How Tom Brady Really Felt About That Robert Kraft Joke, According To Jeff Ross
Netflix's "Roast of Tom Brady" managed to land in sixth place on the streamer's top 10 list after being watched 2 million times since its release, and a viral moment in which Brady rose from his chair to seemingly call out veteran roastmaster and habitual line-stepper Jeff Ross for mocking Patriots owner Robert Kraft in one of his jokes likely contributed to that total. However, Ross claims Brady wasn't actually upset over the incident.
The moment saw Ross ribbing Kraft over a sex sting in which he was allegedly captured on video paying for and then having sex in a Florida massage parlor in 2019 — charges that were dropped in 2020 after the evidence was blocked by courts who declared the police had violated his rights, per The Guardian. Ross' joke started with him recounting Brady's confident comment to Kraft upon getting selected as the Patriots' sixth-round draft choice in 2000 and concluded with, "Would you like a massage?" A grinning Brady rose from his seat, saying, "Don't say that s*** again," and sinking out of frame while Ross praised Kraft.
But Ross denied that Brady was livid during an appearance on "The Rich Eisen" show. "He was having fun. You know, it's like that's his dad. Robert Kraft is like a father figure to him, he was just showing his love for Robert Kraft. And Robert Kraft loved it," said Ross. He added that the businessman was happy with the joke, concluding that Brady has a sense of humor and knows his roast lore. "If you love the roast ... everyone wants to be the center of attention, even when there is a target on their back," he said.
While Tom Brady wasn't put off by Ross' joke, other celebrities have taken the host to task over his humor.
Jeff Ross has a long history of annoying celebrities with his out-of-pocket roast comments
Not all of Jeff Ross' roast performances have gone smoothly. He told Kevin Nealon in 2020 during an episode of "Hiking with Kevin" that Ann Coulter's roast caused the most hurt feelings. Per The New York Post, the late Bob Saget got upset with Ross and fellow roaster John Stamos after both made off-color cracks about the Olsen twins — who co-starred with Saget and Stamos on "Full House" — during his 2008 roast.
"Anybody who talks about my TV kids – that upsets me the most. I am very protective. I love them very, very much," he told the newspaper. That's just one example of a roast subject not taking well to being laughed at, though it's arguably understandable in Saget's case. Likewise, Shayanna Jenkins, the fiancee of former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, expressed disappointment in the jokes aimed at the late athlete during Brady's roast, which included one from Ross himself.
However, some celebrities have embraced Ross' joking ways. He recalled during an August 2022 stop on "Conan Needs a Friend" that Bea Arthur responded positively to his jibing, saying "You nailed me, you p****." It seems that all you really need to survive a roast is a healthy sense of humor — and an ability to laugh at yourself.