Comedian Paul Mooney canceled a comedy showcase at an Atlanta club this week, and TMZ reports he is taking time off following a claim made about him by the son of the late Richard Pryor.
According to TMZ, Mooney stepped away after Richard Pryor Jr. appeared to back up a claim that Mooney sexually abused him when he was a teenager. The claim first surfaced when Rashan Kahn, a former bodyguard for Richard Pryor, said in an interview that he is releasing a tell all book about his time working with celebrities. Kahn alleged in that interview that Pryor Jr. was assaulted as a teen. Vibe also reported on the cancellation.
Mooney was one of Richard Pryor’s main comedy writers, and the two were close for much of their careers. Kahn claimed their friendship soured sometime in the 1980s and 1990s because of the alleged misconduct. TMZ says it caught up with Pryor Jr. on camera, and that he seemed to confirm the claim.
Mooney’s legal team issued a statement denying all of the allegations and said Mooney and Richard Pryor never experienced any hardship in their friendship. These are allegations only, and none of them have been proven.
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