Comedian Steve Harvey graced the stage of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” this week, but news of the appearance didn’t go over well with fans — at all.
Harvey took to Instagram announce his appearance on the popular late night talk show, writing, “Catch me on @jimmykimmellive tonight on the @abcnetwork at 11:35pm PT 📷 ” However, the King of Comedy’s recent spat with comedienne Mo’Nique left a bitter taste in some people’s mouths.
Steve Harvey felt the wrath of online critics this week after announcing his appearance on talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (Instagram / @iamsteveharveytv)
“MR NO INTEGRITY HARVEY SHAME ON YOU,” one critic wrote.
“Ooooh you tap dancing with Mr Blackface himself, 🖕🏾 you!” another added, referencing reports that Kimmel once wore blackface for laughs and giggles.
“I was always on the fence with U because you always displayed #coonish Behavior,” a critic opined. “But I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Now it’s clear you #skinfolk you Not #kinfolk.”
Another user put it plainly: “I’m sorry Mr. Harvey, I cannot in good conscience follow you anymore. For moral reasons, it is those same reasons of why I don’t watch the NFL anymore.”
The backlash follows Harvey’s heated sit-down with Mo’Nique on his daytime talk show earlier this week, during which the two addressed Mo’Nique’s accusations that she was blackballed from the industry. The actress/comedienne said she felt hurt when Harvey failed to lend his support after she stood up against industry heavyweights Tyler Perry, Lee Daniels, Oprah Winfrey and Lionsgate after she refused to promote her 2009 film “Precious” without pay.
“This is my brother, and when I heard you go on the air and you said, ‘My sister done burned too many bridges and there’s nothing I can do for her now,’ Steve, do you know how hurt I was?” she told Harvey, later adding, “None of y’all in real time were strong enough to go publicly and say, ‘We can’t throw our sister under the bus.’ ”
In 2018, Mo’Nique also announced a boycott against streaming giant Netflix after she claims they lowballed her for a comedy special. Harvey saw things differently, however, arguing that Mo’Nique had gone about her protest the wrong way.
“When you tell the truth, you have to deal with the repercussions of the truth,” he added. “We Black out here. We can’t come out here and do it any way we want to. Your husband can’t be the Sidney that he really is out here. … This is the money game. This ain’t a Black man’s game, this ain’t a white man’s game. This is the money game!
“Before the money game, it’s called the integrity game,” Mo’Nique shot back. “And we’ve lost the integrity worried about the money.”
