Katt Williams Says He Had Sexual Assault Scene Removed fromFriday After Next: 'Rape Is Never Funny'

Mar. 15, 2025

Katt Williams in Los Angeles on Dec. 13, 2017.Photo:Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock

Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock

Katt Williamsis addressing a scene he says he had removed fromFriday After Next.

During an interview on theClub Shay Shaypodcast, which aired Wednesday, the actor and comedian — who made his big-screen debut as Money Mike in the 2002 stoner-comedy sequel (the third in theFridaytrilogy) — said he persuaded the studio to omit a scene in which his character is sexually assaulted.

PEOPLE has reached out to Raboy, a rep for Ice Cube and reps for Warner Bros. Pictures for comment.

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Williams also said on the podcast that he “had to take the risk in front of the studios and the cast and the power that be in his very first movie, and say, ‘Respectfully, humbly, guys, if we’re talking about anything else, I have no credibility and I have no pull.’ "

" ‘But we’re talking about comedy where I have all the credibility and all the pull,’ " he recalled.

After making the request to omit the scene (which did not end up making it into the movie), Williams said he insisted to the filmmakers thatFriday After Nextwould be better without it.

" ‘If you would allow me to allow us to do this movie without a Black man getting raped in it, I promise you that it will be twice as funny as it would be with him getting raped,’ " he said.

Williams appeared inFriday After Next, the third film in the series that follows Craig and his cousin Daymond (Mike Epps) on another adventure onChristmasEve. TheFridaysequels made for some of Epps' first major roles in Hollywood, after he made his debut in 1997’sStrays.

Though Epps, 53, wasn’t in the 1995 originalFriday, he joined for the second and third films,Next Friday(2000) andFriday After Next. And while on a recent episode ofPEOPLE in 10, the actor and comedian said he spoke with Ice Cube, 54, about a plan to recreate the beloved comedy franchise as a stage play to tour around the country.

“The last person I texted was Ice Cube. He wants to do the movieFriday; hewants to go out on tour, like as a play,” Epps said, when asked about the last famous person he texted.

Of Ice Cube, Epps added, “He’s trying to get Chris Tucker to do church stuff in it, and Katt Williams … [It’s] a little crazy, but if we can find these two dudes and get them in it, it’ll be really good.”

source: people.com