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Who does not love Tina Fey? From her iconic stint on “Saturday Night time Stay” and razor-sharp writing on “Imply Ladies” to her a number of Golden Globe internet hosting stints with Amy Poehler and her best-selling memoir “Bossypants,” to not point out a string of sitcoms (“30 Rock,” “Nice Information,” “Girls5Eva”) packed so densely with jokes they require a number of rewatches, the College of Virginia graduate has firmly established herself as one of many funniest names in Hollywood. After all, as with most nice comedians, there additionally lies a darker underbelly.

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Certainly, Fey has by no means been afraid to inform it like it’s, whether or not that is to her fellow celebrities at glitzy awards ceremonies or most people in crowded eating places. Over time, the a number of Emmy Award winner has additionally been accused of double-crossing fellow writers, trivializing critical political points, and mocking the Vietnamese. This is a take a look at 14 occasions the comedy legend obtained tremendous shady.

Tina Fey might need a reported web value a lot greater than it’s possible you’ll suppose. However whereas guesting on longtime pal Amy Poehler’s “Good Grasp” podcast in 2025, the funnywoman claimed she struggles to get enthusiastic about cash. In reality, she judges anybody in the same monetary place who tries to spice up their fortunes outdoors their predominant line of labor.

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Fey volunteered this info after Poehler jokingly suggested her to launch her personal hair care and glasses traces. “I’ve an issue with wealthy folks having a facet hustle.” the previous stated in response. “If you have already got like $200 million, and you are like …” she added, earlier than saying that is now merely the best way of the world.

Undeterred, Fey then poked enjoyable at an ’80s star who she selected to not title for his or her area of interest facet hustle: “I used to be like, ‘Why on this Earth would I belief an actress for pediatric treatment?'” After all, contemplating she’s at present on our screens promoting a trip reserving web site, one might argue it is a clear case of “do as I say and never as I do.”

Tina Fey bravely, or some would say foolishly contemplating the would possibly of the Swifties, made Taylor Swift the goal of her humor in 2013 when she hosted the Golden Globes. And the somewhat innocuous joke kickstarted a passive-aggressive feud that continued all through the remainder of the last decade.

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The difficulty started when Fey warned Swift, then simply as identified for her eventful love life as her music, to avoid Michael J. Fox’s son whereas presiding over the awards ceremony. “She wants some me-time to find out about herself,” the comedy actor insisted to co-host, Amy Poehler (through Selection). It is honest to say that this recommendation wasn’t obtained effectively.

“There is a particular place in hell for ladies who do not assist different girls,” Swift informed Self-importance Honest quickly after, adopting a Madeleine Albright quote many thought of to be geared toward Fey. The latter remained unrepentant, nonetheless, telling Leisure Tonight (through Billboard), “… It is a disgrace that she did not take it within the crazy-aunt spirit through which it was supposed.” And she or he continued to stoke the fires by referencing the identical quote at each the next 12 months’s Golden Globes and an episode of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”

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In 2014, Tina Fey was honored on the Elle Ladies in Hollywood Awards. And she or he used the chance to indicate each her candy and spicy sides whereas discussing two very completely different “Saturday Night time Stay” graduates, Jan Hooks and Rob Schneider.

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The self-proclaimed bossypants first paid tribute to Hooks (through Uproxx), the late comic whom she’d forged as Jenna Maroney’s mom Verna for 2 episodes of her hit sitcom “30 Rock.” “She was one other girl who meant a lot to me,” Fey stated “… As a result of she’s an idol of mine, from the Sweeney Sisters to the Miss Self Esteem Pageant. Simply the funniest girl ever.”

Fey went on to recall her transient time working with Hooks and the way right here profession ought to have gone. “It made me unhappy when she handed, and it made me mad on the time how obtainable she was. Jan ought to have had a much bigger profession …” Then the killer blow got here which little question left the star of such cinematic masterpieces as “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo,” “The Scorching Chick,” and “The Animal” fuming. “Actually as huge as Rob Schneider’s f***ing profession,” she declared a lot to the viewers’s amusement.

