During a new interview, the '227' alum reveals to 'Abbott Elementary' actress Sheryl Lee Ralph that she 'wasn't nice' to the 'Black-ish' creator when she first met him before he became big.
- Jan 6, 2023
AceShowbiz - Jackee Harry learns first-hand that she shouldn't have let her ego get the best of her. During a sit-down for a digital Essence feature, Jackee revealed to Sheryl Lee Ralph that she "wasn't nice" to Kenya Barris when she first met him before he became big with "Black-ish".
Sheryl first brought up the importance of being nice to everyone. "How many times has the young person that has brought me coffee ends up being the producer in the next five-to-ten years. Oh, I've seen that," the "Abbott Elementary" star shared. "You gotta tamp that ego down and really have someone good to talk you off the cliff."
In response to that, Jackee shared her own similar experience. "Well, I wasn't talked off the cliff," the "227" alum revealed. "You know who used to bring me my scripts for '227' to my door and deliver them? Kenya Barris. I wasn't nice to him."
The actress went on to reveal that the creator of "Black-ish" and "You People" made sure to remind her of that. "You see, look at me now. I ain't lyin'-and he reminded me of it!" she continued. Jackee, however, brushed off her behavior by noting, "It was the '80s, baby!"
Upon catching wind of the story, people on Twitter apparently showed support to Jackee and hoped she was meaner to Kenya. "In Jackee's defense, Kenya likely had bad vibes," one person tweeted. "Jackee Harry needs to bully Kenya Barris some more honestly."
"Jackee is wonderful & Kenya's public biracial obsession is a boil in the a**crack of the black community. She wasn't wrong idc," one other said, referring to Kenya's TV shows and movies that are mostly about biracial family. Someone added, "I don't know... Jackee Harry not being kind to Kenya Barris before he blew up really not fazing me because look at the material this n***a ended up giving us. Somebody should've stopped his a** lol."
One other noted, "I mean considering what Kenya Barris makes…. Auntie Jackee ain't missing out on anything." Another user joked, "Jackee being Kenya Barris' villian origin story is hilarious to me."
