Actor Anthony Anderson slammed for creepy ‘I like 'em young' joke to teen Lindsay Lohan in now viral clip from The Sharon Osbourne Show

Time of India

6 days ago

Just when we thought the internet had moved on from dragging old daytime talk shows, a 2003 clip from The Sharon Osbourne Show has come back to haunt Black-ish actor Anthony Anderson, and the internet is not laughing this time.
I'll never pass up an opportunity to remind everyone that Anthony Anderson is a rapist and also a pedophile according to his words in this video pic.twitter.com/htmunnRpbQ
Anthony Anderson's old joke to Lindsay Lohan resurfaces, and it's not ageing well
In the clip, Anderson interviewed 17-year-old Mean Girls star Lindsay Lohan and dropped what he thought was a cheeky one-liner. After Lohan casually mentioned moving in with Raven-Symoné, Anderson asked, 'What gentlemen will be at the new pad?' When she replied that she had no boyfriend and was 'illegal for people that are old,' Anderson said, 'Well, you know, some men like 'em young. We ain't gonna mention no names, but, you know, I'm one of 'em.'
That 2003 interview between Anthony Anderson and Lindsay Lohan wasn't random and it's coming up now because it was a coded humiliation ritual, dressed up as late-night TV. From Anderson's birthday on August 15, 2002 to Lohan's on July 2, 2003 is exactly 322 days. Skull and Bones. pic.twitter.com/tet8CjxRjQ
Cue nervous laughter, awkward energy, and now, two decades later—pure outrage.
Anthony Anderson speaks out through rep
As the clip began circulating on social media again, people labelled the joke 'creepy' and 'disturbing,' with one user bluntly stating it 'hasn't aged well.' The backlash came in hot, and Anderson's team wasted no time issuing a response.
Anthony Anderson's rep responds to backlash over resurfaced interview where he told 17-year-old Lindsay Lohan he liked 'them young': "This interview was clearly intended as comedy. He regrets if the humor was in poor taste and maintains the utmost respect for Lindsay. Any… pic.twitter.com/bmQE2I3aav
According to his spokesperson, Anderson intended the moment as 'comedy' and regrets if it came across in poor taste. The rep emphasised that he holds 'utmost respect' for Lohan and slammed any implication that his comment was malicious as 'inaccurate and potentially defamatory.'
Lindsay Lohan has moved on and out of the spotlight
Though Lohan has not commented on the clip's resurfacing, she has been open about the media frenzy that hounded her throughout her teen years. In a 2024 interview, she reflected on how the press obsession with her personal life often buried her work, prompting her temporary Hollywood exit.
The actress now seems more in control of her narrative, praising Instagram as a tool for public figures to own their stories. Lohan, who is now a mother to two-year-old son Luai, said she no longer consumes press coverage because it can easily 'get you lost.'
Social media is not letting this one slide
Despite Anderson's clarification, social media users are still divided. Some call for grace considering the clip's age, while others argue that this is exactly why past behaviour deserves reevaluation. Either way, the message is clear: the internet never forgets, especially when your old jokes resurface with a whole new lens.