Emmy Host's 'Enforcer' Mom Interrupts Acceptance Speech

Host Anthony Anderson opened Monday night's long-delayed Emmy Awards with a Mister Rogers' Neighborhood-style musical medley of television theme songs interspersed with lyrics about all the lessons the black-ish star has learned from TV. Then he went into his monologue, informing the audience that with 27 awards to hand out, they'd have to keep things moving—and he brought his mom along to help, ETOnline reports. "Tonight, my mama, she is going to be the Emmys' 'Playoff Mama.' When you see my mama coming, just thank Jesus and your family and wrap it up," he said. "And I don't want nobody to get disrespectful with my mama, because my mama is from the west side of Chicago and she can throw hands."

His mom quickly used her powers to tell Anderson himself to hurry up and finish his monologue so she could attend an after-party. And then—surprising many on X—she actually did interrupt a winner, Jennifer Coolidge, who won best supporting actress in a drama for her role on The White Lotus, the Los Angeles Times reports. "I thought Anthony Anderson's mom interrupting the speeches was a bit for the monologue, but they're serious?" reads one sample reply on X. Another: "i thought it was a funny monologue joke but anthony anderson's mom actually interrupting jennifer coolidge's acceptance speech is now my villain origin story." (More Emmy Awards stories.)