The outrage from Shane Gillis’ ESPYs speech shows little sign of slowing with radio host Dan Le Batard suggesting one of his jokes was offensive to gay people.
Gillis made gags about Jeffrey Epstein, Caitlin Clark and Megan Rapinoe during his speech at the glitzy event in Los Angeles earlier this week, but it was a joke about New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns that irked Le Batard the most.
Towns has often been mocked on social media for what some people claim is a feminine-sounding voice.
After referencing the Knicks’ run in the NBA playoffs, Gillis said: ‘Karl Anthony Towns is here.’ He then flamboyantly shouted: ‘Hey girl’.
Le Batard shot Gillis down in response to the joke, saying on his show: ‘The point is just to stand on the edge. Be provocative just to provoke.
‘Karl-Anthony Towns, “hey girl”. What’s clever about that? How does that make gay people feel? How does that make Karl-Anthony Towns feel?’
Shane Gillis caused controversy with his speech at the ESPYs in Los Angeles this week
Karl-Anthony Towns was targeted by comedian Gillis over the sound of his voice
Le Batard’s comments echo those made by Sarah Spain, another ex-ESPN reporter. She appeared to more incensed at the jokes Gillis made about Rapinoe and Clark.
‘Megan Rapinoe could not make it tonight… nice,’ Gillis said about the former USWNT soccer captain before adding . ‘No? We’re gonna pretend she’s a good time? Alright.’
The actor and comic also mocked 4ft 8in Olympic gymnast Biles over her height and the WNBA over its lesser-known players while saying about Clark: ‘When Caitlin Clark retires from the WNBA, she’s going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most: fist fighting Black women.’
She wrote on X: ‘In a year of crazy growth for women’s sports choosing an ESPYs host who doesn’t even try to make clever jokes about women athletes (he at least *attempted* for the men) he goes with hacky “no one knows the WNBA” bits, “Pinoe is a bad time” & repeatedly insults Black women. COOL.’
Gillis had mixed success with his jokes on the night after some drew huge laughter from the crowd and others failed to land.
