Entertainment

Late-night talk shows take on Trudeau for brownface photos

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau got the wrong kind of international attention overnight as talk show hosts took jabs at him for dressing in brown- and blackface.

Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers all take jabs at Liberal Leader

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau reacts Wednesday as he makes a statement about the first of several images coming to light that show him wearing brown- or blackface. Late-night talk show hosts made fun of Trudeau on Thursday. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau got the wrong kind of international attention overnight as talk show hosts took jabs at him for dressing in brown- and blackface.

A photo from a 2001 yearbook shows Trudeau dressed as Aladdin at an "Arabian Nights"-themed event at a Vancouver private school where he taught.

In the photo, Trudeau is clad in a turban and robe with his face, hands and neck covered in dark makeup.

As part of his opening segment, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah joked that Trudeau didn't even get the skin colour right for Aladdin.

He said — quote — "Trudeau isn't dressed as Aladdin, he's dressed as Aladdin doing blackface."

American talk-show host Stephen Colbert also mentioned the photo, calling it "really bad."

And Late Night host Seth Meyers said the photo is — quote — "so bad that Canadians travelling in Europe are going to start telling people they're American."