Critics are not giving up on Steve Harvey, not even as many mourn the 16th anniversary of comedic giant Bernie Mac‘s passing. The two men are half of the legendary “Original Kings of Comedy” act that also includes Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley.
The “Family Feud” host and “Mr. 3000” star had a falling-out during the early 2000s, which along with discord over money, ultimately led to the end of the successful comedy tour. Among their issues was Harvey’s rumored jealousy of Mac’s rise in Hollywood.
According to Katt Williams’ explosive take on their two men’s friendship, Harvey sought to turn his peer’s lucrative film opportunities into his own, even going as far as trying to persuade “Oceans Eleven” producers to cast him over Mac.
Williams’ stinging remarks that were shared in January of this year on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast have led countless people to revisit Harvey’s own acknowledgment of Mac in the years since his passing.
“The Bernie Mac Show” star died at the age of 50 on Aug. 9, 2008. He suffered from complications of the inflammatory disease sarcoidosis, which largely impacts the lungs. At the time of his passing, he was hospitalized while dealing with a bout of pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, high school sweetheart Rhonda McCullough, and their daughter Je’Niece McCullough.
Those reflecting on his life and legacy 16 years later found themselves rewatching a special episode of “The Steve Harvey Show,” the daytime talk show, where the host had Mac’s family, Hughley, Cedric, and comedians Guy Tory and Mike Epps as guests.
After revealing the entertainers’ alma mater, Chicago Vocations School, renamed an auditorium in honor, Rhonda tearfully spoke about the love their hometown and Mac’s fans continue to share. Harvey’s eyes filled with tears, and he began to sniffle, tightly clenching his fist before his mouth as she struggled to maintain her composure as she expressed gratitude for those who remembered the actor.
Before announcing a proclamation declaring Nov. 14 Bernie Mac Day in Chicago, Harvey hung his head low, covered his eyes, and swiped away fallen “crocodile tears,” as some observers are saying now. For some, the perception of his emotions now seems off, and the tears shed were those of “pure guilt of his despicable two face treatments of Bernie.”
Many have clearly forgotten but much respect to Katt Williams for shouting out Bernie Mac & letting these other bums know who the REAL king of comedy was. pic.twitter.com/Pqjohp8wU4
— 🤴🏾Plant Based Papi🥬🥦🥒☀️ (@PlntBasedPapi) January 3, 2024
“Hits different when Katt said what he said,” read a comment on YouTube. Another critic said, “Steve was fake crying crocodile tears. He hated on Bernie and was secretly happy he was gone. Shame on you Steve and all the fake frenemies of the world.” A third individual reexamining the segment wrote, “Steve is literally the definition of , missing someone when their gone. He hated on Bernie, he’s a fraud, . Steve was the fake, Bernie was the real.”
Harvey and his fellow kings of comedy attended the public memorial held for their peer in Chicago on Aug. 16, 2008. The actor reflected on being on the road with Mac and gave the fallen star his flowers for being in a league of his own. Nearly overcome with emotion, he spoke about Mac being a “family man, how he loved Rhonda and his baby, how he talked about them all the time,” as his voice shook and he appeared to fight back tears.
Again, his words were perceived as insincere by viewers revisiting the speech. “Steve Harvey had absolutely no business being on stage. Him and Bernie wasn’t even talking when he passed,” read a comment.
However, a few others chose to come to Harvey’s defense, pushing back on narratives suggesting that his grief was an act. A fan wrote, “Y’all give Steve such a hard time but that man love Bernie sometimes in a competitive sport as comedy cross that line but no doubt they love each other.”
Since being blasted by Williams at the top of the year, Harvey has faced a barrage of comments from fans turning their backs on him.
