The Kid Mero says he and Desus discussed going ‘independent’ long before their split
The Kid Mero wants to make everyone claro about his split with Desus Nice.
Mero, whose real name is Joel Martinez, recently went on the “Basic!” podcast to discuss his career and the reason why “Desus & Mero” ended.
“Desus and I had discussed pursuing separate interests for, like, over a year prior to the show coming to an end,” Mero said. “And that conversion solidified for us, you know, in signing overall agreements that recognized our intent to operate independent of one another.”
The longtime duo decided last month that they would not renew their Showtime contract and that they would pursue separate creative projects.
The final episode of “Desus & Mero,” which aired June 23, featured former New York Yankees player Derek Jeter as a guest.
The talk show premiered on the Viceland channel in October 2016 and moved to Showtime in February 2019. Desus and Mero, a.k.a. the Bodega Boys, first broke through in 2013 with their “Desus vs. Mero” podcast on Complex.
Showtime’s ‘Desus & Mero’ won’t be back for another season as its hosts, the Kid Mero and Desus Nice, go in separate creative directions.
Mero noted the two intended to take their own paths “in a way that was supportive of each other.”
“It’s not like I’m breaking up with my girlfriend on the phone. It was a strategy and one that we all agreed on,” Mero said. “At the end of the day, things wind up and wind down and when things are winding down you got to recognize that they are winding down and not supermax Patrick Ewing when he has two toddler mattresses around his knees and you know his career is coming to a close.”
Desus Nice took to Twitter immediately following the news of the end of the Bodega Boys.
“shouts to showtime & shouts to the hive, thanks for being part of the journey,” Desus tweeted in July. “proud of the show my staff made every episode. Big tings soon come... .”
Previous reports mentioned the two had potentially fallen out because of the influence of their manager Victor Lopez.
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As for future projects, Mero wished he could say more but said he’s been digging more into writing.
Mero also discussed the recent late-night recession and the hope he saw in his late-night show and shows like “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” which weren’t helmed by the traditional cis, straight, white male hosts.
“This is a viable product. You can get a Black man, a Black woman, an Asian man, an Asian woman, you name it, a gay man, a gay woman ... people who are not just a white guy, to host and lead these conversations. It’ll work ... it’ll bring you eyeballs.”
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