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John Mulaney’s NSFW DJ Khaled Joke Was Muted at Emmys: What He Said
John Mulaney knows how to get a big reaction on live TV.
The former Saturday Night Live writer shocked the audience at the 2026 Emmys with a jaw-dropping joke that featured a notorious quote from DJ Khaled while presenting the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
“I believe it was DJ Khaled who said, ‘Real men don’t go down on their wives,’” Mulaney—who married Olivia Munn in 2024—said at the Sept. 14 ceremony. “But these nominees know that is BS. They know there’s often less pressure on them if they do that first.”
Although it was partially muted during the live broadcast, Mulaney's comment prompted hysterical laughter from Sterling K. Brown, an enthusiastic nod from Mark Ruffalo and Noah Wyle’s wife Sara Wells to sheepishly hide behind him.
And for what it’s worth, Mulaney’s facts are partially correct. In 2018, Khaled went viral for saying he had never performed oral sex on a woman, including his wife Nicole Tuck.
“It’s different rules for men,” the rapper said during a 2018 appearance on the Breakfast Club Power show. “I just can’t do what you want me to do.”
Meanwhile, fans of the comedian confirmed that he was well-aware it was a risky choice to take during the NBC broadcast, as he teased the material at his Sept. 12 show in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“John Mulaney ran through his Emmy bit at his Grand Rapids show on Saturday,” one fan detailed on X, “and said he would quote DJ Khaled regardless if they approved it or not and then they cut his audio on NBC.”
Another shared Mulaney had allegedly told the Grand Rapids audience, “He REALLY wanted that DJ Khaled bit in there and his goal was to trick censors by not saying it during rehearsal.”
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Of course, Mulaney’s monologue would have shut down the house at Peacock Theater even without the shock value of his DJ Khaled reference. At another point, he borrowed a quote from Frank Vincent’s A Guy’s Guide to Being a Man’s Man, which he read aloud.
“‘A man’s man can be wearing the best clothes, drinking the finest wine, sitting with the most beautiful woman in Las Vegas,’” Mulaney recited from the Raging Bull star’s 2007 lifestyle book. “‘But if he doesn’t treat everyone around him with respect and class, he’s not a real man’s man. He’s just a jabroni in a good suit.’”
And with that, Mulaney presented the award—and the book, courtesy of the Glendale Public Library—to Wyle. For every winner at the Emmys 2026, keep reading…
Outstanding Drama Series
The Diplomat
The Gilded Age
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Paradise
WINNER: The Pitt
Pluribus
Slow Horses
Your Friends and Neighbors
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Keri Russell, The Diplomat
WINNER: Rhea Seehorn, Pluribus
Zendaya, Euphoria
Chase Infiniti, The Testaments
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Mark Ruffalo, Task
WINNER: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Rufus Sewell, The Diplomat
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt
WINNER: Allison Janney, The Diplomat
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick Ball, The Pitt
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses
WINNER: Tom Pelphrey, Task
Carlos Manuel-Vesga, Pluribus
Gerran Howell, The Pitt
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Nobody Wants This
Hacks
Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Only Murders in the Building
Shrinking
WINNER: Widow’s Bay
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Elle Fanning, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Steve Carell, Rooster
WINNER: Matthew Rhys, Widow’s Bay
Jason Segel, Shrinking
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Wonder Man
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Dale Dickey, Widow’s Bay
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
WINNER: Kate O’Flynn, Widow’s Bay
Megan Stalter, Hacks
Michelle Pfeiffer, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Jessica Williams, Shrinking
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Nick Offerman, Margo’s Got Money Troubles
WINNER: Stephen Root, Widow’s Bay
Michael Urie, Shrinking
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Leslie Bibb, Hacks
Jamie Lee Curtis, The Bear
WINNER: Betty Gilpin, Widow's Bay
Cherry Jones, Hacks
Laurie Metcalf, Hacks
Kaitlin Olson, Hacks
Lauren Weedman, Hacks
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Christopher McDonald, Hacks
Michael J. Fox, Shrinking
Brett Goldstein, Shrinking
Hamish Linklater, Widow's Bay
WINNER: Rob Reiner, The Bear
Connor Storrie, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Tal Anderson, The Pitt
Brittany Allen, The Pitt
Tina Ivlev, The Pitt
Miriam Shor, Pluribus
Merritt Wever, The Gilded Age
WINNER: Shailene Woodley, Paradise
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Colman Domingo, Euphoria
WINNER: Ernest Harden Jr., The Pitt
Jeff Hiller, Pluribus
Jeff Kober, The Pitt
Jonathan Pryce, Slow Horses
Bradley Whitford, The Diplomat
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
The Beast in Me
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
WINNER: DTF St. Louis
Beef
All Her Fault
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Claire Danes, The Beast in Me
Sarah Pidgeon, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
WINNER: Sally Field, Remarkably Bright Creatures
Carey Mulligan, Beef
Sarah Snook, All Her Fault
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
WINNER: Matthew Rhys, The Beast in Me
Riz Ahmed, Bait
Jason Bateman, Black Rabbit
Charlie Hunnam, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Oscar Isaac, Beef
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
WINNER: Linda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis
Constance Zimmer, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Dakota Fanning, All Her Fault
Joy Sunday, DTF St. Louis
Youn Yuh-jung, Beef
Laurie Metcalf, Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Jason Bateman, DTF St. Louis
Richard Gadd, Half Man
Richard Jenkins, DTF St. Louis
WINNER: David Harbour, DTF St. Louis
Charles Melton, Beef
Nick Offerman, Death by Lightning
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
WINNER: Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
Summer House
Welcome to Wrexham
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
WINNER: Antiques Roadshow
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Love is Blind
Queer Eye
Shark Tank
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul's Drag Race
WINNER: Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Kristen Kish, Top Chef
Ariana Madix, Love Island USA
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Outstanding Variety Series
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
WINNER: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
Dancing With the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
WINNER: The Traitors
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable
WINNER: The Muppet Show
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour, The Final Show
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
Outstanding Host for a Game Show
Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!
Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy!
WINNER: Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Martin Short, Match Game
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