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WATCH: Jerrod Carmichael sleeps around, teaches his dad about twunks in new docuseries

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Image Credit: ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,’ HBO

Just over two years ago, actor-comedian Jerrod Carmichael filmed Rothaniel, his intimate and vulnerable comedy special for HBO where he came out to the world for the very first time.

The year that followed saw the now 36-year-old’s rise to a new level of notoriety, with his name all over the press as he hosted Saturday Night Live and the Golden Globes, won an Emmy, and filmed a role in the Yorgos Lanthimos/Emma Stone Oscar hopeful Poor Things.

But, all along, Carmichael found himself grappling with what his life had been up until that point: Was it all a lie? Would his relationship with his family—particularly his devout Christian mother—ever be the same? What will audiences expect from him now? Is it even possible to maintain one’s authentic self amid all of the success?

All of those questions fuel the comic’s latest and boldest undertaking, Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, an HBO documentary series about his “tumultuous quest for love, sex, and truth.”

Image Credit: ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,’ HBO

From what we can tell, it seems the cameras began rolling on Carmichael’s personal life the minute after Rothaniel debuted, watching him grapple with said truth—and consequences—as he attempts to (in his words) “self-Truman Show” himself.

We watch over Carmichael’s shoulder as he browses the apps, welcoming men into his room for a series of dates and hookups. Eventually, one decides to stick around, leaving the star to decide how much of his boyfriend he wants to share with the world.

Related:

Jerrod Carmichael reveals his secret weapon on Grindr

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Reality Show will also dive head-first into Carmichael’s complicated relationship with his parents, whose responses to his coming out have been fraught, echoing the concerns he voiced in his comedy special. There’s his father, who the comic “always wanted to be proud” of his—and who gets a rather hilarious crash course on the difference between otters, twinks, bears, and twunks.

And then there’s his mother, who somewhat surprisingly appears to be a large part of the docuseries, too, despite her beliefs about queerness. “I love you,” she tells him—mere second after wrapping up a prayer asking God to “take the desire from my son to be with a male.”

Image Credit: ‘Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,’ HBO

On top of it all, there’s Carmichael’s obsession with the truth. We even see who we assume to be series director Ari Katcher (whose credits include Ramy and the sitcom The Carmichael Show) in an identity-masking outfit, presumably to make some sort of commentary on objectivity. “This is not the truth,” he reminds his star.

“Yes, I bring in cameras, and yes that’s my way, and yes I’m afraid to have these conversations without them,” Carmichael says. “Let’s just blow this sh*t wide open.”

So, who knows what truths might be uncovered—or hidden or stretched or completely obliterated—once the eight-episode Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show docuseries premieres on HBO on March 29. All we know is, we will definitely be tuning in.

Check out the first trailer for the series below:

Related:

Jerrod Carmichael is living his truth, whether you like it or not

Living your truth comes with a cost. But, as Jerrod Carmichael found out, freedom is always worth it. 

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