CBS May Face FCC Penalty After Erin Doherty’s Unfiltered Moment on Air
British actress Erin Doherty’s candid acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, where she received the award for Best Performance By a Female Actor in a Supporting Role On Television, has raised eyebrows and might put CBS under scrutiny for indecency.
During her speech, Doherty acknowledged her mother, jokingly saying, “I made a promise to my mum I wouldn’t swear but what the fuck. Sorry, mum.”
This marks the second time Doherty has used explicit language while accepting an award for her role in Adolescence. During the Emmy Awards in September, she exclaimed, “Thank you to the Academy you’re all f**king stunning,” although that moment was censored.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prohibits indecent or profane content on broadcast networks from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., prompting questions about potential consequences for CBS. Any action from the FCC would likely depend on whether there are formal complaints, with recent years seeing a decline in fines.
While the Ellison family, which owns CBS, is reportedly close with former President Trump, his administration has hinted at targeting the entertainment industry.
In her acceptance speech, Doherty also acknowledged the talented nominees she bested, including Carrie Coon from The White Lotus, Parker Posey, Aimee Lou Wood, Hannah Einbinder from Hacks, and Catherine O’Hara from The Studio. She dedicated a portion of her speech to key collaborators, stating, “This experience for me was entirely molded from within the interview room of that set for episode three.” Additionally, she expressed gratitude to therapists, emphasizing the importance of mental health: “Life can be tough, mental health is everything, so thank you to therapists, it was an honor to play one.”
In Adolescence, Doherty portrayed psychologist Briony Ariston, appearing alongside Owen Cooper’s character, Jamie, in episode three. Following her Emmy win, she discussed the incident on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, explaining, “You’re not supposed to swear but I kind of just got up there and I saw everyone and I just had to tell them that they were stunning.”
The debate over expletives during awards shows has reached the Supreme Court twice, most recently in 2012 when fines imposed on Fox Television Stations for language used by Cher and Nicole Richie were struck down. Nevertheless, the constitutionality of the FCC’s policy on fleeting expletives remains unchallenged. Under the current chair, Brendan Carr, the FCC has shown little interest in addressing issues of indecency, although he has criticized the influence of networks over affiliates.
An FCC spokesperson has not yet commented on the situation.
Ted Johnson contributed to this story.
