Amy Schumer has responded to claims she stole the Leonardo DiCaprio joke she made at last month’s Oscars while hooked up to a lie detector.
Following one of the most talked-about Academy Awards ceremonies in history, Schumer set the record straight on her alleged joke stealing, six years after she was first accused of pinching material.
The latest joke in question was made by Schumer during 28 March’s Oscars ceremony, when the co-host quipped: “He [DiCaprio] has done so much to fight climate change and leave behind a cleaner, greener planet for his girlfriends."
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It was quickly noted that the gag was nearly identical to one made by Twitter user Nicole Conlan, who tweeted in December 2021: “Leonardo DiCaprio is so passionate about climate change because he wants to leave a better world for his girlfriends.”
Vanity Fair published a video of Schumer’s lie detector test on 4 April, and three days later, the star addressed the findings during an interview with Andy Cohen.
Touching upon the initial controversy, she told the host: “OK. Well, I would like to say, I haven’t personally been on Twitter.
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“I’ve had my assistant do it, just so I can remain alive and not kill myself. And also, that joke was written by Suli McCullough. But I thank you guys, always, for making sure that I don’t start thievery.”
Pointing to Vanity Fair’s video, she added: “I just got to do a lie-detector test on Vanity Fair and they asked me, thank God, ‘Have you ever stolen a joke?’ and I said no, and it was ‘that’s true’. So, everybody just chill. It’s crazy. I’m funny enough, I don’t need to steal sh*t.”
In the video in question, Schumer sits in a makeshift interrogation room while an interviewer fires questions at her.
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Sitting next to Schumer is a stoney-faced polygraph examiner who confirms whether Schumer is responding honestly to questions or not.
When asked: “Have you ever stolen a joke?”, Schumer is quick to respond: “No.”
The camera then pans to the technician, who confirms: “Yes, she’s telling the truth.”
Back in 2016, Schumer took to Twitter to declare 'I have never and would never steal a joke', in response to a video claiming she had copied material from other comedians.
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The footage juxtaposed jokes made by standup comics with Schumer’s gags, pointing out similarities.
In one instance, comedian Kathleen Madigan joked: “Maybe I’m old-fashioned but I like it when a guy pays – for sex.”
Her wisecrack is compared to one made by Schumer at a later date, with the Trainwreck star saying: “I’m very old-school, I think the guy should always pay on the first date – for sex.”
Schumer also addressed the allegations on Jim Norton’s SiriusXM radio show in 2016, saying: “I wanted to come and talk to you ... and clear my name, because I would never ever do that and I never have.”
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She added: “I have to come up with so much material, for my TV show, this movie, standup, and I’m so careful, and none of these things had ever reached me. I would never do that, it would be so stupid for me to do that.”
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Topics: Leonardo DiCaprio, Oscars
Aisha Nozari