Katt Williams has never been shy about roasting celebrities. His infamous 2024 “Club Shay Shay” interview proved as much as the star went viral for sharing his perspective on certain encounters with other famous people.
However, in an interview at Vulture Festival, Williams stated that he regrets making jokes about Michael Jackson. He believes that his quips about the late pop singer perpetuated a dangerous stereotype about Black men.
Though he would not specify which joke he was referring to, many believe it was from his 2006 routine from “The Pimp Chronicles Pt. 1" where he implied Jackson had an inappropriate relationship with underage boys.
“I shouldn’t have, honestly,” Williams said in reference to his commentary about Jackson.
“Like, some of these things are the reason that the enemy decides to go ahead and let you be famous. It’s your ability to tear down your own kind no matter how high they are. On the other hand, my job is to be funny first and to voice the opinion of a group that doesn’t get to have their opinion out there, right? So as a Black man, if you don’t love yourself, you don’t love me.”
Williams added that his shots at Jackson were due to his own mental state. “Those were the jokes of a man that was hurt by an icon,” the comedian explained.
He also revealed that Janet Jackson seemingly forgave Williams for the remarks he made about her brother.
“The fact that years later, Janet Jackson said she still loved me despite the jokes that I told about her brother is probably one of the most magnificent things, you know? Just because, I say a lot of hilarious shit. But it costs me every time, you know? Like, I’m never unscathed in these situations.”
Despite being remorseful about his past actions, it hasn’t slowed the 53-year-old down. Williams will appear in the film “One Of Them Days” alongside SZA and Keke Palmer later this month.