Nikki Glaser, the celebrated comedian and host of the 2025 Golden Globes, recently opened up about the jokes she didn’t use during her monologue at Sunday night’s ceremony. During an interview with Howard Stern on his SiriusXM show, Glaser, 40, revealed two particularly edgy quips that didn’t make it to the final script, including a jab at Ben Affleck and a reference to United Healthcare CEO-turned-accused murderer Luigi Mangione.
Glaser admitted she was tempted to roast Affleck’s marital history with two famous Jennifers: Garner and Lopez. The line in question? “Here’s to Ben Affleck, I can’t wait to see which Jennifer you try to ruin next.” While Glaser thought the joke was clever, she ultimately decided it was too harsh for the night’s celebratory tone.
I argued like, ‘Oh, I didn’t say ruin them. I said he tried to ruin them,’ so it’s not against them,” Glaser explained to Stern. “But I was like, ‘That would have been insane.’
Affleck, who recently finalized his second divorce from Jennifer Lopez after a two-year marriage, has a well-documented relationship history that began with Lopez in 2002. The couple ended their first engagement in 2004. He later married Jennifer Garner in 2005, separated in 2015, and finalized their divorce in 2017.
Luigi Mangione and Glen Powell jokes that didn’t land
Another scrapped joke involved a playful comparison between Glen Powell, nominated for Hit Man, and Mangione, whose shocking case dominated headlines earlier in the year. However, test audiences didn’t respond well to the quip. “Luigi was a big deal for a while, and then it kind of faded,” Glaser said.
Instead, Glaser delivered a different joke about Powell during the ceremony. “Glen Powell, what a year you’ve had. Oh, my God, Glen, you were in everything: ‘Twisters,’ ‘Hit Man,’ my head when I’m having sex with my boyfriend,” she quipped.
Despite cutting some bold material, Glaser received widespread praise for her monologue, which included witty takes on Timothée Chalamet, Wicked, and Joker 2. Fans and critics alike applauded her sharp humor and confident performance, proving she doesn’t need to go for the jugular to make an impact.