The Living Single Firing That Changed Everything 💔
According to Carson, there had been growing tensions behind the scenes. When the cast had concerns about how their characters were being written, how the show was being treated, and other production issues, Carson was often the person who spoke to the producers on behalf of the cast. Executives eventually told him that the other actors listened to him and that he was essentially the one driving those complaints.
Carson's response was basically: these were group decisions, not him trying to be the boss of everyone. He felt that the producers interpreted his willingness to challenge them as being difficult or having an attitude. He later summarized the situation by saying he was "a little too Black and too strong."
There was also a bigger issue involving Friends. Carson and the cast felt that Warner Bros. was giving Friends substantially more attention, resources, and support even though Living Single was already successful. Carson was outspoken about that unequal treatment.