Comedian Matt Mathews has drawn backlash for a blunt exchange about pronouns and gender identity that began when Kandi Burruss asked a seemingly simple question about his husband.
Mathews appeared on the August 16 episode of Burruss’ Speak On It podcast, where the conversation eventually turned to his relationship with Rob Killgore. Burruss asked when Mathews had met “them,” prompting him to immediately respond, “Them? I only got one,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
Burruss explained that she had used the gender-neutral pronoun because she did not know Killgore’s pronouns and did not want to make an assumption that might offend him. Mathews rejected that approach and expanded his response into criticism of they/them pronouns, nonbinary identities and the expanding LGBTQ+ acronym.
Mathews acknowledged during the exchange that his comments were likely to upset people. Once clips from the interview began circulating on social media, that prediction proved accurate, with his remarks drawing millions of views and a divided response.
Mathews’ Pronoun Rant Started With One Question About His Husband
The exchange can be heard in the original Speak On It interview. After Burruss asked when Mathews had met “them,” he immediately questioned the wording. “Them? I only got one,” Mathews said.
Burruss explained that she did not know his husband’s pronouns. “Well, child, you know, these days, I gotta know the pronouns before I start talking,” she said.
Mathews responded that he and Killgore did not “do all that” and launched into a broader argument against they/them pronouns and gender identities outside a male-female binary. He also mocked the length of the LGBTQ+ acronym before acknowledging, “I’m finna piss people off with that.”
Burruss agreed that he probably would, then attempted to return to her original question. When she again asked when Mathews had met “them,” he repeatedly corrected her with “Him” and insisted, “Them is plural.”
The Clip Drew Millions of Views and Backlash
The pronoun exchange became the portion of the much longer interview that spread furthest online after reaction accounts began reposting it.
Them reported that one widely circulated version surpassed 2.7 million views on X, while other copies spread across Instagram and TikTok. Entertainment Weekly also noted that posts from accounts including WorldStar and TikTok creator @clipdemon generated thousands of comments.
Much of the criticism came from LGBTQ+ users who objected to an openly gay entertainer dismissing nonbinary identities and gender-neutral pronouns. Others defended Mathews’ right to reject language he does not personally use and treated the exchange as consistent with the provocative style of comedy for which he is known.
Mathews Has Made Similar Comments Before
The Speak On It exchange was not the first time Mathews had publicly distanced himself from parts of the broader LGBTQ+ community or made jokes about gender identity.
Entertainment Weekly pointed to a 2023 social-media post in which Mathews joked, “I identify as a horse.” In a 2025 conversation with Savannah Chrisley, he similarly joked that he was not part of what he called the “LMNOP community.” “I make fun of gay people, you know what I mean,” Mathews told Chrisley.
He said his comedy also includes derogatory jokes about himself and argued that audiences should not treat every joke as deeply serious. Mathews has repeatedly warned that people who are easily offended may not enjoy his material, which draws heavily from his sexuality, marriage, Southern upbringing, family and life on an Alabama farm.
His Comedy Career Is Continuing With a New World Tour
He is currently performing on the Not What I Ordered World Tour, with U.S. dates continuing through the remainder of 2026 before the tour expands internationally in 2027. Live Nation currently lists upcoming stops in cities including Burlington, Syracuse, San Jose, Calgary, Kansas City and Columbia.
The tour is built around the idea that Mathews’ life has rarely gone according to plan, with material about his family, relationship, animals, fame and everyday frustrations. His promotional material describes the show as deliberately “unfiltered.”