Wendy Williams is catching some heat for making comments about Joaquin Phoenix‘s cleft palate on a recent episode of her daytime television talk show, The Wendy Williams Show. This particular episode aired on Jan. 7 during Wendy’s ‘Hot Topics’ segment where she came to Beyonce’s defense for refusing to stand during the announcement of Phoenix’s Golden Globes Best Actor Award acceptance speech. 

In the segment, Williams jokingly teases Phoenix about his condition stating, “When he shaves off his mustache he’s got a hairline fracture,” she said. “He’s got one of those — what do you call it? Cleft lip, cleft palate.”

Williams followed up her comment by hooking her finger over her top lip in order to imitate the somewhat common birth defect. Now, nearly a week later, fans and activists are making an uproar about Williams’ taunting comments that affect children around the globe. 

British celebrity, Carol Vorderman, 59, who also happens to be an ambassador for the Cleft Lip and Palate Association, Tweeted out her disdain for Williams’ comments saying, “I really am disgusted by this @wendywilliams.. Mimicking a cleft lip, and making a joke about it, is disgraceful. Have you any idea the pain and operations a child with cleft must go through as they grow?”

While the Joker star has never formally addressed his cleft lip scar, it’s more than likely not an ailment for the award-winning actor who is currently celebrating the success as his role as one of Batman‘s nemeses. Check out the segment where Wendy Williams goes in on Joaquin Phoenix’s cleft lip at the 11:15 mark in the video provided below.