A week ago, actress Felicity Huffman received a two-week prison sentence for her involvement in a scheme to rig her daughter's SAT test scores — and the Emmys made a joke about her predicament.
But the shade was subtle. You had to know who comedian Thomas Lennon was referencing during his speech as the Emmys faded out to a commercial break.
"The producers have asked me to give a special shoutout to any of our previous lead actress winners who are watching tonight from prison," Lennon said with smarm. "Hopefully those two weeks are going to fly right by. Keep your chin up."
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Unlike what Lennon implied, Huffman isn't currently prison. She needs to turn herself in by October 25.
Reactions on Twitter ranged from "cringe so good" to "cringe so bad." So the Internet's response was mixed. According to one Twitter user, though, the joke didn't land in the actual Emmys theater.
Ouch. That Felicity Huffman joke was harsh. The room didn’t love that one. #Emmys
— Elizabeth Wagmeister (@EWagmeister) September 23, 2019
Times have certainly changed since 2005, when Huffman won an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy for her work in Desperate Housewives. This year, Huffman played controversial New York prosecutor Linda Fairstein in much-nominated When They See Us.
Now, association with the scandal eclipses Huffman's work as an actress. The story has already gotten the Lifetime movie treatment, with more adaptations on the way.