Ken Jeong walks out while mumbling under his breath that he was “done” after Jack in the Box masked singer was revealed. The incident definitely spoke volumes, especially since Jeong had been a judge on the show from the start and had always been known for his hilarious reactions.
Of course, he wasn’t the only one unamused with the person behind it. “Blurred Lines” singer Robin Thicke was also nowhere to be seen after the unmasking.
“I’m Done”
On the episode of The Masked Singer aired last April 20, 2022, former New York City mayor and former lawyer to ex-President Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani was revealed to be one of the masked singers. Giuliani was eliminated after his performance of George Thorogood and the Destroyers’ “Bad to the Bone.”
The show is part of the Masked Singer franchise, which has popularly started in South Korea, wherein celebrities wear full costumes, including face masks, to conceal their identities. The panelists are then given clues throughout the season to guess the person behind the mask.
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In every episode, the judges, along with the audience, vote for their least favorite singer, who will then be unmasked. It premiered on Fox in 2019.
Host Nick Cannon and the panel of judges were visibly shocked by the reveal. Multiple incorrect guesses, such as Rover Duvall, Joe Pesci, Al Roker, and even Elon Musk, were made.
McCarthy-Wahlberg exclaimed that she had no idea it would be him, while Thicke commented that it was something he would never have guessed. On the other hand, Scherzinger asked Jeong if it was Robert Duvall, to which the comedian disappointedly replied that it was not.
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According to Giuliani, he participated in the show for his granddaughter. He wanted to teach her to try everything, even the things that seemed to be completely unlike her as a person.
Giuliani says he couldn’t think of anything more unlikely than the show. He has also been a big fan for years, so he thought it would be a fun experience to try.
Cannon proceeded to do the post-reveal banter, to which Jeong could be seen crossing his arm. When the customary final performance started, he was seen saying to someone off-camera (presumed to be Thicke), “I’m done,” before leaving the stage.
According to reports, Thicke followed him out, which was why only Scherzinger and McCarthy-Wahlberg were the only ones present in the final scene.
Who is Rudy Giuliani?
To those who didn’t get why Jeong walked out, here’s why:
Giuliani has a controversial image. He worked for former President Donald Trump, who was also notoriously controversial, as part of his personal legal team in April 2018.
During his time, he had multiple allegations involving corruption and profiteering. He also engaged in conspiracy theories, spouting false statements about the 2018 and 2020 elections. Giuliani was ultimately banned from practicing law in New York after his statements regarding Trump’s 2020 loss to now-President Joe Biden.
So that’s why his participation in the show was met with backlash. As Entertainment Weekly said, there are implications in “having controversial contestants on family-friendly reality shows that often offer an image rehab of sorts.”
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That being said, Giuliani wasn’t the first controversial Republican to appear on the show. In season 3, former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin rapped while dressed as Bear.
Ken Jeong’s headlining reaction broke out before the episode aired, and fans hoped that Fox would cut the episode or, at the very least, swap the Jack in the Box masked singer out. You can watch The Masked Singer on Fox every Wednesday at 8/7c.
Watch the clip below to witness the grand unveiling of the Jack in the Box Singer.
