Marlon Wayans Tells ‘The View’ He Stopped Doing Stand-Up Because Chris Rock “Heckled” Him: “I Went Home And I Quit For 20 Years”

Marlon Wayans hails from a family of comedic royalty, but even he isn’t immune to being heckled.

The comedian and actor revealed on The View that he quit doing stand-up comedy decades ago after he was heckled at a show by Chris Rock.

“I quit because Chris Rock heckled me,” he admitted with a laugh after host Joy Behar questioned why he left stand-up.

“I bombed that night, he killed,” Wayans recounted. “He was like, ‘Where are the jokes? C’mon, I thought you was a Wayans. Which one are you? Tito [Wayans]?”

He continued, “He was just laying into me. And I remember I went home and I quit for 20 years.”

When Behar asked if that was “really true,” Wayans confirmed that was truly the reason he quit stand-up comedy all those years ago. But he clarified that he ultimately took it as a lesson.

“Yeah, but he was just heckling me like a big brother,” he said. “Chris Rock, I love Rock. Rock is like a big brother to me, so you know, I took it as [a sign] that wasn’t the time for me to do it.”

Wayans added that he was also feeling “discouraged” at the time.

“Understand I grew up in a house that was full of funny people, and in stand-up you pull from your life,” he explained. “So by the time I came along they done told every story that was in our household!”

He continued, “But what I found was, as a comedian, you have to tell your story and your point of view. Everyone is gonna have their joke but what’s your take on that joke through your experience?”

Wayans eventually returned to stand-up with his 2018 special Woke-ish, followed by You Know What It Is, God Loves Me and Good Grief.

He and Whoopi Goldberg later joked that doing stand-up is like “jumping out of a plane every joke,” to which Goldberg added, “Naked!”

“I always said you’re naked, the audience has clothes,” Behar added.

The View airs on weekdays at 11/10c on ABC.