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The 2004 teen comedy “Imply Ladies” earned greater than $130 million on the field workplace, spawned successful Broadway musical (and a movie model of stated musical), and is firmly cemented as a Twenty first-century popular culture touchstone. However the author who served as inspiration has made nothing since promoting the film rights for $400,000. And she or he holds Tina Fey largely accountable.

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In 2023, “Queen Bees and Wannabes” creator Rosalind Wiseman revealed she hasn’t earned a cent since “Imply Ladies” took on a lifetime of its personal. “I believe it is honest for me to have the ability to get compensated ultimately for the work that has modified our tradition and altered the zeitgeist,” she informed the New York Publish. She then went on to name out Fey for what she perceived to be a blatant act of hypocrisy.

“Over time Tina’s spoken so eloquently about girls supporting different girls, however it’s gotten more and more clear to me that, in my very own private expertise, that is not going to be the expertise,” stated Wiseman having additionally revealed she’d personally chosen Fey to tackle the challenge forward of a number of different events. “You do not simply discuss supporting girls, you really do it.”

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Tina Fey might be regarded by some as a part of the comedy world’s liberal elite. However in 2020, she felt compelled to publicly apologize for a handful of “30 Rock” episodes that depicted sure characters, together with shut good friend Jane Krakowski’s Jenna Maroney, in blackface. In reality, she and fellow creator Robert Carlock have been so mortified at their previous political incorrectness they requested the fabric faraway from streaming and on-line retail platforms.

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The 5 episodes in query, which included the present’s first ever stay recording, have been subsequently eliminated a lot to Fey’s aid: “As we try to do the work and do higher with regard to race in America, we consider that these episodes that includes actors in race-changing make-up are finest taken out of circulation,” she wrote in a press release obtained by Vulture.

Fey additionally acknowledged that even when taken into context — one instance noticed visitor star Jon Hamm undertake blackface in a spoof of traditional comedy “Amos ‘n’ Andy” — she had no excuse. “I perceive now that ‘intent’ is just not a free cross for white folks to make use of these photos. I apologize for ache they’ve triggered. Going ahead, no comedy-loving child must locate these tropes and be stung by their ugliness.”

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Tina Fey’s request for 5 episodes of “30 Rock” to be pulled over its depictions of blackface got here as one thing of a shock contemplating simply 4 years earlier, the humorous girl had defiantly declared she did not consider in apologizing for comedy.

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Chatting with Internet-a-porter in 2016, Fey introduced up the pushback in opposition to one specific “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” episode for its obvious insensitivity towards Native Individuals. “… The web was in a whirlwind, calling it ‘racist,’ however my new aim is to not clarify jokes,” the comic acknowledged (through The Unbiased). “I really feel like we put a lot effort into writing and crafting the whole lot, they should communicate for themselves.”

Additional riling up those that took umbrage with the episode in query, Fey added, “There’s an actual tradition of demanding apologies, and I am opting out of that.” The a number of Emmy Award winner then claimed she prefers to keep away from the net platforms the place such criticism is posted. 

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Having presided over the Golden Globes collectively on 4 separate events, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are extensively thought to be the present’s final hosts. And as each celeb who’s been skewed by the pair will attest to, they’re additionally probably the most splendidly shady.

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In 2014, George Clooney discovered himself on the receiving finish of Fey’s sharp tongue in a quip about his obvious penchant for the youthful woman. “The story of how George Clooney would somewhat float away into area and die than spend another minute with a girl his personal age,” she quipped (through ABC Information) in a novel means of describing area drama “Gravity.” 

The next 12 months, Fey caught the knife in as soon as once more. “Amal [Alamuddin] is a human rights lawyer who labored on the Enron case, an adviser to Kofi Annan on Syria, and was appointed to a three-person fee investigating guidelines of conflict violations within the Gaza Strip,” Fey stated (through Time), referring to the actor’s spouse. “So tonight her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award.”

