Nikki Glaser shares why she won’t joke about Julia Roberts at the 2026 Golden Globes

Comedian Nikki Glaser has revealed she won’t be roasting Julia Roberts when she returns to host the 2026 Golden Globe Awards on January 11, saying audiences have made it clear that jokes about “America’s Sweetheart” don’t land well. “I’m trying out my monologue around L.A., at the clubs here, and just even any joke about Julia Roberts, they are not there for,” Glaser told Gayle King on CBS Mornings on January 6.

“You cannot make fun of America’s Sweetheart. So, whatever I end up saying about her, that is the most fine-tuned joke that I’ve worked on so hard, because it is very delicate.” The 41-year-old comedian added that early attempts were met with strong reactions from crowds. “They were booing, and I was like, ‘Is she here?’ It’s insane.”

Glaser, who rose to viral fame following her appearance on The Roast of Tom Brady in 2024, explained that her approach this year will be more restrained, particularly with major stars nominated. She said her jokes will be more “covert” because “huge A-listers” like Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Sean Penn are in the mix.


In November 2025, Glaser faced backlash after her Saturday Night Live monologue featured jokes about sex trafficking and pedophilia. The nearly nine-minute NBC skit drew widespread criticism online, with viewers calling it “tone-deaf” and “inappropriate,” particularly after she opened by jokingly referring to New York City as convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s “original island.”

Glaser made history last year as the first woman to host the Golden Globes solo and is set to return as host again this Sunday.