14 DAY TRIAL // Comedian Jay Mohr really put his foot in his mouth when, at a December NASCAR event he was hosting, he ripped into actress Alyssa Milano, who was also in attendance but not present when he made the comments, calling her fat and accusing her of letting herself go after giving birth.
The other day, Alyssa found out about the nasty things he said about her in the media, and immediately went on Twitter to reprimand him for publicly fat-shaming her, which was an absolutely unnecessary and particularly nasty thing to do.
That, combined with the fact that the entire world turned on him when word of what he’d said got out, made Mohr realize that his “joke” was simply not funny. He’s apologizing for it on his blog.
“Comedians have a hole on their insides that can only be filled by generating constant content that is, many times, improvised in the moment. Unfortunately, in rare instances, it causes irreparable harm. I had thought (incorrectly) in an improvisational moment, that the incongruousness of my statements, when held up to the light of how beautiful Alyssa Milano is, would have been funny given that she is the size of a thimble. It wasn't funny,” he says.
“Knowing that Alyssa, as well as her family, friends, fans, and especially her husband, heard things that were hurtful from my mouth crushed me. She has always been one of the kindest, most caring and beautiful people this town has ever seen. I will not make excuses for what I said. Although I immediately removed that segment from my podcast, it still doesn’t change the results,” Mohr continues.
He regrets not thinking about what he was about to say before actually saying it, especially since he knows how much damage words can do, having witnessed their power when the tabloids went after his wife, constantly speculating on and accusing her of getting work done on her face.
“Alyssa is an extraordinarily beautiful person – both inside and out. Alyssa is a mother, a wife, an actress, and a class act that should always be celebrated. Sometimes comedians go too far. I went too far. I cannot change what I said, but I can assure you that my heart is broken that I hurt her. I am very sorry,” Mohr adds.
He tweeted a link to the apology to Alyssa, and she accepted it on the spot, with thanks and a joke that ended with “#PassTheCookie.” As they say, all’s well that ends well.