Background <p>Given the increasing prevalence of cyber spoofing and satire targeting public figures, understanding the psychological and social effects of self-deprecating humor can provide valuable insights into its effectiveness as a coping strategy.</p> Methods <p>Studies 1a (<i>N</i> = 183) and 1b (<i>N</i> = 198) manipulated self-deprecating humor and examined its effect on interpersonal liking using within-participant and between-participant designs, respectively. Study 2 (<i>N</i> = 205) explored the moderating role of social distance and Study 3 (<i>N</i> = 274) investigated the mediating role of perceived forgiveness in the distant condition.</p> Results <p>The results showed that using self-deprecating humor as a coping strategy increased the celebrity’s interpersonal likeability (Study 1). Moreover, self-deprecating humor was more effective in the distant condition than in the close condition (Study 2) and may enhance interpersonal liking through perceived forgiveness (Study 3).</p> Conclusions <p>These findings suggest that self-deprecating humor can serve as an effective strategy for celebrities to navigate cyber spoofing, particularly when addressing a distant audience. The study highlights the role of social distance and perceived forgiveness in shaping audience responses, offering practical implications for celebrity image management on social media.</p>