Tom Brady added more context to ‘Living With Yourself’ cameo and pushed back at suggestions he disrespected Robert Kraft
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Tom Brady confirmed what anyone who actually watched new Netflix show “Living With Yourself” and has any idea about how shows are made already knows: that it was an unfortunate, kind of hilarious coincidence that’s been taken out of context.
Brady addressed reporters at his locker and immediately faced questions about his cameo in the series premiere of the Paul Rudd-starring comedy, in which he emerges from the “Top Happy Spa” then asks Rudd’s character “First time?” before remarking it was his sixth.
In fact, the spa in the show is actually a cloning operation and the joke was that Brady used it to clone himself six times so he can keep winning Super Bowls and playing at a high level into his 40’s. But the first question posed to Brady was framed around him making a massage parlor joke, which has been seen in misleading headlines elsewhere. The reporter finished with “What were you thinking?” So Brady rightfully pushed back at the insinuations.
“That’s not what that was about,” Brady said. “I think that was taken out of context, just like you’re taking it out of context and trying to make it a story for yourself, which has a negative connotation to it, which I don’t appreciate. It was meant to be something different than that. The fact that it’s a distraction and you’re bringing it up is not something I want to be talking about.”
Brady continued with comments on the media in general. It sounds like he’s fed up with things being shaped into people’s own contexts for their personal benefit, which is often to the detriment of others.
“I think it’s this type of media atmosphere that you create, the ‘blame and shame’ media atmosphere that’s kind of percolated for a while,” Brady added. “I think there’s a lot of things are said that are taken out of context that you choose to make a headline with as opposed to understanding what it’s actually about.”
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/L5V6nzX16E
— Jim Murray (@bigjimmurray) October 19, 2019
Brady confirmed that he agreed to do the cameo over a year ago and the script for the show was written four years ago. He also offered this essential fact: he shot his cameo on a green screen, not directly in front of a seedy massage parlor like it’s being portrayed.
The Patriots quarterback has clearly taken exception to suggestions that he was trying to take shots at owner Robert Kraft over his legal trouble involving the Orchids of Asia day spa in Jupiter, Fla.
“It’s unfortunate that people would choose to think do something like that about Mr. Kraft,” Brady said. “I think that’s just a very bad assessment of my relationship with him.
“I think everybody knows what our relationship’s about. For 20 years it’s nothing but love and respect. I’ve been through a lot of tough things with him. I love him dearly. I sympathize with a lot of things he’s gone through in his life. So I empathize with a lot of people that get taken advantage of and used. I understand that’s just part of what we’re living in.”
It was as testy as Brady has ever gotten with a reporter who pressed him on something, and in this case I can’t say I blame him. The only possible question is why he let his cameo stay in the show in the first place after Kraft’s legal problems surfaced. But at the same time it’s not his fault that people jumped to easy conclusions once the clip came out. It was easy to make connections initially, but there are explanations.
The cameo’s oblique reference to massage parlors is ultimately is a crazy coincidence, but one you can’t help but laugh at in retrospect. Hopefully this is not a topic that has much more juice after this weekend.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
