Wayans to El Paso: F**k You and Good Night!

46. Damon Wayans & The Death of Professionalism
Current mood: disappointed
Category: pissed off Movies, TV, Celebrities


Damon Wayans used to be one of my favorite entertainers. Now even through my anger, I feel pity for him. Ego is a bitch and I guess his got the best of him in El Paso. Damon was booked for 8 shows June 14-17, his deal was guaranteed and was basically 100% of the door revenue. Tickets were expensive and most were sold at the last minute. Thursday shows were only half full and this seemed to bother Damon, as he kept reminding us that he was a "Major Star".


By Friday evening both shows for Friday & Saturday had completely sold out and Sundays shows seemed to be heading towards selling out as well. After a decent performance Friday @ 8:00 (decent not great) Wayans did not appear to be in a very good mood. I thought he was just burnt out after partying like a rock star Thursday night.

Now here's where everything went south... three girls he had met at a bar the night before, arrived and demanded VIP treatment. Normally I would have no problem with this, but the show was SOLD OUT! Wayans was demanding that we displace paying customers and provide his groupies a prime table. As a club owner my obligation is to my paying customers, I told him I would seat those that paid $37.50 to see him then I would arrange some seats for his guests. There was no screaming, no yelling this was just common sense and I had believed the matter resolved. Five minutes later he proclaimed "I'm out". We practically begged him to reconsider... at which point he made threats about what he would do to my reputation and walked out on a full house. Keep in mind that this is supposed to be a professional entertainer, and a fourty seven year old one at that (not very mature huh?). He never contacted his agent and apparently had no intention of fulfilling his contractual obligation. He basically spit in the face of everyone that bought a ticket to see him. Hard working staff members were also left without income for the weekend.


Since the incident I have been told by other comedy professionals that this is not unheard of for Damon. The way he treated autograph seeking fans was also disgusting to me, you can politely refuse rather than being a rude asshole.


Now Damon has apparently concocted a story on his MySpace Blog that I was somehow being a "racist prick." That is an easy word to throw at someone, but in this instance it has no basis in fact. If Damon wants to blame the incident on something he can blame it on his overinflated ego. There was nothing said or done during our brief time together that could be construed as even remotely racist. In fact the most I ever said to the man was that I am a huge fan of his work.


What a sad and pathetic turn for a "once great performer"...Good luck with WashedUpTV.com

Posted at 12:20AM on Jun 20th 2007 by Snoopalicious

47. Number 7 you sound as if you were one of the females who was not "immediately addmited". Sounds to me as a lack of profesionalism on his part. So now we should feel flattered if some millionaire artist/whatever decides to show up to entertain us. Maybe the new tactic should be to have these morons perform first and then we pay on the way out.

Posted at 12:42AM on Jun 20th 2007 by Bite the hand that feeds you

48. I must say he is the least talented of all the Wayan clan. I used to have respect for him , but now I no longer do . You can read all about it at



http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=32817332&blogID=277975389&MyToken=01ec98ff-7c7e-451f-a6b7-0c2050313a88

Posted at 5:53PM on Jun 20th 2007 by gabe

49. I live here in El Paso(El Chuco) and I was there. What happen was he picked up some strippers and told the doorman to get them some seats.When the doorman told him that he would have to wait till all the paying customers took there seats first and then he would find the girls(strippers) some seats. Well the DIVA didnt like it and stormed off like a litttle bitch shouting Ive never been treated like this. What a pussy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 12:26AM on Jun 21st 2007 by Jennifer

50. I was actually at this show and all I can say is this article is a little misleading. Not what the El Paso times reported but what his rep is saying. His "friends" were two strippers he had met the night before. I'm sorry but they don't deserve preferential treatment. The show was packed and the next two nights were completly sold out....I don't know how that isn't a warm welcome! And as far as the club owner being racist that is a bunch of crap! The owner seems to be a great guy and doesn't give preference from one race to another. From someone who experienced this first hand believe me the only person to blame was Damon Wayans himself.

Posted at 12:51AM on Jun 21st 2007 by Liz

51. I agree with Cymie... I would have done the same thing. It's all about the way you let people treat you. I think its bad business on the part of the club owner. What a dumb ass! Not only did your bad attitude mess it up for your audience, but now other comedians know the way you treat them. Especially, since he could defenitily sell out the Don Haskins Center (like Goerge Lopez)! I think the people of El Paso should give him a break. Good luck on getting someone better than him! Kathy Griffin, after this... NAH!!

Posted at 7:54PM on Jun 22nd 2007 by franky

52. It is a well established fact locally that the friends were local strippers. Wayans called into a radio show and actually said this in reference to the vehicle that was driving him around..."It was small.... it was like a clown car. I'm a star and I have my comfort zone."

So what was the real reason he walked out? Because his new stripper friends were not given special treatment? Because he didn't get a limo? He keeps changing his story because everyone in El Paso knows this was not about racism.

Posted at 12:11AM on Jun 23rd 2007 by Lulu

53. Race had absolutely nothing to do with treatment of Wayan's friends. It was a sold out show. Paying customers would have had to been seated first. If there were no-shows to the event, there would have been extra room for his friends. I'm tired of black people throwing the race card when they don't get their way. When blacks bring "racism" into an unbiased situation, they are the ones being racist by the fact they are introducing race into the situation!. It's been thrown out as trump card for several years and a lot of people just aren't buying it anymore. Throwing race into the matter is a great way to divert attention away from his lack of responsibility in performing that night. Of course, it also immediately creates divisiveness among the races, creates anger, and provokes memories of hundreds of years of racism in this country. I would hope that blacks would condemn continued nonsensical accusations of racism and only use it to apply to actual racist encounters. I wish i was black so I can say things like: "The paper boy didn't put my newspaper on my doorstep like I like. He's racist." The only racist that night was Damon Wayans. And that's too bad because I really liked him.

Posted at 3:53AM on Jul 12th 2007 by AZTim