Aubrey Plaza Has Brutal 5-Word Reply To Tony Hinchcliffe’s ‘Racist’ Joke About Puerto Rico

It’s safe to assume that one celebrity has already cursed comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s family and is watching as misfortune follows his bloodline for the next seven generations.”

“I just wanted to very quickly respond to the racist joke that was made at that Trump rally about Puerto Rico, where most of my family is from,” Plaza said on stage at the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards in New York. “Thankfully, my sweet abuelita wasn’t here to hear that disgusting remark.” Plaza went on to say that if her grandmother was alive today, she imagines that Abuelita would tell the comedian five epic words: “‘Tony Hinchcliffe, go fuck yourself.’”

Fully aware that this remark would likely make headlines — and was made at a Wall Street Journal event — Plaza added:

“And yes, the Wall Street Journal can quote me on that.”

Aubrey Plaza speaks onstage during the WSJ Magazine 2024 Innovator Awards on Tuesday.
Aubrey Plaza speaks onstage during the WSJ Magazine 2024 Innovator Awards on Tuesday.

Noam Galai via Getty Images

When a clip of Plaza’s remarks made its way onto X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday night, one user pointed out that in 2020, the “Parks and Recreation” alum also made a joke about Puerto Rico during her opening monologue at the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards “that wasn’t punching down.”

In the monologue, Plaza points out fellow Puerto Rican Jennifer Lopez, who was sitting in the audience and said:

“You know, Jennifer Lopez and I are both super hot Puerto Ricans. I mention that because Puerto Rico is kind of like an independent film, you know? It’s beautiful, not enough people have seen it and its financing is always falling through.”

https://www.youtube.com/embed/MdE_ar6H2-s?rel=0&start=273&enablejsapi=1</div>","type":"video","meta":{"author":"Film Independent","author_url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZWlScCmjiezyIRAybUgXYQ","cache_age":86400,"description":"Don’t worry, be happy! It’s host Aubrey Plaza’s opening monologue at the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards.nn#spiritawards #aubreyplaza #monologuennThe 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards will took place February 8 on the beach in Santa Monica and were broadcast LIVE on IFC.nnMORE SPIRIT AWARDS:nhttp://www.spiritawards.com/nnCOMPLETE NOMINEE LIST:nhttps://tinyurl.com/vmzjw9jnnSUBSCRIBE TO FILM INDEPENDENT’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL:nhttp://bit.ly/2dZw8nwnnFOLLOW US ON TWITTER:nhttp://bit.ly/2gibehwnnLIKE US ON FACEBOOK:nhttp://bit.ly/1T2jvEKnnINSTAGRAM:nhttp://bit.ly/2fPyFAfnnVISIT OUR WEBSITE:nhttp://www.filmindependent.org/nnBECOME A MEMBER OF FILM INDEPENDENT:nhttp://bit.ly/2cR6VcL","options":{"_cc_load_policy":{"label":"Closed captions","value":false},"_end":{"label":"End on","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":""},"_start":{"label":"Start from","placeholder":"ex.: 11, 1m10s","value":"273"},"click_to_play":{"label":"Hold load & play until clicked","value":false}},"provider_name":"YouTube","thumbnail_height":720,"thumbnail_url":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/MdE_ar6H2-s/maxresdefault.jpg","thumbnail_width":1280,"title":"Aubrey Plaza’s Opening Monologue at the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards","type":"video","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdE_ar6H2-s","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://www.huffpost.com","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"67223759e4b03a564e7ce4ed","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/aubrey-plaza-tony-hinchcliffe-racist-joke-puerto-rico_n_67223759e4b03a564e7ce4ed","entryTagsList":"puerto-rico,aubrey-plaza,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"entertainment","deptSlug":"entertainment","sectionRedirectUrl":"https://www.huffpost.com/entertainment","subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.entertainment","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/cbf348dd-a587-4c7d-8712-864b9a38a39d/1_th.jpg?crop=629:354,smart&width=629&height=354&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":13},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"67223759e4b03a564e7ce4ed","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Puerto Rico","slug":"puerto-rico","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/puerto-rico","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/puerto-rico","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/puerto-rico"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news"},"topic":{"title":"Puerto Rico","slug":"puerto-rico","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/puerto-rico"},{"name":"Aubrey Plaza","slug":"aubrey-plaza","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/aubrey-plaza","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/aubrey-plaza","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/aubrey-plaza"},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/aubrey-plaza"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["<div id="ad-inline-1" class="ad-entry_paragraph_1 ad-spot–gam ad-spot–gam-inline-1"></div>rn<script type="text/javascript">rn HPGam.cmd.push(function(){rnttreturn HPGam.render("inline-1", "entry_paragraph_1", false, false);rn });rn</script>rn","<div id="ad-inline-2" class="ad-entry_paragraph_3 ad-spot–gam ad-spot–gam-inline-2"></div>rn<script type="text/javascript">rn HPGam.cmd.push(function(){rnttreturn HPGam.render("inline-2", "entry_paragraph_3", false, false);rn });rn</script>rn","<div id="ad-inline-infinite" class="ad-repeating_dynamic_display ad-spot–gam ad-spot–gam-inline-infinite"></div>rn<script type="text/javascript">rn HPGam.cmd.push(function(){rnttreturn HPGam.render("inline-infinite", "repeating_dynamic_display", false, false);rn });rn</script>rn"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdE_ar6H2-s?rel=0&start=273&enablejsapi=1]

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can’t do it without you.

You’ve supported HuffPost before, and we’ll be honest — we could use your help again. We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can’t do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

You’ve supported HuffPost before, and we’ll be honest — we could use your help again. We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can’t do it without you.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Plaza is by no means the only noteworthy Puerto Rican who was disgusted by Hinchcliffe’s racist and lazy joke — and Trump’s hateful rhetoric. Lopez, Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny and Sunny Hostin made their endorsements of Vice President Kamala Harris public soon after Trump’s MSG rally.

El Nuevo Día, the largest newspaper in Puerto Rico, also urged its roughly 5 million Puerto Ricans living in the mainland U.S. to vote for Harris Tuesday.

But perhaps Roberto O. González Nieves — the archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico — called out the joke best in a Facebook post published Monday.

“I enjoy a good joke. However, humor has its limits. It should not insult or denigrate the dignity and sacredness of people. Hinchcliffe’s remarks do not only provoke sinister laughter but hatred,” González Nieves wrote.

“It is not sufficient for your campaign to apologize,” the archbishop added directly to Trump. “It is important that you, personally, apologize for these comments.”