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Alongside common associate in crime Amy Poehler, Tina Fey has helped rework the Golden Globes from a mediocre awards ceremony right into a must-see comedy roast. So it is maybe not too stunning that she finds all of the po-faced seriousness of the Oscars slightly laborious to swallow.

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Having simply attended the 2020 occasion, Fey took to “The Howard Stern Present” to disclose (through Folks) she did not purchase all of the “actual Hollywood bulls***” on show: “Everybody’s telling me what to do and it was like, individuals are yelling at me about rape and company greed, however actually it is local weather change. I used to be like, ‘Guys, decide a lane. Additionally, you might be all wealthy, why are you yelling at me about company greed, you are all so wealthy!'”

The Academy Awards in query noticed Girl Gaga honor victims of abuse, Chris Rock launch a Lady Scout cookie drive, and Leonardo DiCaprio give a warning about international warming. The latter, nonetheless, someway managed to flee Fey’s wrath. “I at all times am psyched when somebody’s articulate about these issues, as a result of let’s face it, actors are very silly. However he is so sensible and his speech was so cogent.”

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On the age of 23, an unknown Donald Glover was given his first main writing gig on “30 Rock.” In an interview with GQ, the person also called Infantile Gambino revealed the present’s creator Tina Fey made it abundantly clear he hadn’t been employed solely for his expertise, however for range as effectively.

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“There isn’t a animosity between us or something like that,” Glover stated. “However [Fey] stated it herself… It was a range factor.” The multi-talent’s claims have been primarily backed up by Fey herself when she admitted NBC’s initiative of bringing writers of colour on board primarily “made him free.”

The “This Is America” hitmaker additionally recalled feeling fully misplaced throughout his “30 Rock” position, too. A lot in order that he used to frequently dream about cartwheeling atop a Huge Apple skyscraper, all of the whereas being watched by different writers.

Two years after requesting 5 episodes of “30 Rock” to be taken down over its use of blackface, Tina Fey’s often questionable angle to race got here again to hang-out her as soon as extra. On this event, it was a resurfaced interview on “The Tonight Present with Jimmy Fallon” through which she poked enjoyable at an accent that actually wasn’t her personal.

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Certainly, many social media customers took umbrage with how Fey in contrast the speech patterns of her two-year-old daughter (who appears similar to the comedienne). “She has a really particular means of speaking, that I spotted she form of seems like a prostitute in a Vietnam film,” the comic stated a lot to the viewers’s bemusement (through Yahoo! Information). To make issues worse, she then mimicked the Vietnamese accent, too.

Fey additionally got here below fireplace for a mistranslated line of Vietnamese dialog in her 2004 hit comedy “Imply Ladies.” Within the scene in query, two members of the North Shore Excessive College clique often called Cool Asians have a combat of their native tongue. Whereas they really stated, “Please, I would not dare,” they have been subtitled as “B***h, please,” suggesting Fey had sacrificed authenticity for an inexpensive gag.

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Tina Fey claims she based mostly her hit 2004 teen comedy “Imply Ladies” on Rosalind Wiseman’s “Queen Bees and Wannabes.” However based on the nameless sources quoted in a 2024 In Contact Weekly article, the “Muppets Most Needed” star, who as soon as saved a person’s life in a scary kayak accident, might have merely drawn upon her personal habits.

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“Her and her tight-knit staff simply steamroll their means in and push and push till they get their means, and the folks signing the checks are alleged to be completely happy and proud to be in enterprise together with her,” one unnamed insider informed the journal throughout a 12 months through which Fey appeared in a Tremendous Bowl advert, labored on the “Imply Ladies” musical remake, and noticed her canceled sitcom “Girls5Eva” picked up by Netflix.

