Steven Crowder said he went public with his Daily Wire contract dispute for a vital reason.
The web site’s initial contract to Crowder, valued at $50 million for four years, said he’d get paid less if his show got censored by Big Tech platforms like YouTube. It’s why Crowder signed a deal with Rumble, the free speech alternative to YouTube.
That kind of censorship, Crowder warned, cannot stand.
Now, former “Louder with Crowder” co-host Dave Landau says Crowder routinely censored his commentary on the video podcast … and worse.
Landau opened up about leaving the popular show on “Your Welcome with Michael Malice.” Landau shared how he knows how to be a co-host in the modern era, witness his work alongside radio legend Anthony Cumia on Compound Media.
He similarly supported Crowder during their time together, but in the final months of their professional relationship, Crowder kept Landau on a tight leash.
“I had been more censored as things went on … for example, I couldn’t use the word [ejaculate],” Landau said.
The restrictions didn’t stop there.
Landau alleged Crowder had a “dump”-style button to silence him if he spoke too much on the show.
“A light was put in[to the studio]. It was his rant button and it was basically a ‘Dave Don’t Talk’ button,” Landau recalled of both the button and the light that flashed when it was deployed. “When it was hit I wasn’t supposed to talk … and [Crowder] would press it.”
“I know my job. I know that he talks a lot … I know that he’s the star of the show … I know when to sit back. it’s what I did with Anthony [Cumia] for years … it’s what I do,” he said. “I’m not trying to ever steamroll him.”
“It was just, ‘hey, don’t be funnier [than Crowder].’ That’s the truth. I mean it sounds bitter, but I knew it was true because I was pulled aside and it was, ‘make sure if you’re doing a rant or you’re riffing, he gets the last word,” he said.
“You were told this explicitly?” Malice asked.
“Yes.”
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“Even if I did have a funnier joke I’d just leave it out. It was important for the fans to not hear it. I always thought it was my job as a comedian to leave out the good one,” Landau deadpanned.
“Somebody who’s so pro free speech and non-censorship he was really about censorship of me,” he said, adding he was forgiving of the issue due to Crowder’s medical woes at the time.
The Michigan native later said Crowder’s censorial mood extended to fellow comic Matt McClowry.
Landau planned a stand-up comedy special in Dallas and Crowder asked to join the lineup. Landau agreed, knowing his colleague would help promote it.
The initial show became two sold-out shows thanks to the Crowder connection.
McClowry, an off-screen Landau pal, opened both shows with material that earned a standing ovation. Landau then asked Crowder if McClowry could co-host “Louder with Crowder” on a day when he wouldn’t be there.
Crowder agreed.
Later, Landau learned McClowry had been blocked from that guest co-hosting gig without explanation.
Crowder texted, “What’s done is done,” according to Landau. “What does that mean? It’s your show,” Landau recalled.
Crowder called Landau up and yelled at him over the guest hosting issue and related topics.
“He told me he owns me … ” Landau said of the heated conversation. “It was venomous … I saw a different person that I had heard rumors about.”
“Then he said Matt [McClowry] couldn’t do his routine’s closing bit, which is killer, because it’s too dirty … if we were going to tour together,” he said. “There was projection about how he was angry about how well that bit did.”
The bit in question was a personal anecdote about McClowry’s high school wrestling days and his Asperger syndrome.
Crowder allegedly would tell Landau before their live performances to “let’s keep it clean,” despite the latter’s penchant for dark, adult material.
“Why? This has been me for 20 years,” Landau said.
Landau used the Malice show appearance to reveal he signed a deal with Blaze TV to star in a video podcast/sketch series set to debut in May or June.
HiT will update this story if/when Crowder responds to Landau’s comments.
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