NEWSJames Corden Stuns Crowd as He Makes Cringey S-- Joke About Judi Dench, 90, at Gala
James Corden shocked guests at a gala after making a cringe-worthy joke about 90-year-old Dame Judi Dench.
James Corden had jaws dropping again — and not in a good way.
The Late Late Show host made a seriously cringey s-- joke involving Dame Judi Dench, 90, and Dr. Anthony Fauci while hosting the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony on April 5, 2025, at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.
James Corden shocked the crowd at a Hollywood gala.
“Tonight is the one night that Hollywood and science come together, other than, of course, that one magical evening where Dr. Fauci had a one-night stand with Dame Judi Dench,” Corden quipped, referring to the legendary British actress, who wasn’t even at the event.
Fauci is a physician-immunologist who has won a top international prize for his leadership in the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
The comedian joked about a 'one-night stand' between Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dame Judi Dench.
According to Daily Mail, the crowd — packed with celebs like Lizzo, Gwyneth Paltrow and Gal Gadot — weren’t exactly happy about the punch line.
Olivia Wilde, who was also in the audience, looked visibly stunned as well.
This isn’t Corden’s first time crossing the line on stage. Back in 2017, he caught heat for cracking a string of jokes about Harvey Weinstein while hosting the amfAR gala.
"It's been weird this week watching Harvey Weinstein in hot water. Ask any of the women who watched him take a bath, it's weird,” he said at the time, referencing the disgraced producer who was facing a wave of sexual misconduct allegations.
He suggested Weinstein had requested massages from “beautiful” people in L.A. — which clearly didn’t sit well with the crowd.
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"I don't know if that groan was because you liked that joke or don't like that joke,” he said. "If you don't like that joke, you should probably leave now."
He concluded, "Harvey Weinstein wanted to come tonight, although he'll settle for whatever potted plant is closest.”
Olivia Wilde and other stars didn’t find James Corden's joke funny, per eyewitnesses.
Weinstein has denied all sexual assault claims, maintaining all encounters were consensual.
After the backlash, Corden tweeted an apology, writing, “To be clear, sexual assault is no laughing matter. I was not trying to make light of Harvey’s inexcusable behavior, but to shame him, the abuser, not his victims. I am truly sorry for anyone offended, that was never my intention.”
Years later, Corden found himself back in headlines. In 2022, the comedian was banned from NYC hotspot Balthazar after allegedly being rude to the restaurant’s staff.
Owner Keith McNally put him on blast, calling him “the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago.”
James Corden has made edgy jokes before, including one about Harvey Weinstein.
Corden reportedly apologized, and McNally lifted the ban shortly after, saying “all was forgiven.”
He addressed the drama on his show, admitting, “The truth is I have made a rude, rude comment. And it was wrong. It was an unnecessary comment, it was ungracious to the server.”
