Jerrod Carmichael’s former best friend needs to step aside because he’s found a new bestie in Taylor Swift.
“Taylor Swift is my best friend. I’m not her best friend, but she’s my best friend,” Carmichael, 36, joked to Jimmy Kimmel on the Wednesday, March 20, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! “Can you think of a better friend to have than Taylor Swift? I told my former best friend, ‘You’re out, Taylor Swift is in. You never invited me on your jet to a game.’”
The comedian and actor — who is promoting his new HBO docuseries, Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show — went as far as to say Swift, 34, has taught him a few things about football. (Swift has been a mainstay at NFL games since she began dating Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce last year.) When Kimmel, 56, flashed a photo of Carmichael and Swift at the January 21 Chiefs game against the Buffalo Bills, Carmichael explained that the get-together was not a “set-up” for his show: “I should’ve asked her to be on the show. … She’s very smart and interesting.”
In the photo, Carmichael and Swift can be seen watching the Chiefs’ victory over the Bills from a luxury box at Highmark Stadium. Carmichael sported a fuzzy coat over a red shirt while Swift rocked a red beanie and her signature red lipstick.
“She knows more about football than I do,” Carmichael elaborated, admitting he asks Swift questions about the sport. “I’m the girlfriend in that situation.”
As soon as Carmichael began speaking about the pop superstar, however, he started to worry how his comments would be framed by Kimmel’s social media team.
“Please, I know, because this will be on YouTube, I can already see it, the headline underneath this is going to be like, ‘Jerrod Carmichael Says Taylor Swift is His Best Friend,’” he told Kimmel. “Actually, I won’t even get top billing. It’ll say, ‘Taylor Swift: Jerrod Carmichael’s Best Friend.’ Don’t do that to me. It’s gotta be something else. I do love her, though.”
It is worth noting that Carmichael’s prediction did come true, as the title of Kimmel’s YouTube clip reads, “Taylor Swift is Jerrod Carmichael’s Best Friend.” Even Us Weekly isn’t immune to Swift-mania (see: the headline of this article).
Carmichael described his new docuseries as “emotional fear factor.” He told Kimmel: “I was inspired by the Kardashians and all the Housewives,” saying the show combines elements of reality TV and documentary. “I wanted to make a show that was the show that happened after those cameras cut, like in-between the scenes of what a normal reality show would be. Just me sad in the fetal position actually dealing with problems.”
Carmichael added: “It’s for people who embrace uncomfortable conversations.”
Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show premieres on HBO and Max Friday, March 29, at 11 p.m. ET.
