Tyler, the Creator Finally Addressed That Jerrod Carmichael Conversation

In case you were wondering, things between Jerrod Carmichael and Tyler, the Creator, are still, well... strange. Last month, Carmichael spoke about his a crush on the artist in his new series, Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show. Spoiler: it didn't go well. Tyler confirmed his feelings on the matter during his set at Coachella this past weekend. “Probably seen my homie tried to f**k me on camera, it was terrible,” he said. “I told the n***a no, and he said, ‘But what if we filmed it?’” Yikes.

Before you judge, you must understand that falling for a friend is a queer right of passage. Carmichael was bound to include it in his HBO series. During episode 1, he thinks back to when he confessed his feelings—and, unfortunately, the sentiment wasn’t mutual: Tyler laughed it off in a voice note, where he called Carmichael a “stupid bitch.”

“It’s embarrassing, a little bit,” Carmichael says. “And obviously, there’s the feat of it being so totally unrequited.” Despite the letdown, he bounces back and asks Tyler to be his date to the Emmys.

At first, Tyler doesn’t respond to Carmichael’s invitation, so the comedian tries to mend his broken heart with a conveyor belt of Grindr dates. It’s no use. In the end, Carmichael brings another friend, but the buddy in question refuses to appear on camera, so they show up in a ski mask and goggles. The night isn’t a total wash, though. Carmichael wins an Emmy for his HBO comedy special, Rothaniel, which features his coming-out story. Afterward, he even receives a congratulatory call from his estranged mother. The episode ends with Tyler and Carmichael discussing their friendship. “Getting news like that and then avoiding it is a way to avoid change,” Tyler says. “That’s like a brother. That man’s like family.”

In Carmichael’s cover story with Esquire, he talks about filming their vulnerable sit-down. “I think that conversation is so wild and important, and I mostly have gratitude to him for doing it,” he says. “It’s a conversation that’s never happened before on TV, and he knows that I’m insane, I guess, so he was down for something chaotic.”

So, where does their relationship stand now? “Yeah, I don’t know,” says Carmichael. “I think we’re okay. I’m in New York now, so I don’t see him that often, but still admire him and love him, and his friendship meant so much to me, and he inspired me so much.” Despite the awkwardness, he doesn’t regret anything. “I think every conversation in the show has made the relationship better, at least more honest. But I think we’re good.”

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