Travis Barker is in the news a lot lately, though mostly because of his marriage ceremonies with Kourtney Kardashian. Recently though, the Blink-182 drummer experienced a bit of controversy thanks to a resurfaced clip from Punk’d that some believe featured Barker uttering a homophobic slur. (Is this the "Kardashian Curse" at work?) Now, the Punk’d actor featured in the prank is speaking out about the moment and sharing his recollection of really went down that day.
In Episode 6 of Punk’d Season 2, Travis Barker was on a date with his future reality show ex-wife but then-girlfriend and recent Celebrity Big Brother competitor Shanna Moakler. Actor Ahmed Ahmed approached and pretended to be a waiter who once dated Moakler back in the day. After Ahmed made a jab at Barker, it’s then that some believe Barker called Ahmed a homophobic slur. Of course, the episode itself blurred Barker’s mouth and bleeped his speech, so Ahmed spoke to TMZ about the scene and what he believes was actually 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.
Upon reviewing the clip with Ahmed Ahmed’s added insight, it does appear that the conversation went down as he stated above, and not with Travis Barker dropping a racist or homophobic slur. While we can’t say anything with certainty, the chin movement during the scene does seem to link up with Barker saying “fucking asshole” more than other options. Others in the past alleged that Barker referred to Ahmed as a “terrorist,” which might be why the actor made the distinction the remark wasn’t racial either.
Ahmed Ahmed went further to vouch for Travis Barker and explained that the drummer was cordial once he realized it was all a joke at his expense. Ahmed tried to present further evidence Barker wouldn’t use that type of 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 that sort of language might have been used without a second thought. Paramount+ subscribers can see examples of that and other things that wouldn’t fly in 2022 in older MTV episodes of shows like Jackass. Ashton Kutcher’s Punk’d isn’t on there, so fans will need to reference old web clips to decide for themselves if they believe Ahmed Ahmed.
Those looking to stream the original Punk’d series can do so by purchasing it on Amazon Prime. It might be great for folks eager to relive some early 2000s nostalgia, though be warned – some problematic stuff could surface that might not be so in line with the times.
