by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 6, 2023

Jackée Harry ‘Wasn’t Nice’ to Kenya Barris On ‘227’ Set, Twitter Says She ‘Wasn’t Mean Enough’

Actress Jackée Harry is keeping it real about how mean she was to a young Kenya Barris back in the ’80s and how it might’ve cost her a gig or two today.

Harry and Sheryl Lee Ralph sat down for a digital feature on Essence where they spoke openly about the ups and downs of decades in show business. During the deep dive, Lee Ralph brought up the importance of being nice to everyone you work with, no matter how small their role because you never know where or who they’ll be in the future.

“How many times has the young person that has brought me coffee ends up being the producer in the next five-to-10 years. Oh, I’ve seen that,” Lee Ralph said.

“You gotta tamp that ego down and really have someone good to talk you off the cliff,” she added.

That’s when Harry opened up and revealed how she mistreated Kenya Barris when he worked as a script runner on 227, the 1985-90 sitcom that turned Harry into a star..

“Well, I wasn’t talked off the cliff. You know who used to bring me my scripts for 227 to my door and deliver them? Kenya Barris,” Harry said.

Harry admitted that she “wasn’t nice to him”—and the Black-ish creator reminded her of this when they crossed paths years later.

“I wasn’t nice to him. You see, look at me now. I ain’t lyin’—and he reminded me of it!” she quipped.

Harry jokingly brushed off her bad behavior by saying, “It was the ’80s, baby!”

Once the clip made its rounds on Twitter, many noted the importance of treating everyone with respect.

“Lol Sheryl was disappointed. I never understood people in power being rude and or mean. It’s just a reflection of who you really are,” one user wrote.

“The way you treat people who can do nothing for you says a lot about your character,” added someone else.

But there were others who made light of Harry’s reveal by using it to cast shade on Barris and the criticisms that surround his productions.

“Jackeé Harry being mean to Kenya was his 13th reason for the content he makes now,” one user wrote.

“She was right to treat him… lemme stop,” added someone else.

Another Twitter user summed it all up by saying, “Jackee said she was mean to Kenya Barris and y’all said she wasn’t mean enough.”

Jackeé Harry is still being applauded for owning up to her past mistakes.


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