November 2, 2022
‘You Kind of Ripe’: Actor Michael Ealy Reveals Actress Taraji P. Henson Said He Smelled on Set of ‘Think Like a Man Too’
Imagine shooting a scene with Taraji P. Henson, only for the Oscar-nominated actress to tell you that you stink—literally!
That’s what happened when actor Michael Ealy cozied up with Henson to capture a romantic scene for the 2014 film Think Like A Man Too. Ealy recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where the star opened up about the embarrassing moment.
“So Taraji, who I love immensely; we’re from the same hometown,” Ealy shared.
“One of the coolest people you ever meet and the most talented people you will ever meet—we are doing a scene in Think Like a Man Too, and I [had] just had a kid. I didn’t get a chance to really, like, work out or prepare for this role and stuff.”
Being the committed actor he is, Ealy decided to do a round of pushups to buff up his physique ahead of the shirtless scene.
“Right before this scene where I’m like shirtless in the bed with her and stuff like that, I did about 250 pushups right, not in a row…in about 20 to 25 minutes while they are setting up the shot,” he explained.
“Like I said, I was just working my ass off to try and to pump up the muscles, get the blood flow going. That’s a trick. That’s what everybody does.”
But leave it to Henson to be completely honest with Ealy about what was going through her mind.
“I was glistening and I’m laying down with her and we were in between takes, and she’s like kind of like in here, because I’m kind of on top of her,” Ealy continued.
“We’re just sitting there in between the take, and she says to me, she goes, ‘Hmmm, you kind of ripe.'”
The actor recalled trying to defend himself against Henson’s brutally honest response.
“She was like, ‘Michael Ealy is not perfect.’ And I was like, ‘Taraji, you saw me doing the pushups,'” he jokingly shared. “Come on. You know what I’m going through.”
Since making the reveal, many on Black Twitter have been roasting the actor for the awkward moment with Henson.
Always thought Michael Ealy looked a bit musty so im not shocked pic.twitter.com/buLcmZ7Dal
— tony (@TonysGroove) October 31, 2022
I can’t unsee Michael Ealy being musty pic.twitter.com/fYNU7TjFNI
— Rent'em Spoons (@Taa_stee) November 2, 2022
Some fans are still loyal to the actor.
Musty Michael Ealy >>> pic.twitter.com/yYJVjmhsjA
— Ronald (@alienheatedbey) October 31, 2022