Matt Rife doubles down on joke controversies at stand-up show: ‘You don't have to listen to it'

Matt Rife kicked off a recent comedy show with an apology. An apology directed toward his energetic audience, saying he was a little sick.

Sick of, in kinder words, those who can't take jokes on the internet.

While performing a sold-out show at the Off The Hook Comedy Club in Naples, Florida, on Thursday, the 28-year-old comedian wasn't shy to address his controversies over the past few months.

The domestic violence joke in his Netflix special. The "apology" he released after. The plastic surgery rumors that have been popping up on social media, prompting even surgeons to weigh in. Rife discussed it all and more during his hourlong set.

And yes, he even touched on his alleged "beef" with a 6-year-old boy, his most recent incident that's claiming national headlines.

The Ohio native filled his audience in on what the last few months have looked like for him, but not before giving them a quick advisory before he truly tore into his set.

"I did want to make sure I mentioned at the top of the show though, if anybody here has come to a comedy show at a comedy club with even the possibility of being offended by a joke, we have arranged a safe space for you," Rife said. "(It's) located right outside that exit door over, go and see yourself out. No one's gonna stop you."

Matt Rife defends domestic violence joke as 'kind of' funny

The first controversy Rife touched on was the infamous opening joke in his recent Netflix special "Natural Selection," which critics said mocked domestic violence victims.

For those who need a refresher, the comedian told a Washington, D.C. crowd how much he loves Maryland. Except for Baltimore, which then turned into a joke about a waitress he saw there once who had a black eye and after his friend says they should put her in the kitchen, Rife's punchline goes, "I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye."

The comedian told the Naples crowd that the joke is "kind of" funny because "you know it's a joke." He said it wasn't the real circumstance, nor does it reflect his real views on domestic violence.

"I didn't hit anybody. My food was fine. I didn't put hands on anybody … OK, my food was delicious," Rife said. "I didn't order the knuckle sandwich."

Matt Rife addresses 'ableist' social media apology

Following the release of his Netflix special, both viewers and longtime fans took to X to express their anger and disappointment over the joke.

During the set, he talked about the hundreds of comments he got demanding an apology. He said he decided to "swallow his pride" and post a statement.

He took to Instagram on Nov. 20 to share this apology, including a link to his “official apology” for those "offended by a joke I told” that was labeled “Tap to solve your issue” on his Instagram Stories.

Spoiler alert — those who clicked the link were led to a website selling helmets for people with special needs, something Rife said won't ever not be funny to him.

"The only reason I did a fake apology was because in what...universe would I ever apologize for a joke. It's a joke," Rife said. "If you don't like it, you don't have to listen to it. You have to come to my show to be offended."

He ended his comments on the matter addressing those who called his fake apology "ableist" for mocking those with special needs. A misconception he was eager to set straight.

"Some people thought I was making fun of special needs people and obviously that's not what I was doing — I was making fun of (critics) for being so stupid as to think I would ever apologize for a joke," Rife said. "I'm saying you needed those helmets way more than they do."

Matt Rife alludes to alleged beef with 6-year-old boy on TikTok

Rife didn't spend too much time addressing his most recent controversy, this time seeing backlash on social media after allegedly making an insensitive comment aimed at a 6-year-old on TikTok.

Last week, TikToker Bunny Hedaya had her 6-year-old son stitch one of Rife's stand-up videos on astrology, where he says Jupiter has a ring. Hedaya's son said, “actually, it’s Saturn that has the rings. It has more (visible rings) also. And you’re mean to girls.”

In her response video, she said she never tagged Rife. She then shared a screenshot of a comment that Rife allegedly made on the video of her son. "Jupiter also has (a) ring. OH!... and Santa (Claus) isn’t real," the now-deleted comment read. "Your mom buys you presents with the money she makes on OnlyFans. Good luck."

Rife was in the midst of telling his audience that we live in an age where you cannot change anybody's mind once they have convinced themselves about you, so "you're better off just living your...life."

"Know that you're doing the right thing if you are and just live your...life. Everybody wants to be miserable on their own … and teach your kid how many...planets have rings around them."

Never mentioning Hedaya by name, his final comments on the matter were that "you shouldn't start (trouble) and be wrong."

Matt Rife talks plastic surgery rumors, female fans and Taylor Swift

With the comedian saying the "awkward part" of the show was now over, his set turned to the format that his 18.2 million followers on TikTok have come to know and want to be a part of.

From finding grandmothers hot to rebranding certain negative words to be positive (think Black Eyed Peas' first version of "Let's Get It Started"), Rife's set burned through several topics while riffing with fans. The more lighthearted bits included buying his mother a house this year, experiences with his fanbase and his goal to donate all his gifted stuffed animal bears to charity.

However, he still found a way to address other rumors within his regular set.

At this point, you can't scroll too far on Instagram without seeing a meme directed at Rife's jawline, many claiming he's gotten surgery to achieve it. A rumor he denied to this audience.

"People were saying I had jaw surgery to have a jawline. That's funny to me because I'm like … use your...brain. If I'm gonna get transformative surgery done to me, do you think I'm starting with my face? You would never hear me tell another joke for the rest of my life."

He also snuck in a small bit about his encounter with a Swiftie during one of his last shows when asking the audience "if they're a fan of overall music." He made sure to tell the audience he has no beef with the popstar, he just knows they both are a part of the "breaking Ticketmaster presale club."

Rife detailed the experience with the Swiftie, who said she liked Swift's shows for the "comradery." An answer Rife thought was strange, also noting the patron didn't know who Lynyrd Skynyrd is. But he was open to starting his own version of the "friendship bracelets" for his shows, getting lewd suggestions from the audience.

While showing off his merch designs, he ended his set by saying the only thing that truly bothered him about the past few weeks is the accusation that he hated his female audience. It was a claim he sincerely took the time to deny to his crowd of mostly women.

"I hated that because women are the ones who gave me the career I have right now, and I'd never be anything less than grateful for that."

"I don't feel like I lost any female fans. I felt like I lost people who built an image of me that I did not live up to, which is on them. I've just been me, and we don't happen to have the same sense of humor and that's fine. You don't have to like everybody."

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This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Matt Rife talks controversial jokes, plastic surgery rumors at show