‘actress’ job description.
While the Huffington Post has a point that “famous women are not obligated to announce they’re pregnant,” Fox was not ambushed nor made to feel uncomfortable during the taping. Astoundingly, the site, which covers entertainment shows, somehow or another didn’t realize that celebrities routinely do pre-interviews before their appearances precisely so both parties are on the same page and there are no curveballs.
And that’s exactly what happened with Fox, who never expressed legitimate outrage. After HuffPo published its screed, Kimmel tweeted, “Dear @HuffingtonPost – Megan agreed to discuss this before the show, so f**k off.”
But it’s not just Kimmel (or Extreme Entertainment) who finds HuffPo’s indignation ridiculous. The site’s own commenters blasted the article and its author. One commenter wrote, “He made a joke…why is there a news article about this?,” while another reader expressed, “This is a really stupid thing to get mad about. Those interviews have pre-planned questions and she was promoting a movie.” Similarly, a third commenter expressed, “Shame on you for making this interview a vehicle for discussing what could be a real issue worth discussing… Jimmy Kimmel is not being serious in his insistence that she should [have] told him about the pregnancy and that she is a liar.”
How “Hollywood treats female bodies” is a serious issue. “Invasive questioning” is a serious issue. A rehearsed interview and joke on a late-night comedy show is not a serious issue. Kimmel telling the Huffington Post to “f**k off” was seriously the right response.
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