Sheryl Lee Ralph Recalls Her “Shocked” Reaction to Jimmy Kimmel Disrupting Quinta Brunson’s Emmys Win: “Ohh, The Disrespect”

After hearing what Quinta Brunson had to say about being upstaged by Jimmy Kimmel at the 2022 Emmys, we now know what her Abbott Elementary co-stars think about the bit. And, spoiler alert: they weren’t too pleased.

Brunson, who was awarded an Emmy on Monday (Sept. 12) for outstanding writing for a comedy series, was forced to deliver her acceptance speech with Kimmel lying at her feet after he carried on a joke about being too drunk to stand after losing in his own Emmy category earlier that evening.

At today’s TCA panel for Abbott Elementary, Brunson’s co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph — who won her own Emmy in an unforgettable highlight of the award show — spilled on her thoughts in the moment.

“I was absolutely confused… I was like, I wish that man would just get up off the ground,” Ralph said, according to a tweet from TV Guide‘s Kat Moon. “And then I realized it was Jimmy Kimmel, and then I was shocked. Ooh the disrespect, Jimmy.”

Ralph didn’t immediately know it was Kimmel, though. The A.V. Club’s Saloni Gajjar reported on a hilarious exchange between Ralph and Abbott Elementary‘s Lisa Ann Walter, which also took place during the TCA panel.

“I first thought it was Guillermo [from Jimmy Kimmel Live] lying down on the stage,” Ralph said, per Gajjar. Ralph was referring to Guillermo Rodriguez, Kimmel’s late night sidekick, but Walter had FX and fangs on the brain, asking, “from What We Do in the Shadows?”

One of WWDITS’ most beloved characters, Guillermo de la Cruz (portrayed by Harvey Guillén), has been a fixture on the show since Season 1, and after three years with the sweet vampire familiar, we can confidently say he would never pull an obnoxious stunt like that. But at least we know Walter has impeccable TV taste!

Despite Ralph’s distaste for Kimmel’s stunt — which closely aligns with the collective disgust of Twitter — Brunson appeared unruffled by his antics. She told reporters after the show, “the bit didn’t bother me that much. I don’t know what the internet thinks.”

Still, she joked, “I’m going to be on his show on Wednesday, so I might punch him in the face. I don’t know, we’ll see what happens.”

And we’ll be eagerly awaiting the late night reunion between Kimmel and Brunson tonight. To tune in, watch Jimmy Kimmel Live this evening at 11:35/10:35c on ABC.