Rumors of turmoil between Bernie Mac and Steve Harvey‘s working relationship have circulated in Hollywood for years. Fellow comedians and insiders, including Katt Williams, suggest that the dynamic between the two was fueled by competition and perhaps jealousy on the part of the “Family Feud” host.
Now an old video of the two comedians promoting the “Kings of Comedy” tour has resurfaced, sparking speculation on social media about Steve’s feelings toward the star of “The Bernie Mac Show.”
In a resurfaced clip posted by @Iam_big_bankz, Bernie is delivering a joke during a radio interview, with a young Cedric The Entertainer cracking up and D.L. Hughley seeming to be concentrating on the joke.
Steve, however, is seen on the side with what looks like a sour face. While the excerpt is possibly out of context, social media detectives say the evidence is clear: In the clip “Steve is hating hard.”
Others also chimed in.
“U can see the hate in his face,” one person wrote. Another person added, “Ohh shiiii, it’s all out of the box now [two laughing emojis] Steve has some explaining to do.”
A third comment read, “Steve over there figuring out which jokes he is going to steal.” A fourth online user said, “They knew Bernie was the ONE !!!!”
To some, the short clip appears to show Harvey’s “envy, jealousy and hate” for Mac, including one person who said, “To me, it looks like he was just looking at Bernie.”
Some people who saw the original footage claim the camera was cut before Steve got a chance to laugh. They believe the video was edited to fuel the “narrative” about their beef. “Yup. Steve Harvey always looks like this, but you know… divide and conquer.”
Still, multiple comedy insiders have publicly spoken about the “Think Like A Man” author’s true feelings about Bernie from their perspective.
D.L. said during his interview with DJ Vlad in 2018 that the beef between Steve and Bernie stopped a sequel from being done. According to the fellow “Kings of Comedy” star, Steve was the top dog and was getting a lot of mainstream success, “and then Bernie started to get it,” which became a problem.
The third “King of Comedy,” Cedric claims they pushed through their differences on the original tour but the tension blocked them from doing a second comedy tour.
“They both alpha males. They both…they just saw it different,” he explained. “But at the end of the day, they was able to get through it.”
Radio personality Ed Lover confirmed the tension when he heard that Steve wanted Bernie’s role in “Ocean’s Eleven” and even told the producers he was willing to take less money to play the role of Frank Catton.
“All I can say is what Bernie told me,” the “Yo! MTV Raps host” said during an interivew on “The Culture Club Uncensored.” “And he was upset with Steve because he said Steve tried to get him taken off of Ocean’s — the Ocean’s movie he did … and tried to vie for his part after he already got hired. And, uh, Bernie never lied to me. That’s all I’m going to say. He was my friend. I loved him.”
Katt took it a step further in his interview on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast. He claims he turned down the chance to do “Kings of Comedy 2” because of the way that Steve “s—ted on Bernie.”
The “Pimpin’ Pimpin’” comedian said Steve started a narrative that he went last because he was funnier than Bernie. According to Katt, Steve didn’t share with many that it was his tour and that was why he ended the show.
“The reason you were supposed to go last because it was your tour, tell the truth,” he said. “It was Steve’s tour… These are the guys opening for him. Of course, you got to close if it’s your tour.”
Well done, Katt Williams. I have been saying from day one that Bernie Mac was this funniest man on "Kings of Comedy"
— Unbothered (@Jersefinest8) January 4, 2024
Rest in Paradise 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/JJeo6t89Rh
Until “he humbles himself,” Katt said Steve will forever be “kinged by the king” Mac.
“That man was funnier than all of y’all and y’all thought y’all had one over on him,” he explained. “You thought he was black and ugly and you were good looking and he couldn’t make it because you did … and that ain’t the way comedy work. The king is the funniest.”
Bernie Mac’s daughter, Je’Niece McCullough, that she knew that the industry was cutthroat and that people just didn’t get along during a video taken while on Instagram Live.
She said that her dad knew that a lot of people didn’t like or appreciate him, giving her this tidbit of advice: “If you ever want to be loved by anyone… If you ever want to be special … just die.”
Bernie Mac passed away on Aug. 9, 2008, which was about eight years after the conclusion of the “Kings of Comedy” tour. He was 50. The tour ended in early 2000, marking the last time Steve and Bernie worked together.
