SAG Awards Viewers are Calling Niecy Nash ‘Racist’ for Her Sterling K. Brown Comment

Oliva Munn and Niecy Nash presented the award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards.

And while the comedic duo got a few good laughs in, things took a turn once they were handed the envelope. Nash joked that if This is Us actor Sterling K. Brown one then she should read it, and that Munn should read it if any Asian nominees one.

The two also pointed out that Brown was the only person of color being nominated as the other four nominations were white males.

The joke did not go over well on Twitter.

“Umm should we thank [Niecy Nash] for highlighting the embarrassing lack of Asian Americans in Hollywood while also saying WTF that was a terrible thing to joke about?” Twitter user Jen Kim wrote. Others went so far as to call Nash racist.

Nash played the lead role in the 2017 TNT drama series Claws, and made an appearance on the TBS show Angie Tribeca as the character Pandora.

The duo were also called out for a racially charged moment during the SAG Awards nominations back in December when the ABC Comedy Black-ish was nominated.

“You coulda pointed to me. You coulda been like, ‘Black-ish.’” Nash said.

“Then that’s what all the press would be about — is that I pointed to you! If Fresh Off the Boat comes up, don’t point at me.”