In Richard Pryor's heyday, the comedian was being praised for his side-splitting jokes. Yet, not many fans knew that some of their favorite Pryor material, even from those skits on Saturday Night Live, was written by Pryor's good friend and right-hand man, Paul Mooney. The Louisiana-born, California-raised entertainer also was a head writer for In Living Color and was featured in skits on Chappelle's Show, and while his comedy is often confrontational and controversial, no one imagined that the 78-year-old comedy icon's name would be entangled in a sexual abuse scandal.
We previously reported on the news that Pryor's bodyguard made claims that Mooney sexually abused Pryor's son, Richard Pryor Jr., when Junior was just a child. "Their relationship became fragile because Paul Mooney has f*cked Richard’s son by that time," he said. "He violated. Paul took advantage of the situation. 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 would be dealt with.'
Mooney refuted the claims by issuing a statement through his publicist, a denial that Pryor's widow said isn't true. Now, Richard Pryor Jr. has confirmed that something did occur, but he wouldn't discuss anything in detail. "Whatever happened in my life, it happened when I was young," he told a TMZ cameraman. "Way before the '80s." The paparazzo asked if it was consensual. "How could any relationship be consensual if I was a teenager?" he answered with a shrug.
