Marcello Hernández, the host of Wednesday night’s ESPY Awards, jumped right into the deep end in his opening monologue with a not-so-subtle jab at last year’s host.
“I also want to shout out last year’s host, Shane Gillis. He is watching from home like a true American,” said Hernández. “On his couch, drinking a beer while a Hispanic guy does his job.”
Gillis received backlash last year after making a distasteful joke about WNBA star Caitlin Clark.
“When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she’s going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist-fighting Black women,” Gillis said at the time.
Aside from the Gillis joke, Hernández didn’t shy away from highlighting his heritage in his opening monologue, noting that he’s the first Hispanic to host the ESPYs in 25 years. The “SNL” cast member also took the opportunity, amid increased hostility toward immigrants in the U.S., to thank his mother, who immigrated from Cuba.
“I personally think it’s crazy that I get to host the ESPYs,” Hernández said. “This is an American dream, for a child of immigrants to host the biggest show in sports.”
“My mom came to this country by herself at 20 years old; she worked as a nanny, she lived in an efficiency, which is a room attached to a house,” he continued. “She paid her way through college by working during the day and going to school at night. And at her graduation, she was pregnant with me. And I just figured that if I had to hear it every day, you all could hear it once.”
Hernández then implored Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry to give his mother, who was seated right behind him, a hug. Curry, without hesitation, obliged Hernández’s request.
Click here to watch Hernández’s full opening monologue from Wednesday night’s show.
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