Jeff Ross Says Tom Brady Wasn’t Really Upset About Robert Kraft Massage Joke During Netflix Roast

Tatiana Tenreyro
·2-min read

Sunday’s live Tom Brady Netflix roast quickly made headlines when comedian Jeff Ross made a joke that alluded to Patriots owner Robert Kraft being charged with soliciting prostitution after an investigation into massage parlors in Florida.

Though Brady told Ross at the podium, “don’t say that shit again,” Ross now says the NFL star wasn’t that upset about the joke.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

During the Netflix special, Ross said of Brady’s early days with the Patriots, “So Tom became a Patriot and moved up to New England, and on the first day of training camp, that scrawny rookie famously walked into the owner Robert Kraft‘s office and said, ‘I’m the best decision your organization has ever made. Would you like a massage?’”

The joke seemed to be about a 2019 incident in which police said they had recorded Kraft paying for sex acts. He pleaded not guilty and the charges were ultimately dismissed after a Florida appeals court barred the use of surveillance footage at trial.

While appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Ross set the record straight on Brady’s reaction.

Eisen asked if the athlete was “really pissed” about the massage joke. “Come on, come on, no way,” Ross responded. “He’s 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.”

Ross added that Kraft “loved it.” The comedian said, “We had a great talk afterwards. He was so happy that I gave him a shout-out and a salute. It was beautiful.”

The “Roastmaster General” also gave insight into how the roast came together. “It was something I asked of him. After he won the last Super Bowl, I hit him up. I knew he was a roast fan. He was into it right away,” said Ross. “We made a deal but then he un-retired, and I held it back. He retired again and then we held it [back] again for the Netflix Is a Joke Fest, so that all the comics would be in town.”

Ross continued, “I think it was worth the wait because [Brady] was loose and fun and, man, I feel like we won an election or something.”

Besides Ross, the Kevin Hart-hosted roast featured appearances from Kim Kardashian, former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Will Ferrell (as his Anchorman character Ron Burgundy) and Nikki Glaser, among others.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

Latest stories