Nowadays, any time Katt Williams pulls up for a long-form interview, the internet collectively braces itself. After his explosive sit-down with Shannon Sharpe in 2024, one that seemed to foreshadow a string of cultural plot twists, fans don’t always know what version of Katt they’re getting. But this week, Williams surprised folks with a calm, introspective presence during his appearance on Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson’s “IMO Podcast.”
Known for his razor-sharp wit and the kind of comedic chaos that keeps social feeds buzzing, Williams brought a different energy to the former first lady’s show. Over nearly two hours, he peeled back the layers of his life with a kind of openness that felt both tender and seasoned. He moved through stories of survival, parenthood, loss, and the wild, improbable pivots that shaped him. And honestly, one of the funniest parts wasn’t even the jokes; it was Obama’s real-time reactions to his tales of living on the streets at 14, sneaking into clubs, and getting promoted from door-to-door salesman to a pimp.
Before becoming the legendary comedian we know today, Williams was Micah and growing up in a strict household of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Ohio. Not allowed to do basic things like watch TV or hangout with friends beyond school, Williams recalls being an avid reader as a kid, a hobby he says shaped his perspective on life.
“Growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, I was reading so many books of so many people in so many different circumstances, and it always works out,” he shared. “It always gets better. Life is always worth the next adventure, and so that’s how I was looking at things even that early [on in life].”
This is one of the many nuggets of wisdom Williams shared on the podcast. Additionally, the comedian opened up about his experience running away with his Rottweiler before emancipating himself at 13, a chapter he says he rarely likes to talk about in fear of it setting a wrong example for younger generations.
“I had a full suitcase and a Rottweiler puppy,” he said, reflecting on the moment he left his Ohio hometown, ending up in Miami, Florida, thanks to his ambitions and the $1,200 he saved up from doing chores. Though he labels it as a “terrible decision,” Williams admits that his running away was another pivotal moment in the trajectory of his life, as he recalls it teaching him the importance of the decisions you make, which ultimately protected him from the temptations of drugs and partying in Hollywood.
As Williams shares these stories, Obama, like many viewers, says, “This is a movie,” in reference to his own life experiences. Between his time in Miami, his stint as a pimp for a group of “ladies of the night” he met while working as a door-to-door salesman, his two-year stay in Haiti, his adoption of 10 children, and his rise to legendary comic status, Williams learned a great deal. However, in addition to books and God, the comedian reveals how a single, profound conversation with Prince opened his eyes to what’s possible at just 12 years old.
“I met Prince when I was twelve. And he changed the trajectory of belief for me,” he shared, explaining how his girlfriend at the time, Prince’s relative, prompted the meeting. “I knew I didn’t have to make any changes. This was a guy who was shorter than me. He was already rich and famous. And he had a purpose in life. It was really my first time being in the vicinity of real brilliance.”
After connecting and “having a super deep conversation,” Williams explained that their friendship was short-lived, recalling the moment the singer, who was 18 at the time, realized that he was only 12 years old.
“He gave me the confidence… because up until that point in my life, I thought that there were some things I was gonna need to do in order to be good enough, like get taller,” Williams continued. “So Prince helped me see immediately I didn’t have to get taller. He had just signed his music deal. He had just produced his album by himself. He played twenty-six instruments on it. He did all of the jobs. Yeah. And it had worked. So I knew that I didn’t have to make any changes. I just had to be in the right position and be right myself when it transpires.”
