Nick Cannon’s comedy sketch series “Wild n Out” sparked a
controversy on Thursdays’ episode when comedian and cast member Jessie Woo cracked an
ill-joke about the late, great Whitney Houston. 

Participants were tasked to create voice messages while
impersonating famous celebrities in one of the games in the show. Woo was
assigned the impression of Houston.

She began to sing a snippet of the singer’s ballad “I
will always love you’’ and then held Houston’s famous long note on the opening
words “And I …” before abruptly saying “I’m dead.” 

When the clip of the episode spread on Twitter, it left
the fans shocked. They lashed at Woo for being insensitive.

Woo however responded to the criticism. “The show is
called “WILD N OUT” for a reason… and still, I was able to say some wild shit
without picking low hanging fruit like her history with drugs… unlike the many
comedians who have for decades,” she tweeted Friday morning. “I pushed the envelope and I
am proud of me.”

She claimed that she received the anticipated laughter
for her joke on the set and was being criticized on social media solely because
she’s a female comic.

“Male Comedians and folks on Twitter
make jokes about Whitney’s battle with drugs still till this day… but me
impersonating her during a voicemail game by singing her song & saying ‘I’m
dead’ (a great excuse why she cannot come to the phone)… but I went too far?”
she wrote.

American singer and actress,
Whitney Houston passed away in 2012, at the age of 48
due to drowning. A coroner had indicated that cocaine use and heart disease played a
role in her death.

Woo’s antics may have been mistimed as well. On Wednesday,
ABC broadcasted an hour-long program titled “Superstar: Whitney
Houston,” in which profiled the “Heartbreak Hotel” singer. The show also featured interviews of her friends such as Brandy Norwood and Chaka
Khan.