Rudy Giuliani was finally revealed on “The Masked Singer” this week and, as was first reported back in February, judge Ken Jeong did in fact walk off the stage. And now, seeing how things actually went down, viewers are praising the move.
The former New York City mayor-turned-Trump lawyer was unmasked as the Jack in the Box, and became the first contestant eliminated from Round 3 of the competition after a rendition of George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone.”
Jeong appeared absolutely stunned when Giuliani’s face was revealed, saying nothing. The judge remained stoic as host Nick Cannon completed his typical unmasking interview, asking Giuliani why he came on the show, considering the controversy surrounding him. When Giuliani officially began his swan song, doing a short reprise of “Bad to the Bone,” Jeong could be seen saying “I’m done,” and calmly walked off stage.
“Ken Jeong is America,” Rex Chapman tweeted simply.
Granted, there were some fans of Giuliani who criticized the move on social media, but many jumped in to defend Jeong immediately.
“Ken Jeong walking off wasnt a ‘crybaby move,’” one person wrote. “He’s a doctor, he’s Asian, he’s faced racism and harmful views pushed forward by the very guy who laughed and smiled with Jenny McCarthy (who was way too excited to see Giuliani).”
Others echoed similar sentiments, criticizing hosts Jenny McCarthy and Nicole Scherzinger for excitedly crowing over Giuliani’s reveal
“Thank you @kenjeong for staying true to yourself- especially as a doctor who watched millions die with the help of this enabler,” another wrote. “Seeing Jenny McCarthy and Nicole dancing and laughing was upsetting to say the least. The guy should be in jail, not a tv show.”
Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist, also thanked Jeong for the courage to walk away and refuse to participate.
You can check out more reactions to Jeong’s decision to walk out below.