Mike Epps Apologizes For Kangaroo Stunt; Will Feds Get Involved?

A stunt involving a live kangaroo has forced comedian Mike Epps to apologize, but the incident may also get him in trouble with the law. During a Friday performance in Detroit, Michigan, Epps was joined on stage by Javon Stacks, the owner of a traveling educational animal show.

Stacks, who had been seen walking around Detroit with the kangaroo before, brought the animal on stage with Epps. With music being played loudly and the crowd yelling, the animal appeared frightened as the actor and handler tugged at it and picked it up. After being slammed on social media for the act, Epps has now apologized.

“I made a bad decision. I made a bad move,” the comedian told TMZ. “When it comes to animals, man, I’m an animal lover man. If you go through my Instagram, I’ve been to kangaroo preservations in Australia.”

While the comedian is sorry for the incident, that doesn’t mean he’s in the clear. According to TMZ, a representative for the United States Department of Agriculture said the agency will look into the stunt to make sure the kangaroo was not being mishandled. The site’s source said all handlers must be “in control of the animal at all times.”

According to Epps, the original plan was to have the kangaroo run across the stage as a joke, but that’s not how it played out. “They end up bringing the kangaroo up and wanting to show the kangaroo off on the front of the stage. It just made me look bad… I apologize to all my fans.”

Epps also used his wallet to apologize and revealed he would be making a donation to the Save the Kangaroo foundation. On Instagram, he wrote, “I don’t own the kangaroo and did not mean any harm to the animal… Like I said, I will be donating money to this foundation Save the Kangaroos.”