The identical particular person additionally claimed that Fey will typically steal the perfect traces for herself, her status among the many new breed of comics is all-time low, and her obvious bolshiness has deterred comedians of the alternative intercourse from working together with her: “Phrase has gotten out that Tina is territorial, dominant and solely searching for ‘primary,’ each step alongside the road.”

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In 2017, “Saturday Night time Stay” phase Weekend Replace tried to deal with the violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, in its personal sometimes irreverent means. And whereas hosts Tina Fey and Colin Jost began off with none controversy — the previous made it crystal clear that “Nazis are dangerous” — they quickly obtained into murkier waters.

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Certainly, in one thing of a rambling monologue, Fey argued the easiest way to counteract white supremacy is to order a patriotic cake from a minority-owned bakery and eat it. When questioned about precisely how this was supposed to assist, the funnywoman responded (through Vice), “Love is love, Colin … ‘Sheet-caking’ is a grassroots motion, Colin. Many of the girls I do know have been doing it as soon as every week because the election.”

Fey concluded by encouraging viewers to deal with the neo-Nazi rallies like they’d a female-fronted, thought-provoking movie: “Do not present up. Let these morons scream into the empty air.” Though clearly all stated in jest, the comic’s feedback have been interpreted by some as an indication of white privilege. And Fey later herself acknowledged she’d obtained it mistaken, telling David Letterman’s “My Subsequent Visitor Wants No Introduction” (through Folks), “… The implication was that I used to be telling folks to surrender and never be energetic and to not combat. That was not my intention, you recognize, clearly.”

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Seems you do not ever need to mess with Tina Fey whereas she’s making an attempt to take a bunch {photograph}. Notably if she’s in a crowded restaurant. Sure, throughout a 2015 look on “The Howard Stern Present,” the “Sisters” star recalled entering into an argument at a London eatery that obtained so heated she dropped the C-bomb.

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The drama began when Fey and her group of household buddies obtained up out of their seats to pose for a snap, solely to be confronted by a fellow diner with a Justin Bieber kind haircut involved she was getting slightly too intimate together with her different half. “And she or he comes round and name-checks me, she’s like, ‘Tina, Tina Fey, I really like you darling, however sit your ass down,'” she stated (through Information.com.au) “… And her husband is like [all the way] over there, and I am going, ‘My bum is ample however it’s not going round 4 folks.'”

Fey and her posse finally managed to take the image, a lot to the ire of stated diner. “And she or he’s like, ‘I am sorry, I am sorry, we love your skits however you possibly can’t try this … it’s good to know in England we do not try this, darling,'” the comic continued. Fey determined to get the final phrase in by replying, “You’ll want to know that you simply’re being a f***ing c*** proper now.”

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Throughout a 2012 look on “Watch What Occurs Stay,” The Roots’ chief Questlove put the cat among the many pigeons when he known as out two superstars of their fields. The musical maverick first shamed Prince for failing to credit score his drumming expertise on one specific stay album. After which he turned his consideration to a sure self-proclaimed bossypants.

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“Tina Fey, you might be by no means good to the Roots!” Questlove claimed (through Vulture). “We’re from Philadelphia. You are by no means good to the Roots!” When requested to develop by host Andy Cohen, he added, “I simply do not know. Fellow Philadelphians — we bond with one another, and it has been laborious making an attempt to bond together with her.” The hip-hop icon later tweeted that his remarks had been completely misconstrued, and he was merely taking part in Fey at her personal jokey recreation. “I friggin love her,” he stated in a spot of unconvincing harm management.

And the plot thickened when Questlove needed to share the stage with the girl he’d simply dissed. “We tried to say whats up to you final time and also you … it was a misunderstanding,” “The Tonight Present with Jimmy Fallon” bandleader informed visitor Fey (through E! Information). The latter tried to downplay the incident in query, admitting she had no thought what occurred earlier than suggesting they settle their variations with a Philly custom often called the “hoagie of forgiveness.”

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