The Shady Side Of Trevor Noah Everyone Ignores
Comic, television host, and bestselling author, Trevor Noah might just be the quintessential triple threat. The South African native comedian first broke into the entertainment scene in the early 2010s with his stand-up performances. Then in March 2015, three months after joining the show as a regular contributor, Noah was announced as the host of "The Daily Show." Despite having to fill Jon Stewart's big shoes, Noah seamlessly transitioned into his new role, soon becoming one of America's beloved late-night hosts.
"I was lucky in that I inherited many experienced writers and creators and directors who could infuse my head with decades of knowledge in a short space of time. I never thought that I knew anything coming into the show," he admitted to Forbes in 2018.
But while Noah has become one of the most prominent figures in the entertainment industry, the stand-up comic's controversial side has also shadowed his career through the years. Shortly after Noah was announced as Stewart's replacement, old tweets dubbed as misogynistic and anti-Semitic surfaced, causing backlash from social media users. "To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn't land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian," Noah tweeted at the time in response to the outrage.
Beyond a few problematic tweets, however, Noah has remained quite shady through the years. Here's a closer look.
Trevor Noah didn't hold back on Russia
Following news of Brittney Griner's 2022 arrest in Russia, celebrities in the worlds of sports and entertainment spoke out against the arrest, defending the WNBA star and calling for her release. When Griner received a nine-year sentence in August of that year, Trevor Noah was among the public figures who released statements supporting her. His, however, went for the jugular against not just those directly responsible for Griner's situation, but a whole country.
During an episode of "The Daily Show," Noah criticized the Russian government, accusing them of several grave injustices. "We all know Russia doesn't care about what Brittney Griner did," he said. "This is the same country that's breaking every human rights law on the planet, but they're like, 'That woman has vape cartridge. She's real criminal.' Get the f*** out of here, man." Even righteous shade is still shade.
Speaking further, Noah spoke on the United States' impending prisoner swap with Russia, which had recently been announced at the time. While the comedian admitted it was a suitable approach to getting Griner back, he threw further jabs at Russia's justice system. "Whoever America has in prison, send them to Russia," Noah continued. "It seems like they win, but don't forget: That person now has to live in Russia. They'll get there and be like, 'This whole country is prison. I miss food in Alcatraz.'"
He poked fun at Will Smith's infamous Oscar slap
While hosting the 2022 Grammy Awards, Trevor Noah poked fun at the infamous Will Smith/Chris Rock altercation at that year's Oscars. "It is going to be such a beautiful evening. Don't even think of this as an award show. This is a concert where we're giving out awards," he said in his opening monologue. "We're going to be listening to some music, we're going to be dancing, we're going to be singing, we're going to be keeping people's names out of our mouths, and we're going to be giving out awards all throughout the night," the comedian added, alluding to what led to the slap.
Though the joke earned a few laughs from members of the Grammy audience, it did not land well with social media users who were quick to point out the insensitivity. "Trevor is dope. Buuuuut, nah... this wasn't it," one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
During an April 2022 episode of "The Daily Show," Noah yet again poked fun at the slap, this time implying that Smith's punishment (a ten-year ban from attending any Academy events) was more of a favor to the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star and a disservice to Rock. "[The Academy] should've at least consulted Chris Rock before choosing the punishment. Because if Will were still going to the Oscars, that's at least four hours where Chris Rock knows where he is," Noah quipped. "Now, he could be anywhere."
Trevor Noah's controversial comment about the French National team
In 2018, France won the highly-coveted FIFA World Cup, sparking celebration from soccer lovers across the world. But while many focused on the team's undeniable skills against other competitors in the tournament, Trevor Noah had a little extra something to say about the team members during an episode of "The Daily Show."
"Africa won the World Cup. Africa won the World Cup," Noah chanted on the show. "I get it, they have to say it's the French team. But look at those guys. You don't get that tan by hanging out in the south of France, my friends."
Unsurprisingly, Noah's comments sparked outrage from the public, particularly catching the attention of the French ambassador to the United States, Gérard Araud, who promptly slammed the late-night host for questioning the "Frenchness" of the players. "I heard your words about 'an African victory,' nothing could be less true ... This, even in jest, legitimizes the ideology which claims whiteness as the only definition of being French," Araud wrote in a letter addressed to the television host (via ABC News).
The South African comedian, however, refused to back down, instead doubling down on his description of the players as Africans. "I will continue to praise them for being African because I believe they are of Africa — their parents are from Africa — and they can be French because I believe they can both at the same time," he maintained.
Trevor Noah's comments about Hamas in 2021
In 2021, Trevor Noah weighed in on the Israel-Hamas conflict, drawing an analogy from his personal life. "When I was a teenager, I would always get into fights with my little brothers ... But my mom would say to me, whenever I would get angry, she would go, 'Trevor, don't hit the kid back, because they can't hurt you,'" he recounted. Noah suggested that Israel not fight back given that it was more powerful than Hamas.
David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, penned an open letter in response to Noah's comments, criticizing the comedian and accusing him of minimizing the decades-long pain of Israeli people. "Sorry, but your younger siblings were not plotting murder and wreaking societal havoc. You're ignoring the true nature of Hamas, the fact that it's been firing 1000s of missiles over the years, building cross-border terror tunnels, kidnapping Israelis, and foregoing development in Gaza to focus on damaging Israel," Harris wrote in the letter (via Times of Israel). Writing further, Harris accused Noah of focusing on a minor detail — the alleged power imbalance — rather than the facts pointing to Hamas' violent approach to the conflict.
He accused the media of racist coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has garnered worldwide attention, but Trevor Noah seemingly sees the international coverage as proof of a double standard. In a February 2022 episode of "The Daily Show," Noah condemned the media's bias in covering the Russia-Ukraine war, noting that wars in other regions like Africa and the Middle East never seem to get as much attention. "I don't know about you, but I was shocked to see how many reporters — around the world, by the way — seem to think that it's more of a tragedy when white people have to flee their countries. Because, I guess, what? The 'darkies' were built for it," he said in the episode.
Speaking further on the conflict, the "Born a Crime" author also pointed out the disparity between how Eastern Europe had welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open arms, despite constantly turning away refugees from Africa and the Middle East. While Noah's comparisons drew some support, many others criticized him for minimizing a tragedy as it happened, even if they acknowledged he was otherwise making a good point. "There's a time and place for everything. Your question, though might be valid, is completely untimely," one user wrote on X.
Alongside his comedic chops and great television hosting skills, Trevor Noah has clearly proven himself just as skilled in the shade department — for better or worse.