Who is Cristina Payne? Corey Holcomb accused of punching female comedian in the face outside club
Comedian Corey Holcomb faces an accusation of punching Cristina Payne, a female comedian in the face earlier in December. The exact date of the supposed incident is unknown, however, it took place outside the Hollywood Improv comedy club where Payne and her friend were hanging out.
According to witnesses, Holcomb went to Payne and was verbally aggressive before threatening to punch her in the face. Holcomb reportedly swung his fist at a man who intervened but missed and the punch landed on Payne’s face instead.
A group of people, including Holcomb reportedly rounded on the man before the 56-year-old comedian fled the scene. Paramedics were called to the scene to check up on Cristina Payne and the man who stepped in. However, neither reportedly needed to be taken to a hospital. Police arrived shortly after to take a battery report.
As per Cristina Payne's bio on 202 Creates, supposedly penned in 2016, she has been working in the entertainment industry for over 28 years. Payne claimed she used to write jokes for Brandon T. Jackson. However, David Adkins aka Sinbad advised Payne not to give away her jokes to another person for a minimal wage and encouraged her to get on the stage.
Payne said her journey as a stand-up comedian began in December 2014, when Charlie Murphy invited her to open a show for him. Cristina Payne curtainraised for other artists, including Tyler Perry, Cocoa Brown, Rodney Perry, DeRay Davis, Tony Woods, Don Curry, Rob Maher, and more.
According to Cristina Payne's LinkedIn, she attended Howard University and earned a Master's degree in social work.
Corey Holcomb reportedly punched Cristina Payne over a months-old feud
Corey Holcomb reportedly told some people in July he would "super sock" Cristina Payne. he also allegedly said:
"Somebody come get this bitch before I f**k her up"
Further details of their feud or what prompted Corey Holcomb to pass one such remark are unknown. However, Cristina Payne called Holcomb out through an Instagram post on December 12. The image contained a written statement:
"#CoreyHolcomb IS A WOMAN BEATER"
Payne insinuated in the caption that Holcomb would have faced harsher consequences for hitting her if she was a white woman. Cristina Payne added:
"I Was Taught as a Child to Keep My Hands to MYSELF! Evidently #CoreyHolcomb wasnt raised right & His Mama Didnt Love Him enough to teach him to Respect Women."
Payne further alleged Holcomb had a gun with him on the day of the alleged incident and told her he was "ready for Any & Everything". Holcomb allegedly handed the gun to comedian Katrina M. Harris upon sensing the police were on their way.
While concluding the post, Cristina Payne tagged several other comedians including Tiffany Haddish, Tony Woods, Deon Cole, Chris Rigigns, Guy Torry, and many others, thanking them for checking up on her. She shared her post on Instagram Stories on December 21, satirically apologizing for not remaining quiet about the alleged assault.
Corey Holcomb reportedly denied punching Payne in his podcasts.