‘The Masked Singer’ Premiere Unmasks Actor Accused of Rape
This post contains spoilers for this week’s episode of The Masked Singer.
Following the Season 10 premiere of The Masked Singer Wednesday night, actor and comedian Anthony Anderson was the first celebrity to be unmasked after being correctly guessed by panelist Ken Jeong. Stunned, Jeong praised Anderson for the fun and laughter he has brought to the entertainment industry.
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“It’s a Season 10 miracle,” Jeong said.
During the Season Nine premiere, 97-year-old Dick Van Dyke took the stage in a Gnome costume, and Monty Python star Eric Idle and Star Trek’s William Shatner were revealed on the first night of Season Eight. Anderson’s reveal, though, was not only a shock to the judges and audience members, but to himself.
“I don’t know the lyrics, that’s why I’m not on the show,” Anderson said.
Identified as Rubber Ducky, Anderson waddled on stage with a tub and shower curtain attached to his costume. Off-tune and occasionally forgetting swaths of lyrics, Anderson sang along to Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen” as bubbles and balloons littered the stage.
As a clue featuring a signed family photo of rubber ducks was presented, panelist Robin Thicke guessed actor David Arquette. Judge Jenny McCarthy followed with the Wayans Brothers, but Ken Jeong quickly countered with Anthony Anderson, noting, “He’s not known for stand-up, but he’s one of the best comedic actors around.” Panelist Nicole Scherzinger later guessed Family Matters actor Jaleel White before the unveiling.
Other clues included a horror movie VHS tape, in reference to his roles in Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4, and a photo of Leonardo DiCaprio, whom Anderson starred alongside in Martin Scorsese’s The Departed.
“I tried stand-up comedy and learned it wasn’t for me, but now I’m a household name,” Anderson, dressed as Rubber Ducky, said.
Anderson is known affectionately for his role as Dre in the sitcom black-ish and is a four-time NAACP Image Awards winner for the role. The actor also starred in Law & Order, Barbershop: The Next Cut, and Transformers.
In 2018, the actor was under investigation after allegedly sexually assaulting a woman the year prior, according to The Blast. The DA decided not to press charges, citing lack of evidence. In 2004, an extra on the film Hustle & Flow accused Anderson of rape, but the charges were later dismissed.
The night began with a moving performance of Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited” by Giselle, a costumed gazelle with a floral cape. As Diver shared his clues, dressed in a diver’s helmet and wrapped in squid tentacles, the unidentified performer offered, “I’ve been everyone’s favorite person to hate.” After taking to the stage, Diver sang a high-pitched rendition of Journey’s “Any Way You Want It.” The night concluded with performances from S’more singing Niall Horan’s “Slow Hands” and Cow singing Imagine Dragons’ “Bones.”
Anderson’s unmasking wasn’t the season’s first big surprise.
During a special standalone episode that aired on Sept. 10, Anonymouse, a mouse wearing a studded jacket and tulle skirt, sang Heart’s “What About Love” and was later identified as Demi Lovato. The episode also featured undisguised special guests and Masked Singer alumni Michelle Williams, Rumer Willis, Joey Fatone, and Bow Wow.
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