Wanda Sykes faced a booing crowd and a walkout during a comedy show in New Jersey Thursday evening after making disparaging remarks about President Trump.
“This is not the first time we’ve elected a racist, sexist, homophobic president,” said the comedian during a performance at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey. “He ain’t the fist one. He’s just the first confirmed one.”
Jonathan E. Vena, vice president of marketing and communications for Count Basie, told TheWrap that a number of people left the performance in response to her remarks.
“She made some comments that patrons in the audience found objectionable and they determined that it would be better if they left,” said Vena, estimating that “around 20 people” left the venue, though he could not say for sure.
Reps for Sykes did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Courtney Marabella, the social media editor for the Asbury Park Press was present during the show and first reported the news on her Twitter feed Thursday evening.
“Bunch of people heckled @iamwandasykes at her Count Basie Theatre for doing a significant amount of material about our…current political climate,” she wrote. “Her response: ‘What do you expect? I’m a black lesbian.’”
Bunch of people heckled @iamwandasykes at her Count Basie Theatre for doing a significant amount of material about our…current political climate.
Her response: “What do you expect? I’m a black lesbian.”
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— Courtney Marabella (@CourtMarabella) September 28, 2018
Sykes is a frequent and vocal critic of President Trump and regularly skewers him in her routines. Until recently she also served as a writer for the ABC series “Roseanne,” but was one of the first people to jump ship after show star Roseanne Barr made racially charged remarks about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett.
