Mike Epps Defends Bringing Kangaroo Out During Detroit Show
Mike Epps is such an animal enthusiast, that he brought a kangaroo on stage during a show in Detroit Friday (March 31). The marsupial made a random cameo during Epps’ set on the Festival of Laughs tour.
The kangaroo was already internet famous, before it hit the stage. A video of a man walking the kangaroo on a leash in Detroit went viral earlier in the week.
Guy running around Detroit with a Kangaroo on a leash. Point – Internet. https://t.co/ROvxiuL4Xa pic.twitter.com/fJvwRM3nLY
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) March 28, 2017
It turns out the kangaroo belongs to Exhibit Zoo, a traveling animal show owned by Javon Stacks. “It was for a birthday party a couple weeks ago,” Stacks explained in an interview with MLive.com. “There’s not enough room in someone’s home to bring a kangaroo, so we stepped outside.”
Stacks brings exotic animals to birthday parties, and schools. “Inner city kids’ parents don’t have enough money to go to the zoo or transportation to go to the zoo,” he said. “When schools invite us…we perform in the gymnasium. We take 50-60 students every hour and rotate them.”
Still, the kangaroo looks pretty uncomfortable during Epps’ comedy show.
Whyyyy did they bring the kangaroo on stage at Mike Epps show 😩😭. I love Detroit pic.twitter.com/DoqNu4jcf6
— Amber ? (@_AmNico) April 1, 2017
Epps received some hate for the animal stunt.
Don’t get me wrong I love Mike Epps but that shit with the kangaroo was wrong. No wild animal should be around that much noise and screaming
— Haley Quinn (@haleswrld) April 2, 2017
i commented on Mike Epps picture of him with that poor kangaroo on stage and said that it’s animal cruelty to have had it on stage and…
— yajara (@yeeeezyyyy) April 2, 2017
I didn’t think Mike Epps playing with that kangaroo last night was funny at all. That kangaroo look miserable and ready to snap.
— P (@Pariss_Franceee) April 1, 2017
@_AmNico this is violence
— Marcus (@registradus) April 2, 2017
@_AmNico @CorettaScottKey this is awful
— Rita Louise Watson (@HerEpicSoul) April 2, 2017
@_AmNico @Martial_LAW that isnt funny
— Eyez (@Eye39z) April 2, 2017
@_AmNico @KevinHart4real @TheRealMikeEpps pic.twitter.com/4auGXgzxq6
— 90’s Backspin (@HoustonD777) April 1, 2017
I can’t believe mike epps had that damn kangaroo on stage 😭😭😭😭 because wtf
— ?JustTierre? (@justtierre) April 1, 2017
According to TMZ, Stacks denied that the kangaroo was harmed in any way. Meanwhile, Epps responded to the backlash in a since deleted Instagram post which he hashtagged #iloveanimals.
“Yeah what’s the problem? Look how nice I am to him,” Epps captioned a video of himself feeding a banana to a kangaroo alongside an animal handler. “These guys are license zoo keepers.”
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