Comedian Jessie Woo is facing a lot of backlash following her appearance on Wild ‘N Out this week, where she made a pretty tasteless joke about Whitney Houston. The Haitian-American singer participated in the Outgoing Message portion of the show, where she was tasked with impersonating Whitney Houston.
“You have reached my line but unfortunately I do not have the time,” sang Jessie Woo, mimicking the legendary Whitney Houston’s vocal runs. “And I… I’m dead,” she said before walking off the stage. The audience was stunned, and barely anybody was laughing at the joke.
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This game has been a part of Wild ‘N Out for a while, with comedians imagining what celebrities’ voicemail messages would sound like. Jessie Woo seemingly thought it would be funny to crack a joke about Whitney not coming to the phone because she’s passed away, but many are finding the segment tasteless.
Jessie Woo responded to the backlash, saying, “Male Comedians and folks on twitter make jokes about Whitney’s battle with drugs still till this day… but me impersonating her during a voicemail game by singing her song & saying ‘I’m dead’ (a great excuse why she cannot come to the phone)… but I went too far? The show is called ‘WILD N OUT’ for a reason… and still I was able to say some wild shit without picking low hanging fruit like her history with drugs… unlike the many comedians who have for decades. I pushed the envelope and I am proud of me.”
Watch the video below and let us know what you think. Did she go too far?