‘The Masked Singer’: Why Ken Jeong Stormed off Set

The Masked Singer panelist Ken Jeong reportedly felt “disrespected” after Rudy Giuliani was unmasked as the first celebrity contestant on Season 7 of the hit Fox show. Jeong and Robin Thicke both reportedly walked off the stage when former President Donald Trump’s attorney was revealed. However, a source told PEOPLE that Thicke only left the stage to “check on” Jeong, who was “super upset” by the decision to have Giuliani on the show.

“Ken was super upset and indeed stormed out,” the source told PEOPLE on Feb. 4. “Robin actually followed him because he and Ken are very close friends and he wanted to check on him. Robin didn’t storm out because of Giuliani.” Another source told the magazine that Jeong felt “disrespected” and was “livid” when Giuliani was unmasked. That’s why he walked off the set. “There’s no way he could hide his feelings,” the second insider said.

While Jeong has not publicly commented on the Giuliani reports, he has always made his political views known on social media. Jeong, who was a practicing doctor before finding success as a comedic actor, was also critical of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Giuliani has also been a public face for Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election based on false claims.

“Ken has been incredibly vocal about how the previous administration handled many things but especially COVID-19 and has found a lot of what they’ve said not only wrong but dangerous,” the insider told PEOPLE. “To get someone who helped to spread misinformation and call into question the accuracy of our election and democracy to appear on his show was going to set him off.”

Back on Feb. 2, sources told Deadline that Giuliani was unmasked as the first celebrity contestant when The Masked Singer Season 7 filming began. According to the site, Thicke and Jeong both left the stage, although they did return. The other panelists, Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger, reportedly “bantered” with Giuliani. Deadline did not report what costume Giuliani wore or what song he performed. Giuliani is also not the first controversial politician to appear on the show, as Sarah Palin participated in the third season.

The theme for Season 7 is “The Good, The Bad, and the Cuddly.” The premiere will air on Wednesday, March 9. Meanwhile, Jeong can be seen on Fox in I Can See Your Voice, which airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.