Tom Cruise has supported Jo Koy amid the criticism he faced for hosting the Golden Globes. Despite negative reviews of Jo’s monologue, some have chosen to stand by him rather than condemn his performance.

The monologue included jokes that fell flat, with accusations of being anti-white and inappropriate. Audience members were shocked, and the awkward atmosphere prevailed. Jo Koy has acknowledged feeling remorse, especially for his jokes about Taylor Swift, attributing it to a challenging night.

In the midst of this, Tom Cruise defended Jo Koy, urging understanding for the pressure of hosting and emphasizing the difficulty of the gig. Cruise, known for supporting industry peers, recently backed Hollywood agent Maha Tokil during criticism for her comments on Israel’s conflict with Hamas. Her resignation was avoided, thanks to Cruise’s support in a meeting at the CIA office. Tom Cruise’s backing holds significance in the industry.

The comedian defends his slight saying it was ‘cute’

Koy’s jokes ranged from commenting on Saltbun star Barry Keoghan’s on-screen nudity (“Where’s your penis seated?”), Ozempic (“The Color Purple is what happens to your butt when you take Ozempic”), the length of Oppenheimer (“I just have one complaint: it needed another hour”) and Barbie (“based on a plastic doll with big boobs”).

He also made a joke about Taylor Swift, nominated for cinematic and box office achievement for her Eras Tour film, and dating the Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. “As you know, we came on after a football double-header,” he said. “The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes, we have fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift, I swear.”

It led to an instant unimpressed reaction from the star which quickly spread online.

When asked about moments during the show he regretted he said: “I think it was when the Taylor [Swift] one was just a little flat … It was a weird joke, I guess. But it was more on the NFL … I was trying to make fun of the NFL using cutaways and how the Globes didn’t have to do that. So it was more of a jab toward the NFL. But it just didn’t come out that way.”

Koy summarised it as “an off night” and that he “fell a little short” but he remains proud. “I wanted to give a bit more of me,” he added.

This year’s ceremony was dominated by wins for Oppenheimer and Succession. According to the Hollywood Reporter, viewership was up by 50% after the move from NBC to CBS with 9.4m viewers, assisted by a lead-in from Sunday Night Football.