Actor Brandon T. Jackson has found the light in the dark matter surrounding Katt Williams’ no-holds-barred interview about the entertainment industry and his peers. The veteran comic has had millions of eyes on his nearly three-hour “Club Shay Shay” interview, where he alleged that male superstars do not reach high levels of success without stealing jokes, selling their souls and dressing as women for laughs.
In the midst of people like Kevin Hart, Cedric The Entertainer and Rickey Smiley addressing Williams’ controversial comments, Jackson chimed in on the viral discourse in the most subtle of ways. “No matter what they say, The Most High put me where I am. Period. Never did nothing strange for a piece of change,” he wrote on a Jan. 4 Instagram post.
On Friday (Jan. 5), Jackson clarified exactly what he meant by the post when he joined the “Breaking The Machine” podcast. He told the hosts, “I meant off-screen, it’s not what you do on-screen. Off-screen is more important, you know. I never ever had to sell my body sexually for any roles. God covered me. And never have any studio head [come] on to me sexually, or — you know, I know that happens in the industry — never had that happen to me.”
Williams retold the story of disgraced Miramax founder Harvey Weinstein allegedly propositioning him for a sexual favor during his Jan. 3 podcast appearance. He claimed that, unlike other peers, he has left money on the table to maintain his integrity. Jackson said he was grateful that Williams’ interview called out the “problem” in Hollywood, but that it was time to create solutions, such as self-funding independent films and investing in up-and-coming actors and producers.
“Katt Williams could have taken $500,000 of his money that he’s gonna make on one show, ‘cause he’s probably gon’ make like $10 million, I would urge Katt to either invest in young artists, you know, young producers, get a fund… and produce quality content that uplifts our people and uplifts humanity in all,” the Roll Bounce star said.
Hear what else Jackson had to say about the topic, including the advice Denzel Washington gave him about avoiding the pitfalls of the Hollywood nightlife below.