Jurors in the civil trial of Bill Cosby asked a series of questions on Thursday afternoon, but had yet to reach a verdict by the end of the day, and will return on Friday morning.
Cosby is facing a lawsuit from Judy Huth, a 64-year-old woman who alleges that he molested her after luring her to the Playboy Mansion in 1975, when she was 16.
Huth is suing under a California law that extends the statute of limitations for claims of childhood sex abuse, allowing accusers to pursue their lawsuits well into adulthood. One aspect of that law, allowing a three-year window for plaintiffs to pursue older claims, is being challenged by several dioceses of the Catholic Church in California.
The jurors’ questions suggested they had considered many of the issues they were asked to decide. In one question, the jury asked how many had to agree on a damages award — suggesting that they could be inclined to award Huth some amount of damages.
Nine of the 12 jurors must agree to reach a verdict.
The case has been underway for the last two weeks in Santa Monica Superior Court.
Cosby has not been in attendance, and exercised his Fifth Amendment right not to testify in his own defense. The jurors were shown brief clips of his videotaped deposition, in which he said he would not pursue minors for sex.
The jurors also asked for definitions of a few terms on the verdict forms. In one instance, they asked what it meant to decide that Cosby had an “unnatural or abnormal sexual interest” in a child — one of the elements Huth’s lawyers must prove in order to prevail. Judge Craig Karlan responded that state law holds that any sexual interest in a child is unnatural.
Cosby’s lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, raised a strenuous objection to that answer, and suggested it could become an issue in the event of an appeal.
The two sides made their closing arguments on Wednesday.
Source: Variety
Netflix has settled a potentially precedent-setting lawsuit from Mo’Nique in a case that could have found that the streamer retaliated against the comedian by refusing to engage in good-faith negotiations after she accused the company of discrimination for opening with a low-ball offer.
Both sides on Tuesday moved to dismiss the suit, according to a court filing. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Netflix in 2017 started to court Mo’Nique for a comedy special during a time it was aggressively ramping up its stand-up content, the complaint says. The negotiations, however, didn’t get far because the Oscar-winning actress did not agree to what she considered a low opening offer of $500,000 for a one-hour show that Netflix would have complete control over, including owning the copyright and retaining all audio-only rights to the special. She protested the offer as discriminatory, leading to Netflix walking away from negotiations.
Mo’Nique subsequently sued Netflix for refusing to budge beyond its initial opening offer. She accused the streamer of systematically underpaying Black women, pointing to eight-figure deals with Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Amy Schumer, who allegedly leveraged other comedians’ compensation during negotiations and was paid 26 times more than what Mo’Nique was offered, according to the complaint.
“The offer made to Mo’Nique was merely an ‘opening offer’ from which there was an expectation — both by Netflix and Mo’Nique — of continued negotiations likely leading to increased compensation being offered to Mo’Nique,” read the complaint. “Once Mo’Nique engaged in protected conduct by protesting the discriminatory offer, Netflix shut down any further negotiations and refused to negotiate in good-faith consistent with its standard practices.”
Mo’Nique spoke publicly about the allegedly discriminatory offer, calling to boycott Netflix.
“I couldn’t accept that low offer because if I did … I couldn’t sleep at night,” Mo’Nique said on Sway in the Morning in January 2018. “If I accepted $500,000, what does Tiffany Haddish have coming? If I accept that, what does the Black female comedian have coming? Because what they’ll say is, ‘Mo’Nique accepted this and she’s got that.’ So what do they have coming?”
At the time, Netflix said in a statement, “We believe our opening offer to Mo’Nique was fair — which is why we will be fighting this lawsuit.” On dismissal, Netflix argued that there’s no legal authority supporting the claim that an employer’s refusal to negotiate in good faith constitutes discrimination or retaliation.
But the federal judge overseeing the case sided with Mo’Nique’s novel theory that Netflix’s failure to negotiate an opening offer consistent with its normal practice, which typically leads to increased compensation, constitutes an “adverse employment action for purposes of a retaliation claim.”
