The recent admission of Katt Williams into a mental hospital made me realize a connection between being a comedic genius and having mental problems. Being funny and being crazy have always gone together, especially in black comedy. However there’s a difference between ‘Girl he’s so crazy, he’ll crack you up’ and ‘Girl he’s so crazy, stay away from him.’
Many of our most famous comedians have had issues of their own. Sometimes comedians will take their own personal tragedies and turn them into comedy and other times comedians will use their own comedic personas to get into trouble. In light of Katt Williams recent troubles with mental issues, here is our Top 5 black comedian meltdowns.
1. Richard Pryor Setting Himself on Fire.
Although he managed to turn his traumatic, tragic experience, burning himself while free-basing on cocaine, he also shed light onto his struggles with women and drugs. Richard’s wife at the time, Jennifer Pryor said that he poured high proof rum on himself set himself on fire in a drug induced suicide attempt and that he said that it was an accident for press reasons.
Hear Richard Pryor Talk About Burning Up
2. Martin Lawrence in the Middle of the Street Threatening People With a Gun
In 1997, Lawrence had a meltdown. In LA he ran out into Ventura Blvd with a gun and threatened tourists and random people. Sources say that Lawrence began taking psychotropic drugs and having violent outbursts on the set of his movie, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. Martin would continue his erratic behavior, getting arrested for gun possession, going to rehab and sexually harassing his Martin co-star, Tisha Campbell.
Watch Martin Discuss His Gun in the Middle of the St. Incident
Despite his early anti-homosexual humor, Murphy has been rumored to engage in homosexual behavior. Many have been speculating that he is involved with his roommate and former New Edition frontman, Johnny Gill.
5. Katt Williams is Admitted to a Mental Home in South Carolina
Williams has had a lot of speculation about his mental condition recently. He caused a big stir when he missed the his job hosting the BET Hip Hop Awards and an appearance on Conan O’Brien. Sources say that he got into an argument with a female dancer and stormed offstage at the BET Hip Hop Awards, refusing to host the show. He later missed an appearance on the Conan O’Brien show and was arrested later that evening for gun possession while coming out of rapper, Jim Jones’ studio in New York. He then resurfaced in South Carolina in a bathrobe squatting in front of a motel door and was put in a mental institution by his family.
Watch Local News In South Carolina Cover Katt Williams’ Breakdown