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Desus & Mero Split Over Loyalty To Problematic Manager

Source: Bravo / Getty

The brand is no longer strong after Desus & Mero shocked the world and confirmed their split ending their successful run at Showtime. Now we have a reason for the breakup that rocked the Bronx.

The Desus & Mero Breakup Was Over Their Problematic Manager

Many were left complexed after news hit Twitter timelines that  Desus Nice (aka Daniel Baker) and The Kid Mero (aka. Joel Martinez) were splitting, bringing to an end their excellent show at Showtime. Now, The Puck is reporting that the split happened because of the duo’s longtime manager and executive producer on their show Victor Lopez.

“Five separate sources” confirmed to The Puck that after Thanksgiving, Showtime asked Lopez to “no longer attend tapings or appear in meetings” after complaints were made against him. Desus sided with Showtime while Mero remained loyal to Lopez, which led to the split.

Per The Puck:

Lopez had been accused of a**hole behavior, including bullying, screaming, and generally making people on the show feel bad. Several formal complaints had been made, according to two sources. (Showtime and reps for the duo declined to comment; Lopez could not be reached.)   

Desus agreed with Showtime and wanted Lopez out, but Mero is said to have felt loyal to their manager, who had been with the Bronx-raised duo for years.

The comics first became big on Black Twitter, were brought together for a podcast for Complex, then another pod, Bodega Boys, that led to a show on Viceland, and then, for the past four seasons, on Showtime. Lopez was there for pretty much all of it, and Mero resisted booting him, I’m told.  

The Brand Is No Longer Strong

It was all downhill from there, and eagle-eyed fans noticed and became suspicious after the duo stopped dropping new podcast episodes in November. Mero quietly ditched longtime agent Christina Bazdekis and lawyer Victoria Cook, signing with WME and Ziffren Brittenham.

Communication between the two lessened during the fourth season of Desus & Mero, and Desus hosted guest-hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live by himself. Responding to a fan’s tweet, Desus acknowledged the split telling him “the hive deserved better than this ending.”

During the recent MLB Celebrity Softball Game, The Puck reports Desus and Mero showed up separately, and the pair “participated in activities separately.”

What an unfortunate mess. Here’s how Twitter reacted to the duo breaking up:

Bodega Break Up: Twitter Mourns Comedic Duo Desus & Mero Officially Splitting Up
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Photo: Bravo / Getty