“At the very least, Mo’Nique’s allegations permit the plausible inference that, had she not challenged her offer as discriminatory, Netflix would have continued negotiating in good faith with her and increased her offer, consistent with its customary practice in dealing with talent in the entertainment industry,” writes the judge.
Said Michael Parks, representing Mo’Nique: “The matter has been amicably resolved.”
Netflix did not respond to a request for comment.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Ben Affleck’s untitled Nike drama for Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, and Mandalay Pictures has assembled a stellar cast, with Jason Bateman (Ozark), Viola Davis (The Woman King), Chris Tucker (Rush Hour franchise), Marlon Wayans (Respect) and Chris Messina (Sharp Objects) signing on for roles, along with Matthew Maher (Our Flag Means Death), Tom Papa (Behind the Candelabra) and Julius Tennon (The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar).
Director Affleck also is starring in the pic, which started production Monday in Los Angeles, alongside his fellow Good Will Hunting star, Oscar winner Matt Damon. The film will ultimately premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
The untitled sports marketing film will tell the incredible story of how maverick sneaker salesman Sonny Vaccaro (Damon) led a fledgling running shoe company called Nike in its pursuit of the most transformative athlete in the history of sports: Michael Jordan. Affleck will portray Nike co-founder Phil Knight in the story surrounding Nike’s longshot effort to sign Jordan to its shoe company in the mid-’80s, an endorsement that seemed impossible at the time but which would become the most significant relationship between an athletic brand and an athlete and launched the global, multibillion-dollar contemporary sneaker industry. Sonny’s relentless quest to sign Jordan to what was then the third-place shoe company takes him to Jordan’s parents, and in particular his powerful, dynamic mother, as well as to former coaches, advisors, friends and those close to Michael. Jordan himself is a giant mythic figure hovering above the movie and never seen, while Sonny tries to reach him by gaining access to those close to him and around him.
Bateman will play Vaccaro’s boss, Rob Strasser, the longtime Nike executive and attorney-turned-branding-guru who oversaw the company’s marketing and messaging across all sports. Strasser was an instrumental figure in Nike’s efforts to sign (and later promote) Jordan.
Davis will play Jordan’s mother, Deloris Jordan, who was an enormous influence on Michael’s Nike deal, with Tucker as Howard White, a former college basketball player at the University of Maryland. White was a junior executive at Nike’s fledgling basketball department in the early ’80s, regularly serving as the company’s day-to-day connection with its roster of NBA players, which included such notable names as Moses Malone, George Gervin and Artis Gilmore.
Wayans has been cast as college basketball trailblazer George Raveling, who was the first Black coach in two iconic conferences—the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pacific-10. Additionally, in 1984, he was the head coach at the University of Iowa and an assistant of the gold medal-winning U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team, where he met and befriended Michael Jordan. Raveling was a dear friend of Vaccaro’s, and with Sonny’s prodding, he first introduced the idea of signing with Nike to Michael.
Messina has been tapped to play Jordan’s original agent, David Falk, who had represented several prominent NBA players prior to signing Michael, including a pair of No. 1 overall NBA draft picks—James Worthy (Michael’s former teammate at University of North Carolina) and Mark Aguirre. Falk is often credited with coming up with the name “Air Jordan.” Maher will play Peter Moore, the legendary designer for Nike (and later Adidas) who created the designs for the first Air Jordan sneakers, in addition to the iconic “Wings” and “Jumpman” logos for the Air Jordan brand.
Papa is playing Stu Inman, the former Portland Trail Blazers executive, who famously selected oft-injured center Sam Bowie ahead of Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft, with Tennon as Jordan’s father James, who also influenced his decision to sign with Nike.
Alex Convery penned the original script, titled Air Jordan, which was named to the 2021 Black List of the best unproduced screenplays. Mandalay brought it to Skydance Sports President Jon Weinbach, who then secured Vaccarro’s life rights. Affleck and Damon did a subsequent pass on the script and are producing alongside Peter Guber, Jason Michael Berman, Jeff Robinov, Madison Ainley, and David Ellison. Executive producers include Jon Weinbach, Jesse Sisgold, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger, Kevin Halloran, Michael Joe, John Graham, Drew Vinton, Jordan Moldo and Peter E. Strauss.
