Two weeks before the final episode of The Ellen Degeneres Show, comedian Jerrod Carmichael appeared on the program to talk about his latest special Rothaniel, in which he came out as gay, and the response he’s received since.
At-home viewers also saw Carmichael thank Ellen for coming out when she did, explaining how her courage directly impacted him.Ellen’s studio audience also witnessed one joke that never made it to air.
In a recent interview on Showtime’s Desus & Mero, Carmichael revealed the joke — well, the punchline at least — that was apparently too much for the daytime NBC crowd.
He also said he thinks producers made the right call.“I did a joke on Ellen, they took that sh*t out,” he revealed. “It requires context, and it’s Freudian in nature, but the punchline — without context so forgive me — was me realizing how much sexual desire is rooted in, like, everything from trauma to childhood experiences.