Marlon Wayans Says NBC Rejected ‘The Wayans Bros.’ Over John Witherspoon, Calling His ‘Pops’ Character ‘Too Ghetto’

July 31, 2025 by TJB Writer in TV with 0 Comments

Marlon Wayans Says NBC Rejected ‘The Wayans Bros.’ Over John Witherspoon, Calling His ‘Pops’ Character ‘Too Ghetto’

Marlon Wayans says NBC originally passed on “The Wayans Bros.” because executives felt John Witherspoon’s beloved “Pops” character was “too ghetto” and pushed for him to be recast.

During an interview on “Baby, This is Keke Palmer,” Wayans recalled the network’s reaction when he and his brother Shawn brought Witherspoon in as their choice for the role.

Despite the pushback, the brothers stuck with Witherspoon, and the show eventually found a home on The WB, where “The Wayans Bros.” ran for five seasons and Witherspoon’s “Pops” became a fan favorite.