The actor is setting the record straight.
Travis Barker has been in the news a lot lately, mostly for his marriage ceremonies with Kourtney Kardashian.
However, the Blink-182 drummer has recently been engaged in controversy as a result of a resurfaced Punk’d clip in which some believe Barker uttered a homophobic slur.
(Is the “Kardashian Curse” at work here?) Now, the Punk’d actor who appeared in the prank is speaking out about the incident and sharing his memories of what happened that day.
As per Cinema Blend reports, Travis Barker was on a date with his future reality show ex-wife but then-girlfriend and recent Celebrity Big Brother competitor Shanna Moakler in Episode 6 of Punk’d Season 2. Actor Ahmed Ahmed approached and pretended to be a waiter who used to date Moakler.
Some believe Barker called Ahmed a homophobic slur after Ahmed made a jab at him. Because the episode blurred Barker’s mouth and bleeped his speech, Ahmed spoke to TMZ about the scene and what he believes was said:
“He did not say anything racial or homophobic. If I recall accurately, I said, ‘I didn’t think that was your type,’ to Shanna, the ex-girlfriend.
At which point he replied, ‘Yeah, she usually dates fucking assholes.’ And then I replied, ‘I don’t appreciate you calling me an asshole.’ It kind of escalated from there and that’s when Ashton Kutcher came out and Punk’d the whole thing.”
After reviewing the footage with Ahmed Ahmed’s added insight, it appears that the conversation took place as he stated above, rather than Travis Barker using a racist or homophobic slur. While we can’t be certain, the chin movement during the scene was found to correlate with Barker saying “fucking asshole” more than other options.
Others have claimed that Barker referred to Ahmed as a “terrorist,” which could explain why the actor made the distinction that the remark was not racial.
Ahmed Ahmed went on to defend Travis Barker, trying to explain that the drummer was cordial once he realized it was all a joke at his expense. Ahmed tried to provide evidence that Barker would not use such language and stated a very practical reason why:
“He was super nice after we revealed he was on the show. He was super compliant. He signed the release form, which I don’t think he would’ve signed if he would’ve said those words. Knowing that he was going to go on public television.”
The Punk’d episode aired in November 2003, which, unfortunately, was a time when such language could have been used casually. Punk’d + subscribers can see examples of this and other things that would not fly in 2022 can be found in older MTV episodes of shows like Jackass.
Punk’d by Ashton Kutcher isn’t on there, so fans will have to rely on old web clips to decide whether they believe Ahmed.
Those willing to watch the original Punk’d series can do so by purchasing it through Amazon Prime. It may be perfect for those looking to relive their early 2000s nostalgia, but be warned: some problematic material may arise that is out of date.
