In “The Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,” the comedian addresses the awkwardness between him and his crush head-on: “You laughed and called me a stupid bitch.”
In the premiere of The Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, which arrived this weekend, the comedian reveals that he developed a crush on his “best friend” Tyler, the Creator. He eventually confessed his feelings to the rapper via text. And that’s when things got awkward.
“I fell in love with my best friend. 1 out of 10, don’t recommend,” Carmichael tells the audience during a stand-up gig featured in the show. “I knew I had to tell him. Things started getting kind of weird between us. I had these feelings… So I texted him. I remember saying, ‘I know you didn’t ask for this, but somewhere down the line I developed feelings for you and I don’t know what to do with that.’ Then I immediately turned my phone off and went into therapy.”
He joked, “My therapist was thrilled. He was so excited! He was like, ‘Man, this s— never happens in real time.’”
Recounting Tyler’s eventual response, Carmichael said, “He sent me a voice note. I was so nervous. It was like six seconds… He said, ‘Hahahaha, you stupid bitch.’ And I don’t really know what that means.”
Though the comedian admitted that he was reluctant to broach the subject again due to the “fear of it being so totally unrequited,” he then tried to make things less weird by asking the rapper to be his date for the 2022 Emmys, where he was nominated for his intimate stand-up special Rothaniel.
The new episode, fittingly titled “Emmys,” shows Carmichael waiting for Tyler to respond to him and contemplating a backup plan. “Part of me wants to play musical chairs on Grindr the day of,” Carmichael tells the camera.
Days before the awards ceremony, Tyler finally gets back to him, mmm, I shoot all day. Thanks, tho, that is lit.”
In the end, none of the Grindr dates made the cut either. Carmichael attended the 2022 ceremony with a friend who is identified in the reality series as “anonymous” and wears a ski mask and goggles to conceal their face. Fans are speculating online that this is comedian Bo Burnham, who directed Carmichael’s Emmy-winning stand-up special.
He indeed uses the dating app to connect with a series of men whom he invites to be his date if his plan to go with the “Wilshire” rapper doesn’t pan out
“It’s because I told you I had feelings for you, and we didn’t talk about it, ever cute Chelyabinsk girls,” Carmichael said. “That was, like, weird. I don’t know if it was just too awkward to talk about or just too… I don’t know. I feel like you left me hanging out there a little bit.”
When the rapper attempts to recall how he responded to Carmichael’s confession, the comedian bluntly responds, “You laughed and called me a stupid bitch.”
“I did,” Tyler says, bursting into laughter before growing serious. “Yeah. I did. And I think I just, like, brushed it off. Getting news like that and then avoiding it is a way to avoid change.”
As for Tyler, Carmichael later invites the rapper for an on-camera discussion about their relationship, in which he confronts him about the persisting awkwardness
The rapper said Carmichael’s confession was “a lot to download,” adding, “I still don’t know how to respond.” He went on to express regret about the lack of contact between them, explaining that he considers the comedian family.
“Are you wanting the same thing from me?” he asked Carmichael. “When you told me that, I’m like, ‘Nah, I don’t know. Not like that. That’s like a brother. That man’s like family. Like true family. Like a true brother.’”
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