Bateman is an Emmy winner who directed, exec produced and starred in Netflix’s acclaimed drama series Ozark, which recently came to the end of its fourth and final season. He’s otherwise perhaps best known for his turn as Michael Bluth on the Netflix comedy series Arrested Development from Imagine Television, The Hurwitz Company and 20th Television. Other recent credits on the acting side include HBO’s smash miniseries The Outsider and the action-comedy Game Night from directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
Davis is an Oscar and Emmy winner best known for turns in films including Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences and Doubt, and for her portrayal of Annalise Keating on ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder. She can currently be seen playing former First Lady Michelle Obama on Showtime’s The First Lady, and will also soon be seen in films including TriStar’s historical epic The Woman King. Other recent credits include The Unforgivable, The Suicide Squid and Troop Zero.
Tucker is an actor and comedian best known for his role as Carter in New Line’s Rush Hour franchise and has also been seen in such films as Billy Lynn’s Halftime Walk, Silver Linings Playbook, Jackie Brown, The Fifth Element, and Friday, among others.
Wayans is an actor, writer, producer and comedian whose credits include In Living Color, Requiem for a Dream, multiple Scary Movie films, The Ladykillers, White Chicks, Little Man, Norbit, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, The Heat and the NBC sitcom Marlon. He’s recently been seen in the films On the Rocks and Respect, as well as Peacock’s Fresh Prince reimagining, Bel-Air, and will next appear in Jeff Wadlow’s horror-comedy, Boo!
Messina appeared in Affleck’s past films Argo and Live By Night, and has also been seen in such recent features as I Care a Lot, She Dies Tomorrow and Birds of Prey. The actor can currently be seen on Starz’s Watergate drama series Gaslit, and will next be seen in Phyllis Nagy’s Sundance timely 2022 drama Call Jane, as well as mystery-thriller The Boogeyman, the sci-fi thriller I.S.S from director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, Bill Pohlad’s musical drama Dreamin’ Wild and David Rabe’s We’re Just Married.
Maher can currently be seen on Prime Video’s Outer Range and HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death. He’ll next appear in Owen Kline’s Funny Pages, the Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow! and Yale Entertainment’s thriller The Kill Room with Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and more.
Papa is a comedian and actor who has previously appeared on such series as Red Oaks, The Jim Gaffigan Show, The Knick and Inside Amy Schumer, as well as films including Top Five, Behind the Candelabra and The Informant!.
Tennon runs JuVee Productions with his wife, Davis. His recent credits on the acting side include the Lifetime TV movie The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar, How to Get Away with Murder and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Bateman is represented by CAA and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Davis by CAA, Lasher Group and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols; Tucker by ICM Partners and Tracy Kramer at Toltec Artists; Wayans by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment and Yorn, Levine, Barnes; Messina by CAA, Entertainment 360 and Gendler & Kelly; Maher by CESD and Viking Entertainment; Papa by UTA; and Tennon by Lasher Group.
Source: Deadline
Comedian David A. Arnold is back on Netflix with a new special, “It Ain’t for the Weak!”
Produced by Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat, the comedy special will launch globally on July 19 and follows his 2019 Netflix debut, “Fat Ballerina.”
“It Ain’t For The Weak!” taped earlier this year at The Hanna Theater in Arnold’s hometown of Cleveland, OH. The new special is directed by award-winning director, artist, and philanthropist Malakai and is executive produced by Hart, Bryan Smiley, Mike Stein, and Tiffany Brown of Hartbeat, along with Dave Becky of 3 Arts Entertainment.
Over the course of his 20-year career as a comedian, actor, writer, producer and showrunner, Arnold has produced several TV shows, including Netflix’s “Fuller House” and the BET+ series “Bigger.” Arnold currently serves as the creator and showrunner for the buddy comedy series “That Girl Lay Lay,” which debuted on Nickelodeon in 2021 before streaming on Netflix, where it launched into the top ten most-watched shows. In Jan. 2022, Nickelodeon greenlit a second season of the series, which follows Lay Lay (Alaya “That Girl Lay Lay” High) and best friend Sadie (Gabrielle Nevaeh Green) after Lay Lay magically comes to life out of a phone app and the two navigate high school together. Arnold executive produces the series alongside Will Packer.
