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Comedian Matt Rife has once again sparked debate with his unapologetic stance on the recent Kevin Hart Netflix roast. Speaking at the 52nd Annual American Music Awards (AMAs) red carpet event, Rife told critics of the roast to simply “shut up.”
The AMAs took place on Monday, May 25, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with Grammy-winning rapper and Academy Award-nominated actress Queen Latifah serving as host. The star-studded evening brought together celebrities from around the world to celebrate the best in music over the past year.
During a Variety interview on the red carpet, Rife was asked if he had watched the Kevin Hart roast. He admitted he hadn’t seen it in full but had caught numerous clips online, praising the performers for their sharp and “brutal” comedy-exactly what a roast should be.
When the interviewer mentioned complaints about parts of the roast, Rife quickly cut him off, saying, “Shut up. Shut up – then don’t watch it.
It’s a roast.”
Rife emphasized that the nature of a roast is to push comedic boundaries and be intentionally mean-spirited, but without genuine malice. “Everyone there loves each other,” he added, reinforcing that the jokes are all in good fun.
Social media largely backed Rife’s perspective, with fans noting that roast comedy is meant to be “raw and brutal” and dependent on trust, timing, and understanding the room.
However, not all viewers shared this sentiment. The roast faced significant backlash after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s controversial joke about George Floyd.
Hinchcliffe quipped, “The Black community is so proud of you. Right now George Floyd is looking up at us all laughing so hard that he can’t breathe,” a comment that many found offensive and that drew criticism from both fans and the Gianna and George Floyd Foundation.
Aside from the roast discussion, the AMAs celebrated numerous artists, with Taylor Swift leading the nominations at eight, followed closely by Morgan Wallen, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Dean, and Sombr with seven each. The ceremony also honored Green Day frontman Billy Idol with the Lifetime Achievement Award and presented Latin star Karol G with the International Artist Award of Excellence.
Performances during the night included acts by Karol G, Hootie & the Blowfish, Keith Urban, Maluma, Twenty One Pilots, and many more, making the event a memorable celebration of music’s finest.