Who is Wanda Sykes? Actress protests against ICE at the Golden Globes Awards over Renee Good’s killing

The protests against the killing of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Jonathan Ross, on Wednesday morning (January 7, 2026), have reached the stage of the Golden Globe Awards. Celebrities, including actress and stand-up comedian Wanda Sykes, have come out in support of Good, who had only recently moved to Minneapolis with her wife and 6-year-old son.

Sykes, 61, arrived at the 83rd annual awards ceremony on Sunday, January 11, 2026, wearing a white pin with black lettering that read, "BE GOOD," as reported by PEOPLE. Expressing her support for Good, Sykes confirmed to Variety that the lettering was for the 37-year-old woman and also emphasized the need to “shut this rogue government down.”

"Of course this is for the mother who was murdered by an ICE agent, and it's really sad. I know people are out marching and all today, and we need to speak up," Sykes told Variety on the red carpet ahead of the awards show. "We need to be out there and shut this rogue government down, because it's just awful what they're doing to people," she added.





Good was shot in Minneapolis as ICE launched large-scale raids in Minneapolis, following intensified rhetoric from President Donald Trump and his administration regarding Somali immigrants, according to reports. Protests against ICE took place in cities and towns across the country.

Who is Renee Good?

Wanda Sykes (birth name Wanda Yvette Sykes) is a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. Born on March 7, 1964, in Portsmouth, Virginia, Sykes has been referred to as one of the funniest stand-up comics by her peers. She ranks among Entertainment Weekly's 25 Funniest People in America, according to IMDb.

Sykes was born to Harry Ellsworth Sykes (father) and mother Marion Louise (Peoples). According to IMDb, her father was a US Army colonel, and her mother was a banker. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University.

She has married twice. Her first marriage with David Hall lasted around seven years (1991-1998). Later she got married in 2008 to Alex Niedbalski. She shares two children with him.


ALSO READ: Stellan Skarsgård skips thank-yous after winning Best Supporting Actor at Golden Globes 2026, says ‘cinema should be seen in cinemas’


The actress has appeared in Comedy Central's Wanda Does It (2004). Her first book, "Yeah, I Said It," published by Simon and Schuster, hit bookstores in September 2004. In 2003, she starred in Fox's Wanda at Large (2003). As a part of the series, she also wrote and produced. She also has a one-hour Comedy Central special called Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied (2003).

She can also be seen on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000) or heard on Comedy Central's Crank Yankers (2002) as the voice of Gladys Murphy. Besides TV shows, she has also appeared in feature films, including Pootie Tang (2001), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Down to Earth (2001), and Monster-in-Law (2005).