In an exclusive spoiler alert from Deadline, former New York City mayor and lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was unmasked as an unspecified character during the filming for season 7 of The Masked Singer. This news stands out from other unmasking moments due to the reaction from judges Robin Thicke (Agent Cody Banks, S.W.A.T) and Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Community) as both celebrities walked out of the studio upon the reveal.
“Ken was super upset and indeed stormed out,” a source from People told the magazine. “Robin actually followed him because he and Ken are very close friends and he wanted to check on him. Robin didn’t storm out because of Giuliani.”
Fox did not comment to Deadline on the reveal and walkout, but the two judges are reported to have come back after the playful banter between fellow judges Jenny McCarthy (Dirty Love, John Tucker Must Die) and Nicole Scherzinger (Moana, Men In Black 3).
Giuliani has been quite the man of controversy since claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen from his client, Donald Trump. There have also been claims that Giuliani helped in the “spread of misinformation” when it came to Covid-19 safety in the early days of the pandemic. Another source told People that this was the biggest factor in spurring Jeong’s departure, himself being a graduate of medical school.
“Ken has been incredibly vocal about how the previous administration handled many things but especially COVID-19 and has found a lot of what they’ve said not only wrong but dangerous,” says the insider. “To get someone who helped to spread misinformation and call into question the accuracy of our election and democracy to appear on his show was going to set him off.”
The show is no stranger to controversial figures appearing as the surprise singers. Last season, the show had republican Sarah Palin appear as a bear character and this appearance spurned a hateful outcry from fans.
Fox’s new season of The Masked Singer premieres on March 9.