Global citizen live new york 2
Photo Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen

Reports Say Desus & Mero Split Because of Their Manager

After Desus & Mero announced that their Showtime talk show was ending, reports have surfaced that their manager is to blame for the split.

Showtime late-night talk show Desus & Merohas ended after four seasons. Co-hosts and comedy duo Desus Nice (a.k.a. Daniel Baker) and the Kid Mero (a.k.a. Joel Martinez) confirmed the speculation on Sunday (July 18), but now reports have surfaced that their longtime manager Victor Lopez — who the two mentioned frequently over the years — is partially to blame.

According toPuck, Lopez allegedly bullied and harassed staff members of the show, prompting Showtime to ask that he no longer be invited to tapings. Two sources claimed that formal reports against Lopez have been made, although Showtime, reps for Desus and Mero along with Lopez could not be reached for comment.

While Desus agreed with Showtime, wanting the show to cut ties with Lopez, Mero disagreed, feeling loyal to their longtime manager during their time at Complex, launching podcast Bodega Boys, and having their first talk show on Viceland before landing at Showtime. (It should be noted that Mero still has Victor in his Instagram bio.)

Fans of the 'Bodega Boys' noticed that a shift had occurred on their podcast, as episodes have no longer been released since November. Mero also left their longtime agent ChristinaBazdekis, and lawyer, Victoria Cook, instead signing with agency WME and Ziffren Brittenham LLP solo.

On Monday, Showtime announced that the pair are now “pursuing separate creative endeavors moving forward."

“Desus Nice and the Kid Mero have made a name for themselves in comedy and in the late-night space as quick-witted cultural commentators,” the statement read.

While responding to a series of tweets about the end of the show, Desus said that fans “deserved better than this ending.”

Sign Up To Our Newsletter