Old jokes, new outrage: Trevor Noah caught in the Epstein-era backlash

by Zaghrah Anthony

When comedy meets a very different moment

Timing, as comedians know better than most, is everything. And right now, timing is not on Trevor Noah’s side.

Fresh off hosting the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, his sixth and final turn at the podium, the South African comedian has found himself pulled into a much darker online conversation. As the newly released Epstein files continue to dominate headlines and social media feeds, old celebrity tweets are being dragged back into the light, reframed and reinterpreted through a far harsher lens.

Noah’s name joined that list almost immediately.

A Grammys joke that opened a wider door

During his opening monologue at the Grammys, Noah referenced Jeffrey Epstein, remarking that although Epstein is dead, it’s “amazing how many powerful people suddenly got nervous when his name gets mentioned.” He also alluded to former US President Donald Trump, a moment that reportedly triggered talk of a potential defamation threat.

In isolation, the joke landed as classic Noah, sharp, political, uncomfortable. But in the current climate, where the Epstein revelations have stirred anger, disgust and suspicion toward elite circles, the comment acted like a match near dry grass.

Within hours, users on X (formerly Twitter) began digging.

The tweet that changed the tone

What quickly went viral was a 2012 tweet from Noah that read:
“People who have children should be arrested for tempting child molesters.”

Stripped of its original context, the wording shocked many readers. Screenshots spread rapidly, with some accusing Noah of making light of child abuse or, worse, blaming children themselves.

But the tweet was part of a broader satirical thread using the hashtag #Swazirules, aimed at mocking a controversial law in Swaziland (now eSwatini). At the time, the law suggested women could be arrested for wearing “revealing” clothing on the grounds that it might “tempt” men into rape. Noah’s posts were designed to expose the absurdity of that logic.

In the same thread, he wrote lines like:
“Arrest people with nice things for provoking robbers!”

Still, satire doesn’t always survive screenshots, especially more than a decade later.

Satire doesn’t age well in a scandal-driven moment

Another old Noah tweet resurfaced too:
“Some people make such good-looking children they should be commissioned to make as many as possible.”

In a different era, this kind of exaggerated humour might have passed with little comment. In the shadow of Epstein — whose case centres on the trafficking and abuse of minors — it landed very differently.

That’s the uncomfortable reality many public figures are facing now: jokes that once relied on irony or exaggeration are being reread in a world far less willing to extend benefit of the doubt, especially when children and power dynamics are involved.

Trevor Noah isn’t alone

Noah is far from the only celebrity being revisited. Chrissy Teigen’s decade-old tweets have also resurfaced, including posts that were originally framed as ironic criticism of shows like Toddlers & Tiaras. In one widely shared 2011 tweet, she commented on seeing young girls doing the splits on television, clearly aiming to criticise how children were being sexualised in entertainment.

But again, context has been flattened by outrage.

Teigen has previously apologised for her past online behaviour, describing herself as an “attention-seeking troll” and calling some of her old posts “horrible”. Still, that hasn’t stopped renewed criticism as the public draws broader connections between celebrity culture, Hollywood excess and the Epstein revelations.

Why this conversation feels different now

What’s changed isn’t just social media, it’s trust.

The Epstein files have reopened deep wounds about how wealth and influence can shield predators, and how long institutions looked away. As a result, there’s far less patience for anything that even vaguely brushes against those themes.

For South Africans watching this unfold, there’s also a familiar tension. Trevor Noah has long been celebrated locally as a global success story — the kid from Soweto who made it to the world’s biggest stages. Seeing him pulled into an American culture war around Epstein, Hollywood and elite accountability has sparked mixed reactions online: from defence of his satirical roots to disappointment that old jokes are now resurfacing at all.

A bigger reckoning for celebrity culture

The backlash facing Noah isn’t really about one tweet or one joke. It’s about a cultural shift. The public is no longer separating celebrity humour, irony or “old internet” behaviour from real-world consequences, especially when it comes to children, abuse and power.

Whether fair or not, the message from social media is clear: nothing disappears, context is optional, and satire has a much shorter shelf life in an age defined by scandal and mistrust.

And as the Epstein revelations continue to ripple outward, more famous names, deservedly or not, are likely to find their past words pulled into the present.

Source: IOL

Featured Image: X {@FaraiMazhindu}