Leslie Jones Makes Sexual Jokes About New MLK Statue but Tells “White People” to Stay Quiet

Leslie Jones made her debut as guest host of The Daily Show last night following Trevor Noah’s exit in December. While resuming Noah’s spot behind the desk, the former Saturday Night Live player shared her thoughts on the new Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Boston that has left people divided.

The 20-foot bronze statue was inspired by a photograph of the civil rights leader hugging his wife Coretta Scott King after he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

However, Jones saw something much different. “Has anyone in here ever been eaten out?” the host asked the audience. Insisting that she’s being “serious,” she told those who responded, “They’re celebrating you in Boston right now.”

The comedian continued to joke about the statue and its erotic appearance, which has even been condemned by King’s cousin, Seneca Scott, who said, “ten million dollars were wasted” on the work.

Jones told The Daily Show viewers, “I know Dr. King went down in history, but this is not how you show it.”

But then, the guest host took a break to share an urgent message to white viewers: “Even though I’m about to go straight hard on this statue, I got to talk to the white people for a second,” she said. “White people, you don’t need to be saying shit about this statue. You understand?”

Jones went on to express that “only Black people” can joke about the divisive statue, saying that others need to “sit yourself in the back of the bus for this one.”

“This is our civil rights icon…. going down on his wife. You show some damn respect,” she added.

The guest host invited comedian Dulcé Sloan to the stage to join her in playfully roasting the abstract statue. Sloan argued that the statue looks like “hands cradling a big penis, like a bronze dildo that got left out in the sun.”

Sloan said, “No matter which way you look at it, it looks like a different sexual act,” calling the work a “sexual Rubix cube.”

Sloan, who has been a correspondent on The Daily Show since 2017, compared the new statue to the monument in Washington D.C. which shows the upper half of MLK’s body before blending into a block. “The man literally marched for freedom and the statue has no legs,” she yelled.

The comedian complimented conservatives and their knack for building statues of historical figures, predominately slave owners. Sloan joked, “Say what you will about those goofy ass conservatives, but they know how to make a status,” adding that their works alway depict “white dudes on horses” and leaves no confusion.

“I have a dream of an MLK statue with feet, with a torso and with legs and arms in the right place,” Sloan concluded.

Jones won over viewers of the show with this hilarious bit, as many quickly proclaimed that she should be the permanent host of the late night program. One wrote that if she was named host, they’d “watch every night, record it, and watch it again.”

Another tweeted, “I almost choked to death on my coffee. Leslie Jones is AWESOME.” And a third expressed, “Just give the Daily Show to Leslie Jones idc I don’t need to see anyone else.”

As reported last December, the late-night comedy program will cycle through a series of guest hosts instead of immediately choosing Noah’s successor, including Chelsea Handler, Sarah Silverman, Hasan Minhaj, John Leguizamo, Al Franken, D. L. Hughley, Kal Penn, Wanda Sykes and Marlon Wayans. Deadline has reported that Comedy Central is considering Roy Wood Jr., Desi Lydic and Jordan Klepper to succeed as permanent replacements for Noah or a “hosting duo or trio.”

The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central.