Hartbeat made waves in April by merging Hartbeat Productions and Laugh Out Loud into a single Hartbeat banner led by CEO Thai Randolph, which spurred a $100 million investment from Abry Partners.
Arnold is currently on his national comedy tour, also titled “It Ain’t for the Weak!’, with tickets available at DavidAArnold.com
Source: Variety
This month, the original cast of Martin will reunite for a new special on BET’s streaming service BET+. Featuring Martin Lawrence (“Martin”), Tisha Campbell (“Gina”), Tichina Arnold (“Pamela”), and Carl Anthony Payne II (“Cole”), Martin: The Reunion will showcase special musical performances, behind-the-scenes commentary, and surprise guest appearances. The special is hosted by comedian Affion Crockett, and you can get a sneak peek by watching the trailer below.
Martin is one of the most beloved sitcoms in our community, both because it is hugely entertaining and because it played a pivotal role in changing the narrative of Black voices in entertainment and in culture through the portrayal of young, ambitious Black leads and healthy Black relationships,” BET CEO Scott Mills said of the series in a statement when the reunion special was first announced. “Decades later, that representation is still just as important, which is why we’re so excited to honor a series that put Black culture front and center on our platform that embraces Black culture every day.”
Lawrence added, “To be able to sit here thirty years later with this amazing cast that has had such an impact on pop culture is truly a blessing. I am always humbled that the fans still want more of the show and its characters. I am looking forward to the reunion special.”
Martin: The Reunion is executive produced by Lawrence, Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor, and Stacy Lyles via Run Tel Dat Entertainment. Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon of Jesse Collins Entertainment also executive produced alongside showrunner Jeannae Rouzan-Clay and director Stan Lathan. Nile Evans and Bentley Kyle Evans wrote the special, and Evans co-executive produced while Brittany Brazil produced.
BET+ has announced its summer slate and it includes the Martin reunion, College Hill’s return and more.
The new slate of shows and films coming to the streaming service run the gamut from laugh-out-loud comedies like The Ms. Pat Show to pulpy soaps, dramas and docuseries like Carl Weber’s The Black Hamptons, The Queen’s Men, and American Gangster: Trap Queens. BET+ is also promoting its upcoming special, Martin: The Reunion. College Hill is also making a return with the new series College Hill: Celebrity Edition.
Here’s what you can expect this summer.
Bruh, season 3
Episodes 301-305 now streaming with new episodes weekly
In season 3 of Tyler Perry’s Bruh, the five friends encounter a host of new challenges as the consequences of past and present decisions manifest while they strive to maintain the brotherly bond between them.
I Love Us–New series
All episodes available at launch
Comedy duo Kym Whitley and Kountry Wayne take audiences on a hilarious trip through the funniest and most outrageous clips on the web. I Love Us flips the script on clip shows by offering a Black perspective and an elevated level of comedy that avoids the obvious. While the clips themselves will be funny, they are only part of the comedy equation.
Outsiders–-New film
A Black high school student finds himself under suspicion after his classmate’s mysterious disappearance. Starring Rutina Wesley, Taryn Manning, Shane West, Skylan Brooks and Clark Backo.
American Gangster: Trap Queens, season 3B
All episodes available at launch
Narrated by rap legend Lil’ Kim, the true-crime series returns with five all-new episodes featuring the stories of Sydia Bagley, Lonett “Cookie” Williams, Pam Driskel, Tracie Dickey, and Demi “Mimi” Harrison; whose crimes range from robbery and drug trafficking to real estate fraud. This season of TRAP QUEENS will continue to offer epic, tragic and significant cautionary tales of women seduced by the allure of the underworld to become ultimate crime bosses. Viewers will witness their rise to a fantasy world of riches built on crime before an inescapable fall when they’re forced to face the severe consequences of their actions. The series portrays each Queen’s compelling story through first-hand accounts interwoven with archival footage and subtle recreations giving viewers a resonant and visceral experience.
