“The intent was to go our separate ways in a way that is supportive of each other,” The Kid Mero said in a recent interview.
One of the more shocking pop culture developments of 2022 was the breakup of Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, the longtime comedy duo who turned their hit podcast “Bodega Boys” into a comedy empire that culminated in the late night talk show “Desus & Mero,” which ran for four seasons on Showtime. Last month, the stars abruptly revealed that they would not only be ending their Showtime series, but also their creative partnership as a whole.
At the time, a Showtime spokesperson told IndieWire, “Showtime’s late-night talk show ‘Desus & Mero’ will not be returning for a fifth season. Its final episode aired Thursday, June 23. Desus Nice and The Kid Mero will be pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward.”
Since then, fan speculation has run rampant about whether the breakup was the result of a feud between the two comedians. But that’s not the way Desus and Mero see it. In a new appearance on Sirius XM’s “Basic!” podcast (via Variety), The Kid Mero claimed that the separation was amicable and planned well in advance.
“Desus and I had discussed pursuing separate interests over a year prior to the show coming to an end and that conversation solidified us in signing overall agreements that recognized our intent to operate independent of one another,” Mero said. “As far back as June of last year we were both pitching or looking to join existing projects as individuals.”
He added that there won’t be animosity between the two as they pursue separate opportunities in the future.
“The intent was to go our separate ways in a way that is supportive of each other,” he said. “It’s not like I’m breaking up with my girlfriend on the phone. It was a strategy and one that we all agreed on.”
More than anything, Mero says, the breakup came from a place of wanting to end on a high note, rather than let the partnership fizzle out over time.
“At the end of the day, things wind up and wind down and when things are winding down you got to recognize that they are winding down,” he said. “And not supermax Patrick Ewing when he has two [knee pads] and his career is coming to a close.”
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