Richard Pryor's Ex-Bodyguard Claims Comedian Put A Hit Out On Paul Mooney For Sleeping With His Son
Photo by Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images
Photo by Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images
UPDATE: Richard Pryor Jr. has since spoken on Rashon Kahn's claim that Paul Mooney slept with him when he was young.
When asked about the allegations against Mooney by TMZ, Pryor Jr. said, "Whatever happened in my life, it happened when I was young. Way before the '80s."
The cameraman then asked whether the sexual relationship was consensual, to which Pryor Jr. responded: "How can any relationship be consensual if I was a teenager?"
The late comedian's son also refused to speak on the claims that his late father had put a $1 million hit on Mooney for the alleged assault.
Read the original story below.
Mooney has since denied the claims.
According to a new interview with Richard Pryor's former bodyguard and trainer, the late comedian put a hit out on Paul Mooney after he learned that he slept with his son.
Speaking with Comedy Hype ahead of the release of his book Everything Wasn't Funny, Rashon Kahn shared how Pryor and Mooney's longtime friendship soured after the former learned that Mooney had slept with Richard Pryor Jr. Kahn goes on to say that the pair's relationship became fragile from 1986's Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (the semi-autobiographical film starring Pryor) and onward, "because Paul Mooney had f**ked Richard's son by that time."
"Paul took advantage of the situation," Kahn continues. "There was a time where Paul Mooney was Richard's friend. So when Paul did what he did it was a violation of friendship first, then 'my son.' And in some circles, that's supposed to be dealt with."
Kahn also goes on to say that this happened when Pryor's son was a "little boy."
Kahn also claims that Pryor was willing to give someone a million dollars to kill Mooney. Initially, the bodyguard didn't believe him and assumed that Pryor was just high. However, after seeing how adamant the comedian was about having the hit done, Kahn learned that Mooney sleeping with Pryor's son was the reason behind the hit request.
However, the hit never happened because Pryor "caught on fire," seeming to reference when the comedian lit himself on fire in 1980.
"That's what saved Paul Mooney's life," Kahn says. "Had Richard not caught on fire, Paul Mooney would not be here."
Kahn also says that Pryor's son never knew his father knew about Mooney sleeping with him until Kahn revealed it to him.
Since then, a publicist for Mooney said that "there is no validity to Rashon Kahn's statement as it relates to Mr. Paul Mooney." Jennifer Lee Pryor, Pryor's widow, has also spoken on Kahn's interview and said that Pryor Jr. confirmed that Mooney slept with him.