Martin: The Reunion–New special
90-minute special
This 90-minute reunion special takes fans back to the iconic Martin living room set and reunites the original cast – Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold and Carly Anthony Payne II – for a once in a lifetime celebration of the show’s five season-long history. Hosted by Affion Crockett, the cast will look back on the show’s most hilarious moments, revisit the iconic characters Martin made famous and pay an emotional tribute to the late, great Tommy Ford. Complete with musical performances and drop-ins by celebrity super fans, MARTIN: THE REUNION brings back the wazzup wazzup wazzup passion fans have been waiting for.
Block Party–New film
The comedy centers on Keke McQueen (Antoinette Robertson), a recent Harvard grad who is eager to ditch her hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan for her dream job in Atlanta. But when Keke discovers that her once-super-sharp Grandma Janice (Academy Award® nominee Margaret Avery) is showing early signs of dementia, Keke puts her career at stake in order to save her Grandma’s renowned Juneteenth block party. In the process, Keke falls back in love with her hometown.
Bid for Love–New film
After being injured and doing a bid in prison due to Memphis (Blue Kimble), her former drug trafficking boyfriend, Sasha (Dawn Halfkenny) comes out into the arms of Malik (Adrian Lockett). Malik spoils her with gifts and gets her a job at his real estate office. However, Malik constantly uses his gifts and her past against her to keep her in his grasp. A love-struck Sasha falls head over heels for Malik who slowly attempts to alienate her from her friends and family and secretly plots against her. Her therapist, Dr. Simone (Tami Roman) and unexpected new friends open her eyes to her history of relationships and give her advice on how to deal with them and get her life back.
College Hill: Celebrity Edition–New series
Episodes 101-102 launch on June 27 followed by a new episode every Thursday starting June 30
College Hill is back! In the reimagined new season, celebrities will live together and join the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Texas Southern University as students. Nene Leakes, Ray J, Lamar Odom, Big Freedia, Stacey Dash, DreamDoll, India Love, and Slim Thug head back to class to expand their educational horizons. The eight-episode series will explore college life through a celebrity lens while showcasing the unique cultural and academic experience of HBCUs. Despite their respective fame and notoriety, each cast member is committed to focusing on their higher education as a personal challenge to prove it’s never too late. Enrolled alongside current Texas Southern University students, the cast will work towards completing a specialty certificate program to cross the graduation stage. Though to triumph, like any ordinary college student, they must complete their course work along with required internships, extra credit opportunities, group projects, and more. Who will take the lead on group projects? Who will pull an all-nighter? Who will graduate and who won’t?
The Black Hamptons–New series
All episodes available at launch
A family drama set in the quaint town of Sag Harbor known as The Black Hamptons follows the brewing feud between the Brittons and Johnsons where the difference between old money and new money is very apparent. THE BLACK HAMPTONS not only features the glitz and gloss of the Black elite, but also exposes the secrets of wealth and prestige. With a mix of legacy families, their friends, wannabes and thirsty developers, drama can never be too far behind. Based on a novel by The New York Times best-selling author Carl Weber, THE BLACK HAMPTONS stars Lamman Rucker, Vanessa Bell Calloway and Elise Neal.
All The Queen’s Men, season 2–New Season
All episodes available at launch
The one-hour drama will pick up on the life of “Marilyn ‘Madam’ DeVille,” played by Eva Marcille. In season one, viewers witnessed Madam’s swagger as a fierce businesswoman who rules all in the lucrative male exotic nightclub industry. She is surrounded by a band of trusted employees who are down to make sure that Madam and her empire is successful. As her journey continues in season two, she is hell bent on expanding her Queendom. However, she soon discovers that more money and more power mean more problems. Season two will pick up with her navigating this sexy yet dangerous world in an effort to stay alive and ahead of the game. Fans will also rejoin Madam’s loyal team as the following series regulars return: Skyh Alvester Black as “Amp ‘Addiction’ Anthony,” Candace Maxwell as “DJ Dime,” Racquel Palmer as “Blue,” Michael ‘Bolo’ Bolwaire as “Doc,” Keith Swift Jr. as “Babyface,” Dion Rome as “El Fuego,” and Jeremy ‘Masterpiece’ Williams as “Midnight.” Creator Christian Keyes will also reprise his intriguing role as “The Concierge.” Additionally, recurring cast member Carter the Body returns as “Trouble” solidifying her spot in Club Eden amongst a roster of hot male counterparts.
