John Mulaney brought his stand-up style to the Emmys 2026, but one part of his presentation did not make it through the broadcast uncensored.
The comedian appeared to present the award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama. During his remarks, he referenced DJ Khaled and turned an old interview quote into an adult joke about the male nominees.
John Mulaney’s DJ Khaled joke was censored during his Emmys presentation
Mulaney presented the category that ultimately went to The Pitt star Noah Wyle.
Before announcing the winner, he delivered a short comedy routine centered on the nominees. He joked that the category belonged “for the guys” and contrasted the actors with Bandit, the father character from Bluey.
Mulaney then shifted to Khaled, and the broadcast censored part of what he said.
“I believe it was DJ Khaled that said ‘Real men don’t go down on their wives,’” Mulaney told the audience.
The comedian followed the reference with another joke about the nominated actors.
“But, but…these nominees know that is BS. They KNOW there’s often less pressure on them if they do that first,” he added.
The Emmys censored joke referenced comments Khaled made during a 2015 interview. During that conversation, the music producer discussed oral sex and said that men and women operated under “different rules.”
Mulaney used that old remark as the setup for his own punchline during the awards presentation.
His comments drew laughter from the audience even though viewers watching the broadcast did not hear the entire joke as delivered in the room.
The moment came during a presentation that otherwise played like a brief stand-up set. Mulaney used the male acting category to build several jokes before handing out the award.
Wyle eventually won Best Lead Actor in a Drama for his work on The Pitt.
For Mulaney, however, one of the most talked-about moments from the presentation came before the winner took the stage, when his DJ Khaled reference prompted the broadcast to reach for the censor.
