So, a couple readers texted, what the heck happened to Desus & Mero? Blame their manager. 

When the news broke Tuesday that the comedy duo Desus Nice (a.k.a. Daniel Baker) and the Kid Mero (a.k.a. Joel Martinez) would end both their creative partnership and their excellent Showtime late-night show, many in the comedy world were perplexed. These guys had a great gig, were landing guests like Presidents Biden and Obama and Denzel Washington, and seemingly had the network’s full support. But the rift that led to the implosion was pretty clear to insiders at the show.

Here’s what happened, according to five separate sources. Shortly after Thanksgiving, Showtime asked that Victor Lopez, the duo’s longtime manager and a credited producer on Desus & Mero, no longer attend tapings or appear in meetings. Lopez had been accused of asshole behavior, including bullying, screaming and generally making people on the show feel bad. Several formal complaints had been made, according to two sources. (Showtime and reps for the duo declined to comment; Lopez could not be reached.)