"You can see how dead the crowd is": Matt Rife laugh track claim erupts as backlash around Netflix special intensifies 

TikTok sensation, actor, and comedian Matt Rife recently came under fire after he opened his debut Netflix special Natural Selection with a joke on domestic violence.

Not only that, he later posted an allegedly fake apology on an Instagram story, which stated that if his jokes ever offended anyone, they could tap on the link to his “official apology.” However, when opened, the attached link immediately led to an online medical store selling special-needs helmets.

As soon as the offensive joke along with the controversial apology surfaced on the internet, Matt Rife faced severe backlash. However, many users were left wondering how his live audience laughed at his joke.

In this regard, one netizen, @sithmari, pointed out that the audience reportedly did not laugh at Rife’s jokes, but rather a laugh track was seemingly played in the background.

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“The amount of obvious laugh track added into the Matt Rife special is embarrassing”: Comedian continues to get called out for his debut Netflix show

According to Complex, comedian Matt Rife’s first Netflix special, which began streaming on November 15 was filmed at Washington D.C.’s Constitution Hall and was attended by over 3000 live audience.

Initially, it was speculated that the audience went along with Rife’s controversial jokes, which included content related to domestic violence, female anatomy, crystals and spirituality, Mercury’s retrograde in astrology, and more.

However, now, with more people watching the show, it has been revealed that the live audience seemed uncomfortable and the laughter seemed forced, without which the show seemed to be “dead.”

Not only that, but a claim has arisen accusing Netflix and Matt Rife of using laugh tracks.

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Exploring, in brief, the latest controversies surrounding Matt Rife

Disclaimer: The section ahead contains offensive content on domestic abuse and other sensitive topics. Readers' discretion is advised.

Matt Rife has been accused of opening his Netflix special Natural Selection with a domestic abuse joke. He set it in a Baltimore diner, saying he was there with a friend recently and was welcomed by the hostess who had a black eye. The comedian also added how “it was pretty obvious what happened.”

When Matt’s fictional friend felt “bad” for her and suggested that “they should put her in the kitchen or something where nobody has to see her face,” Matt’s character responded by saying:

“Yeah, but I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”

When the comment was received with background laughter, Rife further justified his joke by saying:

“[I’m] just testing the waters, seeing if y’all are gonna be fun or not…I figure if we start the show with domestic violence, the rest of the show should be smooth sailing.”

When he earned online backlash for his joke, accusing him of trivializing a sensitive topic like domestic violence, while also being a misogynist and trying to seek male validation, Rife hit back at his critics by posting a pseudo apology on his Instagram Story.

It had an image of him seated with a mic during the filming of his Netflix special with the text, “If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told – here’s a link to my official apology” written in the background.

Below it was a link reading, “Tap to solve your issue.” But when the link opened, it led one straight to a website selling special-needs helmets.

Following this, the 28-year-old comedian has continued to face intensified controversy and backlash.