‘The Masked Singer’ Fans up in Arms After Show’s Controversial Casting

The Masked Singer fans are up in arms after the FOX series reportedly unmasked former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani during last week’s taping of the Season 7 premiere. Following the reveal, judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke both walked off stage in protest, both Deadline and TMZ reported, while Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger remained on stage to briefly talk with Donald Trump’s former attorney.

Both Jeong and Thicke later did return to the stage, Deadline continued, although it’s unclear how long they stayed off-stage. After reports first surfaced about the scuffle on set, The Masked Singer fans were quick to weigh in on social media about what had gone down. Keep scrolling to see their reactions.

Controversies

Giuliani has had quite a controversial career, especially in recent years while serving as the personal attorney for former President Trump. Just last year, Giuliani’s home and officer were raided by federal agents as they investigated his work in Ukraine. “Mr. Giuliani respects the law, and he can demonstrate that his conduct as a lawyer and a citizen was absolutely legal and ethical,” his attorney said in a statement after the raid, as per the Associated Press.

Scandal

Giuliani also was the subject of a controversial scene in the 2020 movie Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, in which he appeared to put his hand down the front of his pants while on a bed near actress Maria Bakalova, who was playing Borat’s teenage daughter, unbeknownst to Giuliani. Following the movie’s release, Giuliani denied any inappropriate behavior, calling the clip a “complete fabrication.”

Suspension

Then, in June 2021, Giuliani was suspended from practicing law in the state of New York after an appellate court ruled he made “demonstrably false and misleading statements” about Trump’s 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. Giuliani isn’t the first controversial politician to be tapped for The Masked Singer – former Alaska governor and former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was unmasked in Season 3 as Bear. But neither choice made viewers very happy.

Twitter Reacts

Needless to say, people on Twitter were not happy with The Masked Singer for bringing Giuliani onto the light-hearted singing show.

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‘Just Lost Me’

Many swore that they would boycott watching the show altogether if Giuliani was, in fact, cast. 

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‘Really?’

Others wondered why in the world The Masked Singer would even attempt to bring on the politician after all the scandals and controversies he’s courted.

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‘Massive Insult’

Another Twitter user thought it was a “massive insult” to the celebrities who have appeared on The Masked Singer before to imply Giuliani was in their ranks. Previous winners on the FOX show include Jewel, LeAnn Rimes, Nick Lachey, Wayne Brady and Kandi Burruss. 

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‘On Both Sides’

One Twitter user pointed out that regardless of people’s political opinion, this move from The Masked Singer appears to have angered just about everyone from one angle or another.

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The Masked Singer is set to return for its seventh season on FOX on March 9.