The Reasons You Don't Hear Much From Katt Williams Anymore
Despite his impressive career, it seems as though we only ever hear about Katt Williams when it comes to his controversies. We'll chalk much of that up to his shady side — and boy, does Williams have a shady side. From spats with other stars, to outlandish allegations, and some serious legal woes, the reason we don't hear much about Williams anymore has a lot to do with his behavior.
2024 kicked off with a bang for Williams, with the comedian heading to "Club Shay Shay" for an interview. It had been a long time since he'd spoken directly with the press, and Williams made a point of addressing that, right at the start of the interview. "I'm not interested in talking to people unless it's like, a Larry King or somebody of an amazing ilk," he began. He then heaped praise on Shannon Sharpe for fostering such a great environment on the show, before switching it up and criticizing him for not correcting things Rickey Smiley had said in a previous interview.
Also in the bizarre episode, Williams' claimed he and Ludacris had allegedly been in the running for a spot in the Illuminati (spoiler: Ludacris got the spot), and jabbed at Tyler Perry, whose success he attributed solely to acting as a woman. The episode drew so much commentary that it ended up being spoofed on "Saturday Night Live." However, this wasn't the first time Williams' antics became so widely talked about.
He's had several run-ins with the law
"I've never been to prison — 19 felonies, no convictions. Knock it off, prison and jail aren't the same," sound familiar? Before it became a viral sound clip on social media, those were the words Katt Williams uttered in an interview with "V-103 Atlanta." And, while it was meant as a clapback at the show's host, Wanda Smith, he wasn't exaggerating.
In 2016 alone, the "Norbit" actor was involved in a number of incidents that had us worried for him — especially because many of them involved physical altercations. One included a run-in with his bodyguard, who, per CBS News, was alleged to have been ordered to do something illegal by Williams. The bodyguard refused, which led to his life being threatened by the comedian, as well as a physical attack by a woman in Williams' house. A day later, Williams was arrested for punching someone at a pool shop. As if that wasn't bad enough, that April, he was arrested yet again. This time, the Associated Press reported that Williams had thrown a salt shaker at an Atlanta restaurant manager.
As for Williams' camp's response to all the chaotic goings-on, his lawyer, Drew Findling told AP that he believed the public altercations were linked to the comedian's high profile. "Every time this happens, coincidentally, we almost instantaneously will hear from some lawyer out there," Findling said. Either way, throwing punches and salt shakers is not a good look.
Katt Williams has burned a lot of bridges
Arrests aside, we're willing to bet that the biggest reason why we don't hear as much about Katt Williams anymore is because he's ticked off a lot of people in Hollywood. Other than his claims that Ludacris got into the Illuminati, Williams' two-hour, 45-minute interview on "Club Shay Shay" saw him lash out at a number of other stars — one of whom was his longtime nemesis, Kevin Hart.
Speaking of Hart, Williams claimed that the "Soul Plane" actor was a plant, and hadn't earned the success he has today. Williams also insinuated that Tiffany Haddish hadn't earned her spot as a movie star — but there was nothing new, there. Back in 2018, Williams had insinuated on "V-103 Atlanta" that Haddish's only bankability came from sleeping with white men. Not long after, Hart had lambasted Williams for that, and his constant attacks on other Black stars on an episode of "The Breakfast Club." "My frustration with Katt Williams comes from, you keep pointing at Hollywood. [...] When do you take responsibility for your actions?" he quipped. That wasn't all Hart had to say on the matter, though. He also pointed out that Williams' behavior was what had led to Hollywood not calling anymore.
Constantly taking jabs at some of the top comedians in Hollywood certainly isn't a smart move on Williams' part. Sadly, though, we have a feeling that he isn't planning on making nice any time soon.