Controversies in The Masked Singer: The Chrisleys’ Reveal and Other Scandals Over the Years

The Masked Singer has featured a variety of well-known actors, athletes, and musicians, but the producers have occasionally faced backlash over controversial contestants and various incidents.

One of the show’s earliest controversies arose in March 2020 when Sarah Palin was unmasked as the Bear during season 3. The former governor of Alaska became the first politician to take part in the series, and not all fans were pleased with the expanded contestant pool that included non-Hollywood figures.

“As if things aren’t mental enough, this evening Sarah Palin was revealed as a Masked Singer,” a viewer tweeted back then. “2020 is killing me, man.”

Compounding the situation, the Going Rogue author was unmasked on the same day that Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson revealed their COVID-19 diagnoses and the NBA suspended the remainder of the 2019-2020 season due to the pandemic. “Sarah Palin was just revealed as one of The Masked Singers and yes we are fully committed to dystopia,” tweeted author R. Eric Thomas at the time.

The former vice presidential candidate was just the first among many controversial figures to appear on The Masked Singer. In 2022, the show garnered attention for featuring Rudy Giuliani and Kirstie Alley in season 7. The former mayor of New York City faced criticism for his ties to Donald Trump, while the late Cheers star provoked discussions with her provocative social media comments regarding the pandemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

News of Giuliani’s involvement leaked months before his episode aired, with Deadline reporting in February 2022 that judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke walked off the set following his unmasking.

When the episode was finally aired two months later, it confirmed that the Hangover actor did indeed leave the stage while Giuliani performed in his Jack in the Box costume. The “Blurred Lines” singer, however, was not shown leaving the set but was absent during the group dance with fellow judges Nicole Scherzinger and Jenny McCarthy as they enjoyed Giuliani’s performance.

One month post-airing, a Fox executive expressed that he had “absolutely no regrets” about casting the controversial politician on the show. “The Masked Singer is all about delivering jaw-dropping moments, which is precisely what [we] accomplished, whether it was on set or with the viewers at home,” stated Rob Wade, president of alternative entertainment and specials at Fox Entertainment, in an Deadline interview in May 2022. “My only regret or surprise was that the reveal was spoiled.”

Continue scrolling to revisit some of The Masked Singer‘s controversies throughout the years.