Matt Rife's latest slate of New York City stand-up shows have been getting plenty of buzz...but not the good kind, with blunders from both another famous comedian (Pete Davidson) and a former porn star (Lisa Ann).
The 28-year-old comic — whose industry rise has been inextricably linked to TikTok and his viral videos interacting with crowds — kicked off a string of six sold-out shows at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, February 2. This comes on the heels of Natural Selection, his 2023 stand-up comedy special on Netflix, which you can watch up on with a Netflix subscription. And while Rife's usual crowd banter went off without a hitch, there was apparently plenty of drama going on behind the scenes. (Editor's note: This writer attended the first Friday night set.)
Pete Davidson Reportedly Backed Out Of Opening For Matt Rife
All this started before the headliner could take the stage for the start of his "ProbleMATTic Tour." Opening comic John Campanelli told the NYC crowd how he had been in Upstate New York several hours away when Rife called him last-minute to see if he could come back to the city to perform that night. At the time, attendees just assumed that one of Rife's other openers had had to bail on their set last minute. What they didn't realize was that said opener was reportedly supposed to be Pete Davidson.
Yes, the Saturday Night Live veteran and alum of movies and TV shows like Dumb Money and Bupkis was allegedly supposed to be the surprise warm-up before Rife's main set. However, he bailed last minute, per Page Six. No reasoning was given to the outlet, but Davidson was canceling his own stand-up performances last December, a mere three hours before he was meant to take the stage at New York's Beacon Theater. So, it's looking to be a bit of a habit for the famous funnyman.
Once word got out that Davidson was meant to perform, Rife took to Twitter to comment on rumors that his longtime friend "betrayed" him by not showing up on Friday:
People just make up anything 😂 my boy Pete was maybe going to pop-in to one of my Radio City shows and just wasn’t able to, so i simply asked another friend in the city to jump on… how is that news? This is why you should never believe a single article you ever read online, ever. You don’t know anything and people lie. He didn’t ‘betray’ me lmao wtf? What is this The Sopranos?
And that was only one piece of drama that plagued the NYC performances.
Lisa Ann Was Led Out Of Matt Rife's Show In Handcuffs
Rife's Radio City shows had a strict no-phones policy, which the comedian reminded the audience about several times throughout his set. However, it seems like podcast host and former adult film actress Lisa Ann didn't get the memo, as she was seen being led out of the Sunday, February 4 gig in handcuffs in a video that she posted on her Twitter:
This. Is. Not. A. Bit. Real life I was arrested tonight @mattrife show at Radio City Music Hall #wtf pic.twitter.com/mZLo9cBucfFebruary 5, 2024
The performer continued her post to explain what allegedly occurred to warrant the attention of law enforcement and have her removed from the event:
So I was dragged out of @mattrife show tonight in handcuffs, stating I was using my phone. I had not used my phone. I was just enjoying the show. 45 minutes in handcuffs, sent to an ambulance and released. Meanwhile I missed the show I was so looking forward to.
However, sources told The New York Post that, along with recording Rife's set, Lisa Ann turned "disruptive" after being asked to put her phone away, and she "started kicking" police when they arrived. The comedian hasn't commented on what happened with Lisa Ann, nor on her claims that he's "a good friend" of hers.
As for Matt Rife, he'll be seen next in the detective comedy The Private Eye alongside Eric Roberts and Clare Grant, joining a long history of actors with stand-up comedy experience. It hits select theaters on February 9.