Ghost in the House of Truth–New film
Bola Ogun (Susan Wokoma) is a dedicated counselor, who facilitates reconciliation sessions between convicts and the victims of their crimes. When her own daughter goes missing, her belief in forgiveness is tested. Directed by Akin Omotoso and starring Susan Wokoma, Tope Tedela, Fabian Adeoye Lojede, and Kemi Lala Akindoju.
Family Business, season 4–New season
All episodes available at launch
Welcome to the world of the Duncan family. They appear to be upstanding citizens running one of New York’s most respected car dealerships, but in reality, they’re leaders of the black mafia who control most of the East Coast underworld. No matter which job is at hand, one thing is true about the Duncans: there is nothing they won’t do for family.
The Ms. Pat Show, season 2–New season
All episodes available at launch
Fresh off an explosive critically acclaimed first season that Decider declared “one of the year’s notable new comedies,” Pat and her loveable family return for a second season this August. The “grown folks sitcom,” complete with unfiltered language, is based on Pat’s incredible real-life story of a teen mom and former convicted felon from inner-city Atlanta turned suburban mom living in Indiana. Season 2 of the series, which has already taken on profound topics including non-binary pronouns, school shootings, drug addiction, racism, and child abuse, finds the Carson family moving from a period of adjusting to a white suburban neighborhood into a season of growth in these new surroundings. This modern, multi-generational African American family navigating life’s twists and turns against the backdrop of current cultural chaos will explore self-love and past traumas. Most importantly, Pat will confront her own demons, with plenty of laughs and even a few tears along the way, as only she can do.
Warner Bros. has dropped the first look images for the upcoming House Party reboot coming to HBO Max.
The reboot stars Tosin Cole, Jacob Latimore, Karen Obilom and DC Young Fly. Calmatic directs the screenplay by Jamal Olori and Stephen Glover.
The project is produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter through The SpringHill Company. Springhill’s Spencer Beighley and Jamal Henderson along with Reginald Hudlin, Warrington Hudlin and Gretel Twombly serve as executive producers.
Check out the photos below;
Ron Batzdorff
Photo: Ron Batzdorff
Photo: Ron Batzdorff
BET+ announced the 30th year anniversary special will take place on the show’s iconic living room set. The reunion is bringing back original cast members Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold and Carl Anthony Payne the second to discuss the show’s five seasons.
Hosted by comedian Affion Crockett, the cast will look back on the show’s most hilarious moments, revisit the iconic characters Martin made famous and pay an emotional tribute to the late, great Tommy Ford. Thomas Mikal Ford passed away in 2016 at the age of 52.
Complete with musical performances and drop-ins by celebrity super fans, MARTIN: THE REUNION brings back the wazzup wazzup wazzup passion fans have been waiting for.
The reunion special is executive produced by Martin Lawrence, Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor and Stacy Lyles through his company Run Tel Dat Entertainment.
“Martin: The Reunion” is set to debut on June 16 on BET+.
A&E Network will premiere the new two-part documentary event “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution” exploring the progression of Black comedy and the comedians who have used pointed humor to expose, challenge and ridicule society’s injustices and to articulate the Black experience in America. Executive produced by Kevin Hart’s HARTBEAT and TIME Studios, the documentary explores Black comedy through a unique lens, tracing the evolution and social awakening of the courageous comedians who dared to push against the constraints of their time and spoke truth to power. “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution” is co-directed by Mario Diaz and Jessica Sherif and premieres Wednesday, June 29 at 9pm ET/PT and Thursday, June 30 at 9pm ET/PT on A&E. “Right to Offend” will also be available on demand and to stream on the A&E app and aetv.com.
