In 2016, comedian Matt Rife was nearly canceled after a number of old, offensive tweets resurfaced online.
The situation started after the Wild 'N Out star became involved in a back-and-forth with comedian Brandon Wardemll, who helped draw attention to problematic old tweets. Since then, the comedian and actor has had multiple instances of posting inappropriate comments online which have been deemed problematic.
In June 2023, the comedian announced his global ProbleMATTic tour, with more than 200 shows spanning the U.S., Canada, Australia and Europe. His previous scandals seem to have not affected his popularity, as his tour sold out around the world.
Speaking about the tour announcement, Matt Rife said, "I couldn’t be more thrilled to live out this lifelong dream! To tour the world, spreading laughter, with some of my best friends, is something I never thought would be possible."
Why Matt Rife Is So Popular
Matt Rife, 27, amassed a devoted fanbase on TikTok, he has 14.5 million followers. The comedian became popular doing stand-up and is famed for his audience participation. He's been doing comedy since he was a child and got to open for the late Ralphie May when he was just 15.
He has also toured the world with the likes of Dane Cook, Finesse Mitchell, Mike Epps and Deray Davis. The Ohio-born comedian became the youngest male regular performer at the World Famous Laugh Factory.
He has also gained popularity due to his good looks and model physique. Some people have even questioned if he is famous for being talented or just for being handsome.
He also hit headlines when he started to date Underworld actress Kate Beckinsale, who is 20 years older than him. The unlikely pair were together in 2017 and met when the comedian was 21.
He later appeared on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, MTV's Wild 'N Out season 7 and 9, and the BET original movie North Of The 10. He also appeared in 2 episodes of TV show Gamer's Guide to Pretty Much Everything, an episode of sitcom Fresh Off The Boat and workplace comedy Blurb Control.
How TikTok Changed Matt Rife's Career
Although Matt Rife has been incredibly successful on stage, it was TikTok that took him to a new level. Despite being canceled years prior, his first special "Only Fans" was funded by his followers. His fans donated more than $17,000 to the comedian, so he could turn his stand-up show into a special.
"Nobody wants to give me a special on any platform. How can I raise the money? So I was like, Let's just try like a GoFundMe, like a fundraiser, and I was I was hopeful for like, you know, I could get 10 to 12 thousand… So that one was like entirely crowdfunded," Rife explained.
Rife has also explained how TikTok changed his career for the better and how it impacted his audience demographic. "Once TikTok blew up, everything kind of changed."
"Now I'm back to having a predominantly young female audience, but like, they're so passionate, and they love to share everything. I don't have to do any advertising. They promote everything I do. For me, it's absolutely amazing."
Matt Rife's Tweets Made As A Teenager Resurfaced
After a back-and-forth between Matt Rife and another Twitter user, tweets resurfaced that showed Rife in the not-so-best light.
Rife's tweets led to people calling him racist and homophobic. Many of the resurfaced social media posts mentioned rape and other offensive topics as well as using homophobic slurs. Even when the comedian deleted the tweets, many Twitter users posted screenshots as evidence.
"#ifihadasuperpower it'd be to jump high and run fast..... I'd be called "Black Guy,” one tweet said.
In another, he wrote "Happy Black History Month! I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna get back to my roots, by watching Boys In The Hood."
"When my black friends call me the N-Word..............that's what it's like to find out you're not the father on Maury, right? #PureJoy," he wrote in another problematic post.
Rife later took to Snapchat to rant about the situation. He tried to make amends with the gay community by referring to them as, "the only ones he will let cut his hair."
Is Matt Rife Still Problematic?
Although we all make mistakes as a teenager, people are still unsure whether Matt Rife has really changed.
In 2020, the comedian joked that everyone at the Oscars was “waiting to see if the cast of ‘Parasite’ coughs” — an apparent reference to the Coronavirus originating in Asia. Although it originated in China and the Oscar-winning film was set in South Korea.
In a follow-up tweet, which was soon deleted, Rife clarified that it was just a “joke” and slammed those who reacted negatively as “a bunch of cry babies.” He also replied to numerous negative tweets claiming it was not racist and that people should be able to better handle jokes and "grow up."
In 2017, he joked about R. Kelly while performing stand-up comedy. Many people felt it was poor taste considering the claims of sexual misconduct against the singer. He did later admit it was offensive and he shouldn't have said it.
Earlier this year, Matt Rife's inappropriate joke was at the expense of women, which made headlines for all the wrong reasons. In March, the American comic appeared on the "Stiff Socks" Podcast where he has some choice comments to make about women's anatomy.
He told hosts Trevor Wallace and Michael Blaustein, "Am I supposed to f*** you or thumb wrestle you." He went on to make crude comments about women's anatomy. "I don’t want to look down and feel like God left the tag on you."
But despite all the controversy, Matt Rife is looking to be one of the most promising comedians in America.
