Mark Curry, known for his show “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper,” has in two recent interviews claimed that Steve Harvey reused his material for jokes on his shows.
In an interview with TMZ on Monday and in a previous interview on FoxSoul streaming channel's "The Mike & Donny Show," Curry expressed frustration about the successful television personality and comedian using his jokes without giving credit.
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On Monday, he told TMZ staff that he had addressed the issue with Harvey in the past, but the joke stealing persisted, he said. The 58-year-old comedian has claimed Harvey told his jokes on both the “Steve” show and “Kids Say the Darnedest Things.”
“My thing with Steve Harvey he used my material on both his platforms,” Curry told TMZ staff. “...You’re taking money out of my pocket. You’ve made it. You’re very wealthy...Stop using my material.”
Credit: Robb Cohen Photography & Video/
Credit: Robb Cohen Photography & Video/
Curry has recently been on tour with other comedians including Kat Williams, performing at the now-State Farm Arena in 2017. He hosted “It’s Showtime at the Apollo” in the early 1990s prior to Harvey’s run as host. His best known role was likely as a former basketball player-turned-high school teacher on the ABC sitcom “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” from 1992 to 1997.
In the December interview with “The Mike & Donny Show,” Curry got more specific about the jokes he believes Harvey performed of his. He has spoken with Harvey, Curry told the hosts, but the “Act Like a Lady, Think like a Man” author said he had no idea the jokes were Curry’s.
“(On “Steve”) He did all of my Halloween material one Halloween,” Curry said. “I know he didn’t think of it. This is true stuff that really happened to me. So, my thing is you didn’t have to do that, homeboy.”
Stealing jokes is a common challenge for comedians, and it is an issue that fellow comics take seriously, Curry said in the interview.
Curry plans to “come out of retirement” and embark on a comedy special with one of the major networks or streaming services this year to stake claim on his jokes, he told TMZ.
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