The roast of Tom Brady was bound to have its awkward moments and exchanges. That's the whole point of a roast — to crack jokes at someone else's expense, whether they expect it or not.
Not every single one-liner is going to hit, though. Comedian Jeff Ross' jab at Patriots owner Robert Kraft for his history with massages may have gotten laughs for a majority of the crowd, but it certainly did not go over well with Brady.
Yet the moment that might have caused the most unease at Sunday's event reportedly did not occur on stage in front of the live crowd and Netflix audience. Rather, it came behind the scenes before the start of the show.
Former Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman detailed an uncomfortable situation between Kraft and longtime New England head coach Bill Belichick at the event. The roast came just months after the two elected to part ways, bringing an end to Belichick's 24-year run at the helm of the Patriots.
Here is more to know about the interaction and Edelman's description of what went down.
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Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft interaction at Tom Brady roast
On his most recent episode of his podcast, "Games With Names," Edelman sat down with former Pats quarterback Drew Bledsoe to discuss the roast, providing viewers with a little extra insight on what went down Sunday night.
Before the show, Edelman and Bledsoe were in the green room with Belichick, as well as Randy Moss, Rob Gronkowski and Bledsoe's brother Adam. Belichick was "opening up, having fun, talking war stories ... doing s— we know what Bill is all about, but it was amplified because he was excited to see guys," Edelman said.
Then someone unexpected walked in — Kraft. While the group of former players all went over to say hello to the New England owner, Belichick didn't budge. Instead, he kept the conversation going with Bledsoe's brother.
"As [Belichick] is in the middle of the story, Kraft walks in, and so you guys all go over to say 'hi' to Kraft," Bledsoe recalled. "The last man standing is my bro. Bill's telling the story, if [he] leaves, then he's telling it to nobody."
If that interaction seems like it would lead to awkwardness, you would be correct. Edelman recalled how tense the room was with Kraft and Belichick forced to share the same space.
Julian Edelman says the tension in the room with Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft present at Tom Brady’s roast “could cut f***ing glass” and that he tried warning Bill.
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) May 8, 2024
“The tension in that room though — could cut f***ing glass… I was watching Coach and I tried to give Coach a… pic.twitter.com/lc6hK6jhn0
"The tension in that room though, could cut f—ing glass," Edelman said. "I was watching coach and I tried to give coach a heads up. I see Kraft walk in, I’m like 'Yo, coach OOO!' Like some locker room s—. Like, '5-O, 5-O'. Of course he didn’t f—ing see it. And [Kraft] came in and I was just like 'Oh s— this could be some fireworks.' I just walked away."
Bledsoe said that Belichick and Kraft did eventually get together, talking for "10 minutes at least," but that the tension remained "real."
It's no surprise to hear how tense the room felt behind the scenes. There was a report that Kraft sent an ominous message to the Falcons during Atlanta's interview process with Belichick for their open head coach position. Ultimately, the Falcons pivoted away from Belichick and went with Raheem Morris.
No matter how strong Kraft and Belichick's relationship may have been for years in New England, it's evident that by the end, a parting of ways was needed. And just like a romantic relationship, it's always awkward running into your ex soon after the breakup.
