Comedian Matt Rife has found himself in the midst of another controversy, this time stemming from an alleged comment directed at a 6-year-old. The backlash against Rife began following the release of his Netflix special, “Natural Selection,” in November.
Rife, whose fanbase had largely consisted of women, stirred controversy from the very start of his special with jokes about domestic violence. He didn’t stop there, also targeting women with specific interests like astrology and crystals. His comments on astrology were particularly incendiary: “I am so tired of you ladies blaming your poor decision-making skills on planets that don’t even know you. Get this through your head: Astrology is not this magical life guideline that predetermines your future in the stars. Your future is determined by your own thoughts, opinions, and actions. You are in complete control of how your future turns out.”
He continued, “It has nothing to do with the stars, man. Just because Jupiter has a ring and you don’t doesn’t mean that’s what you’re supposed to look up to for this magical advice,” eliciting laughter from the audience. As a clip of his astrology bit began circulating on social media, people began tagging a popular TikToker named Bunny Hedaya. They knew that she had a 6-year-old son with a keen interest in space.
In response to the numerous tags, Bunny decided to address the situation by creating a video in which she stitched together the clip of Matt’s comedy routine with her son’s reaction.
In the video, shared on both her Instagram and TikTok accounts, her son politely corrects Matt, saying, “Actually, it’s Saturn that has the rings. It has more [visible ones] also.” He then adds, “And, you’re mean to girls,” apparently in response to Rife’s domestic violence jokes. Bunny emphasized that the video was intended to be “lighthearted,” but it appears Matt didn’t interpret it that way.
According to Bunny, Matt left a comment on her son’s Instagram account that read, “Jupiter also has [a] ring. OH!… and Santa [Claus] isn’t real. Your mom buys you presents with the money she makes on OnlyFans. Good luck.” Bunny clarified that she doesn’t post explicit content online and suggested that Matt’s comments reflected an inability to accept that people can appreciate women for their personalities, insinuating that his response was misogynistic.
This latest controversy adds fuel to the fire ignited by Rife’s Netflix special, which had already drawn criticism for its insensitive content. It highlights the power of social media in allowing individuals to respond to public figures and call attention to their actions, even when the comments are directed at a 6-year-old child. As the controversy unfolds, it raises questions about the responsibility of comedians and public figures to consider the potential impact of their words on various audiences, including children.