There has been an outpouring of grief on the internet comparable to that which follows the death of a celebrity following the recent announcement that the series “Desus & Mero” and the collaboration between the two co-hosts is no more. The Kid Mero, Desus Nice, and their groundbreaking late-night show have a special place in the hearts of many people.
Their show paved the way for others like LeBron James’ “The Shop: Uninterrupted” on HBO (the parent company of CNN) and “Tha God’s Honest Truth with Charlamagne Tha God” on Comedy Central. Puck News recently reported that a rift between Desus and Mero was sparked by the band’s manager, Victor Lopez, leading to the cancellation of the event.
As CNN reports, a source close to the co-hosts has revealed that Lopez has been banned from the set by Showtime due to several allegations of bad behaviour, including intimidating staff workers. The anonymous source claimed Lopez’s alleged problematic behaviour dated back to the pair’s time hosting their show on Viceland, which aired for two seasons beginning in 2016, and preceded the Showtime series, which aired for four seasons beginning in 2019.
CNN has contacted Lopez and representatives for Desus, Mero and Showtime for comment on the allegations. Showtime has simply released a statement saying, “Desus Nice and the Kid Mero have created a name for themselves in comedy and in the late-night realm as quick-witted cultural observers. The show’s Twitter account announced its cancellation by writing, “the two men will be pursuing separate creative ventures moving ahead.”
Desus retweeted the news of the cancellation, and Mero added, “shouts to showtime & shouts to the hive, thanks for being part of the ride.” Neither has commented publicly on whether disagreements with Lopez contributed to the termination of their show. I’m really pleased with the work my team has done on this show. Eventually, big things will happen. The source claims that by the end of last year, Showtime had received many complaints against Lopez, prompting the network to investigate the charges before imposing the suspension, a move that was backed by Desus but opposed by Mero.
‘Whatever you need me to do, I’m There’
Mero’s apparent dedication to Lopez stems from events that occurred long before the show’s creation. Mero recently appeared on the YouTube-hosted podcast “My Expert Opinion” hosted by Math Hoffa, during which he detailed his feelings of gratitude toward Lopez. Mero, who is from the Bronx, said that Lopez is a bright, “South side Jamaica, Queens [in New York City] guy” who did well in college, graduated with honours, and discovered his humour writing before he got famous.
Mero claims that before beginning his advocacy for him, Lopez was working for a tiny company that specialised in indie films and was hoping to grow into management. “Basically, he was just like, “Yo, there’s this dude man. I can’t stop laughing at this Kid Mero guy.” There was a clip where Mero talked about his childhood.
“White folks just don’t get it, but eventually they will. Believe in me” This is what Lopez was supposedly saying, according to a quote from Mero. According to Mero, Lopez’s former supervisor warned him to keep his distance from him if he wanted to keep his job. Mero explained that Lopez abruptly left his employment, saying, “Well I guess I ain’t working here no more.” “Since then, I’ve just been like, “Bruh, I’ll do whatever…” You can count on me to be there and ready to help in whatever way you require.”
‘A rapport unlike anything I’ve ever seen’
A lot of people were astonished and upset by Desus and Mero’s breakup. The pair’s success story, which began with them as internet comedians but evolved into a cable late-night programme that attracted big names like Barack Obama, has been widely praised in black and Latino circles. The two had known each other since they were teenagers (Desus is also from The Bronx), and they discovered they shared many similarities as the children of immigrants
(Mero’s parents are from the Dominican Republic, and Desus’ are from Jamaica). Before teaming together professionally in December 2013 to provide their thoughts on pop culture with the Complex podcast, “Desus vs. Mero,” they were both favourites of Black Twitter for their humorous tweets. Their prior podcast, “Bodega Boys,” which was the forerunner to “Desus & Mero,” became wildly successful, and they eventually joined MTV’s “Guy Code.”
They kept the audience (and themselves) delighted with their insightful commentary on everything from sports to pop culture, whether they were joined by a guest or not. There was no denying the palpable spark between them when they interacted. “They just had a relationship with one another that was unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” a source who started working on the show when it was picked up by Showtime told CNN.
https://t.co/mZUmtetItp pic.twitter.com/JEfFCcYKUK
— DESUS & MERO on SHOWTIME (@SHODesusAndMero) July 13, 2022
People have said things like, “Their ability to riff off of each other is funny.” Desus mentioned that connection during an interview with Essence magazine from last year. “The secret in the sauce is that Mero is on the same wavelength and bandwidth as me,” he remarked. According to the former employee’s CNN interview, the show’s personnel and production ran efficiently and like a family because of the positive vibes that permeated the building.
However, Lopez and the channel didn’t share this family connection. In the words of a source close to the two co-hosts, “Victor just torched the relationship with Showtime beyond recovery,” CNN reported.
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