Jo Koy Mocks Robert de Niro at Golden Globes 2024 for Having a Baby at 80: “CGI?”

Robert De Niro was able to crack up at 2024 Golden Globes host Jo Koy’s joke about the actor’s unexpectedly increasing family during his opening statement.

In April, De Niro, 80, and his 45-year-old girlfriend Tiffany Chen had his seventh child, a daughter named Gia. Koy, who declared himself to be a huge fan of the Goodfellas performer, turned to face the octogenarian during the January 7 event and told a joke that made him laugh, per the New York Post .

“This guy’s amazing decade after decade. He just kills it every single time. I don’t know how you do it,” he said, adding, “Man. I swear to God, your last performance is going to be your greatest performance ever,” before gearing up for the punchline. “How’d you get her pregnant at 80? CGI?” the host asked as De Niro looked at him and laughed.

Supporters flocked to De Niro’s defense on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Where’s Will Smith when you need him?” a viewer alluded to the infamous 2022 Oscar slap . “Such tasteless jokes,” another said. “Jo Koy’s not very funny. I changed the channel,” a third added. Another person slammed, “Im so bummed because I really liked him and then he bombed by being cruel, vulgar, sexist, and sadly…not even funny.” Another user shared, “So he got off a single slightly funny one-liner in 50 seconds of disjointed, uncomfortable whinging. This isn’t just being unfunny; it’s being unprofessional (which is odd from a longtime career comic.)”

Robert Downey Jr. won the Best Supporting Actor nomination for Oppenheimer over De Niro, who was nominated for his performance in Killers of the Flower Moon. De Niro has previously already won two Golden Globes.

DeNiro might not have been very sad at the loss, since he’s now a very involved father, even as his girlfriend shoulders most of the responsibility. Chen is putting in the “heavy lifting” when it comes to raising their kid, he said in an October interview with The Guardian .

“It doesn’t get easier. It is what it is. It’s OK,” he said at the time. “I don’t do the heavy lifting. I’m there, I support my girlfriend. But she does the work. And we have help, which is so important.”

In addition to the latest child, De Niro is also father to Drena,51, and Raphael,46, from his first marriage to Diahnne Abbott; Julian and Aaron, twins, 27, from his relationship with model and actress Toukie Smith; and Elliot,25, and Helen,12, from his relationship with Grace Hightower, his second wife. He continued: “With a baby, it’s different [than] with my 11-year-old. My adult children. My grandchildren. It’s all different.” De Niro further explained, “Well, I don’t talk to the adult children the way I talk to my baby or the way I speak to my 11-year-old, though she’s pretty smart.”