The documentary traces the history of Black comedy and its under-appreciated legacy of driving social change across the 20th and 21st centuries. From Redd Foxx, Moms Mabley and Dick Gregory during the civil rights movement, Richard Pryor in the 70s, Eddie Murphy and Whoopi Goldberg in the 80s, to the power of In Living Color and Def Comedy Jam in the 90s, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle in the 2000s and groundbreaking modern-day comedians and creators like Key & Peele, Issa Rae, Amber Ruffin and Tiffany Haddish. Across four hours, “Right to Offend” explores the rare position these artists and many more hold in our society as both entertainers and truth tellers that speak to audiences in ways no other performers can.
Featuring interviews with some of the greatest comedy minds of all time as well as a rich collection of archival material, the two-part event reveals the personal stories and tribulations faced by many Black performers in attaining greater acceptance and opening the doors for a true representation of the Black experience. The documentary also traces how each generation of comedians built upon the foundations created by their predecessors to help evolve and push the boundaries of comedy as a means for social change and fought for a greater definition and understanding of what it means to be Black in America.
Full list of interviewees:
W. Kamau Bell, Comedian
Alonzo Bodden, Comedian
Dr. Todd Boyd, Author and Academic
Wayne Brady, Comedian
Kevin “Dot Com” Brown, Comedian, Co-Founder “Uptown Comedy Club”
Michael Che, Comedian
Louis Chude-Sokei, Author and Academic
Tommy Davidson, Comedian
Michael Eric Dyson, Author and Academic; Author, “Is Bill Cosby Right?”
Wayne Federman, Comedy Historian; Author, “The History of Stand-Up”
Andre Gaines, Filmmaker, “The One and Only Dick Gregory”
Nelson George, Filmmaker and Cultural Critic
Christian Gregory, Dick Gregory’s Son
David Alan Grier, Comedian
Tiffany Haddish, Comedian
Michael Harriot, Journalist and TV Writer; Author, “Black AF History”
Kevin Hart, Comedian, Actor, Producer & Entrepreneur
Steve Harvey, Comedian
Bambi Higgins, Academic, Author, “Laughing Mad”
Lil Rel Howery, Comedian
DL Hughley, Comedian
Norman Lear, Television Producer
Darryl Littleton, Comedian and Writer
Daryl Mooney, Paul Mooney’s Son
Dwayne Mooney, Paul Mooney’s Son
Garrett Morris, Comedian
Mark Anthony Neal, Author and Academic
Kliph Nesteroff, Comedy Historian; Author, “Comedians”
David Peisner, Entertainment Journalist; Author, “Homey Don’t Play That: The Story of In Living Color”
Russell Peters, Comedian
Elizabeth Pryor, Richard Pryor’s Daughter
Rain Pryor, Richard Pryor’s Daughter
Donnell Rawlings, Comedian
Tony Rock, Comedian
Amber Ruffin, Comedian
Allison Samuels, Entertainment Journalist
Scott Saul, Author, “Becoming Richard Pryor”
Amanda Seales, Comedian
Sherri Shepherd, Comedian
Bob Sumner, Co-Creator, “Def Comedy Jam”
Eddie Tafoya, Comedy Historian; Author, “Icons of African American Comedy”
Robin Thede, Comedian; Creator, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”
Kenan Thompson, Comedian
Joe Torry, Comedian
Aisha Tyler, Comedian
Jimmie Walker, Comedian; Cast Member, “Good Times”
George Wallace, Comedian
Marsha Warfield, Comedian; Cast Member, “The Richard Pryor Show”
Katt Williams, Comedian
Tony Woods, Comedian
“Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution” is produced by TIME Studios for A&E Network. Mario Diaz and Jessica Sherif are co-directors and executive producers. Ian Orefice, Loren Hammonds and Alexa Conway serve as executive producers for TIME Studios. Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley, Pookey Wigington and Mike Stein serve as executive producers for HARTBEAT. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson serve as executive producers for A&E. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for “Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution