Netflix Sparks Backlash Over New Matt Rife Show

Netflix has announced that comedian Matt Rife will be performing at its comedy festival on May 8, 2024—and people aren't happy.

Rife has been at the center of a variety of controversies in recent weeks. He first found himself in hot water when, during his November 15 Netflix special Natural Selection, he joked about domestic violence by implying that a woman who served him in a restaurant with a black eye had received it because her cooking was bad.

Then this week, the comedian was called out by influencer Bunny Hedaya for an alleged comment he directed at her son online. During Rife's Netflix special, he included a joke about astrology and women. He said: "I am so tired of you ladies blaming your poor decision-making skills on planets that don't even know you. 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."

Hedaya uploaded a video of her son, who is an avid fan of space, correcting Rife on his poor planet knowledge. "Actually, it's Saturn that has the rings," the youngster said. "And it has more [visible rings] also, and you're mean to girls."

It seems the video caught the attention of Rife, who allegedly took a swipe at Hedaya and her son in a comment on the post that has since been deleted. Newsweek has yet to independently verify the deleted comment.

"Jupiter also has [a] ring. OH!... Santa [Claus] isn't real. Your mom buys you presents with the money she makes on OnlyFans. Good luck," the comment allegedly read.

Now Rife will be in attendance at the Netflix Is a Joke Fest, which is put on by the steaming platform every other year. For the event, some of the biggest stand-up acts around the world are brought together for a comedy marathon of over 300 shows across more than 35 venues. Some of the headliners for next year include Chris Rock, Ali Wong, Kevin Hart, David Letterman, Chelsea Handler and Maya Rudolph.

Netflix announced the news that Rife will be performing on its Instagram account, with the caption reading: "Let's do it at the Hollywood Bowl. Matt Rife is performing at #NetflixIsAJokeFest! Tickets on sale Friday, December 15 at 10am PT. Link in bio for more."

People have taken to the comment section to express their disappointment, with many telling the streaming giant to "read the room."

Newsweek reached out to a Rife representative and a Netflix spokesperson for comment via email Thursday.

"Is this the same Matt Rife who's beefing with a 6-year-old who called him out for being sexist?" one person asked.

"Glad to see EVERYBODY in the comment section agree for once. @netflix READ THE ROOM, stop associating with this dude, the answer is NO," someone else said.

"No thank you. Cheap domestic violence jokes and taking your anger out on children isn't in my wheelhouse," another person wrote alongside a middle-finger emoji.

A fourth person added: "His entire reputation has been ruined in 2 months post Netflix release. It's so funny."

Others have taken the opportunity to make jokes at Rife's expense. Some commenters took swipes at his jawline after rumors circulated online of Rife having had jaw surgery.

"Matt Rife hates women but will sport your grandmother's haircut in a second," said one.

"You think Matt Rife would be able to take criticism on the chin now given his recent surgical procedures," said another.

A different commenter added: "Is this an ad for the next season of Botched?"

While there has been much speculation about how Rife achieved his chiseled jawline, he told Access Hollywood's Mario Lopez in June of this year that the biggest lie he had read about himself was that he's "had plastic surgery."

"That's the funniest thing in the entire world to me," Rife said at the time. "Because I hit puberty too late, I didn't look like this until I was like 23. Everyone's like, 'He's got cheek fillers, he's had his lips done,' whatever, jawline surgery is a thing, I guess. It's like, sorry [if] you need surgery to look like that."

Even though Rife is currently the focus of relentless criticism of late, PR crisis management expert Molly McPherson said in a recent TikTok post that she believes he will successfully navigate his way out of the controversy.

"He is a part of bro culture, bro comedian culture, such as Joe Rogan who has a top podcast for a reason because people listen to it, they follow him and if there's a genre that makes money, there's going to be more people who do it," she said while discussing the backlash over the comments Rife made in his Netflix special. "If he didn't double down he would have lost his comedy credentials."