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.
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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."
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.
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Touching upon the initial controversy, she told the host: “OK. Well, I would like to say, I haven’t personally been on Twitter.
“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.”
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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.
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.”
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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.”
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