‘Abbott Elementary’ Star Janelle James Criticized For A “Sick” Joke She Made In 2021 About Her Son’s Genitalia: “Ma’am, WTF!?”

Abbott Elementary fans are fuming after a bit from Janelle James‘ 2021 standup routine resurfaced, showing her making “sick” jokes about her son’s genitalia.

In the resurfaced clip from the Netflix special The Standups, the actress, who plays elementary school principal Ava Coleman on the ABC series, openly joked about seeing her son’s genitalia.

“My youngest son got a d*** now,” she says in the clip. “I didn’t know he had a d***! … They say you blink and you miss it — and it’s true.”

James continues in the bit, “I was sitting on the edge of my bed and he ran by from the bathroom — I guess he forgot his towel — And I was like, ‘What the f–k was that?'” She later jokes that he “used to have a pee-pee.”

“You change the diaper, you play rhythm guitar on the pee-pee,” she quips. “That’s the best part about having a baby boy!”

Fans online were not here for James’ jokes, which many called “unsettling” and “unwatchable.” Many even express discomfort at the thought that James works with children on the hit ABC series.

“Oof that janelle james clip was unwatchable. it’s possible to comedic without doing that,” one user wrote on X.

“Janelle James really just ruined Abbott Elementary for me. I don’t want to see her around a bunch of kids now,” another fan noted.

Others wondered who “greenlit” the “unsettling” joke. “Someone had to know that was not appropriate,” they wrote.

Some even accused her of “sexualizing her son & describing molestation,” with one writing, “Ma’am, WTF!? And of course she’s in the proximity of kids as a principal on Abbott Elementary. She gotsta go.”

But not all Abbott Elementary fans were here for the criticism.

“Y’all can feel how y’all feel about Janelle James joke but is that one singular thing so messed up to y’all that you’d stop supporting Abbott Elementary?? Lmao,” one fan wrote.

Others predicted that she would “bounce back” from the criticism, much like comedian Matt Rife, who recently came under fire for his own controversial Netflix special.

“Aside from cancel culture only existing on Twitter, let me be abundantly clear: we are not canceling Janelle James. period standing 10 toes behind my girl,” one user wrote.

Decider has reached out to James for comment, but did not hear back by time of publication.