‘Dude Put Me In … A Broke Down Closet’: Gary Owen Reveals Mistreatmnet Behind the Scenes While Working on ‘Steve Harvey’s Talk Show
In his revealing “Club Shay Shay” interview, Gary Owen revealed more about his time working on the “Steve Harvey” show with fellow comedian Steve Harvey.
The talk show aired from 2012 until 2017, and Owen worked on the show for about two weeks as the announcer. The “Ride Along” actor detailed his experience on the show and even brought up Harvey’s stepdaughter, model Lori Harvey, during his chat with Shannon Sharpe.
When asked if he had a good relationship with Harvey, the “Think Like a Man” star told Sharpe he’s always been cool with Harvey.
“That’s the headlines talking,” said Owen. “I’ve always been cool with Steve. What happened with that whole situation, when he moved his talk show from Chicago to L.A., I went on a show as a guest. He pulled me aside and was like, he’s telling me, like, ‘I’m about to move this show to L.A. We’re going to make it a nighttime feel but a daytime talk show, but I want to bring you on as like a co-host.’”
Owen added that after a few months, a producer called him to discuss the gig. “I don’t think he knew who I was,” said Owen. “I think he was looking at, like, this is a favor. Like, I don’t have anything going on in my life, right? I could tell by the tone of conversation.”
The 49-year-old added he did not sign a contract but agreed to do the show for two weeks to see how things went.
On his first day, he was put in a beautiful dressing room, but it was later given to a guest on the show, comedienne Chelsea Handler. It was allegedly her old dressing room, and Owen added that a staffer brought him to another dressing room.
“So, I thought, ‘That’s fine. Just this episode.’ … I’m walking around, but dude put me in, like, a broke down closet with no mirror, no bathroom,” Owen revealed. “They basically said, ‘This where you going to be for the rest of the week,’ and I was like, ‘Oh.’”
Owen shared that when he asked for a better dressing room, “Black women to the rescue,” noting that it was a white man who had been helping him previously.
“One of them Black women stepped up. She knew who I was,” said Owen, adding that the woman got him a small dressing room with a small television set, couch and bathroom, and he was “good.”
Owen ultimately left the show due to only making “SAG minimum” and losing money by not being on the road doing stand-up. He’d made three times as much during a gig for “Hip Hop Squares.”
Owen said he turned the gig down after he was offered another two weeks and wasn’t offered the money he wanted.
“I would say it’s on Lori,” he joked. “It was her fault. You’re not going to defend her? You’re not going to defend her? You’re not going to defend Lori Harvey? Another Black woman you don’t defend,” said Owen, a reference to Sharpe being criticized for dating white women.