Comic's Set Trashing Keegan-Michael Key's Wife Is 'Outlandish, Fabricated,' Sources Say

Comedian Akilah Hughes recently fired shots at Keegan-Michael Key's wife in a video that's spread like wildfire on Reddit, claiming the controlling spouse has been a detriment to the actor's career ... but we're told her story is BS.

Here's the deal ... during Akilah's standup set she uses a not-so-clever code -- "Lock and Banana" -- while talking about sketch comedy icons Key and Jordan Peele. She says she and KMK pitched and sold a show around the time of the pandemic, but it got upended in the 11th hour, because Keegan-Michael's wife, Elle, caused too many waves as an executive producer.

Akilah also claims she was warned about the KMK's spouse by Peele's wife ... allegedly likening her to Phil Hartman's wife Brynn, who fatally shot him in 1998.

Multiple sources connected to KMK and Elle tell TMZ ... Akilah's stand-up narrative is "outlandish and fabricated" nonsense.

As for Akilah's other claiming during her set ... that Elle's been a wedge between the comedy duo -- both Jordan and Keegan-Michael have said they remain friends, even though they, obviously, don't get to hang as much as their "Key and Peele" days.

It might also be hard for some to square the accusation Elle's been harmful to her husband's career, when the dude returned to star in this spring's blockbuster 'Super Mario Bros.' movie sequel ... a project Akilah, at least, considers silly.