Tom Brady survived through his scorching Netflix roast, heralded as a major win for comedy.
The NFL legend was a good sport throughout the event, while comedians, including Nikki Glaser, Jeff Ross, and Tony Hinchcliffe, took a flamethrower to his personal life and career through the brilliance of comedic insults.
Some moments hit harder than any sack Brady likely experienced on the football field, and one instance featured Brady seemingly scolding a comedian about a joke that may have crossed the line.
And while the seven-time Super Bowl champion seemed to roll with the punches and even deliver a few of his own, he recently explained why he regretted his decision.
Speaking on his experience with the roast, Brady indicated he “loved” many of the jokes focused on him.
Despite the fun and laughs entertaining a massive live audience and many Netflix viewers, the retired NFL star revealed why he wouldn’t endure it again.
Brady on his Netflix roast: ‘I wouldn’t do it again’
During an appearance on The Pivot Podcast, Brady reflected on his time at the recent Netflix roast that had everyone talking afterward.
He shared that hearing the jokes about himself was great, but he didn’t like how the jokes “affected [his] kids.”
“It’s the hardest part about…like the bittersweet aspect of when you do something that you think is one way and then all of a sudden you realize I wouldn’t do that again because of the way that it affected actually the people that I care about the most in the world,” he admitted.
He spoke about being a bit “naive” in what he signed up for but also said going through with it may have helped him become a “better parent.”
He said his familiarity with one of the comedians and wanting to laugh inspired him to participate in the event.
“I always said when I was going through the Deflategate stuff that I watched three things on TV: Premiere League soccer, golf, and comedy shows. Every time I turned on SportsCenter, it was like, are you f***ing kidding me? I just want to laugh. I wanted to do the roast because Jeff Ross became somebody I knew. But you don’t see the full picture all the time,” he shared.
Brady says Netflix roast helped him be a ‘better parent’
In addition to Glaser, Ross, and Hinchcliffe, Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady featured fellow comedians Andrew Schulz, Sam Jay, Tom Segura, and Bert Kreischer.
There were also celebrity roasters, including actor Ben Affleck, Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, and reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
Brady’s former coach, Bill Belichick, and former teammates, including Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Randy Moss, and Drew Bledsoe, also threw jabs at the superstar quarterback.
The future Pro Football Hall of Famer admitted it was “a lot of fun” and that the experience inspired him.
“I’m going to be a better parent as I go forward because of it. At the same time, I’m happy everyone who was there had a lot of fun. If we’re not laughing about things, we’re crying. We should have more fun. What do we love? We love laughing in the locker room. Let’s do more of that and love each other and celebrate other people’s success,” he said on the podcast.
The retired NFL star shares a son and a daughter with his ex-wife, Gisele Bundchen, and a son with his ex, Bridget Moynahan. During the roast, comedians made more than a few hard-hitting jokes about Brady’s ex-wife cheating on him, and based on rumors, they didn’t sit well with Gisele.
However, Brady has no ill will toward his ex-wife and showed some love on Mother’s Day.
And although jokes have been made on social media about Brady throughout his many seasons in the NFL, sitting on stage for the roast became an eye-opener and a heat check for the former quarterback.
Much like he helped the NFL and brought fans to football, it’s possible a retired Brady helped bring fans to comedy. While he seems intent on never participating in a roast again, he may have jumpstarted future comedy specials and several comedians’ careers.