Steve Harvey Reveals He Got Revenge On Childhood Teacher Who Doubted His Quest for Fame

Although Steve Harvey desired to be successful on television, his first stint at show hosting did not catch on. He had to push through all the myriad of unbelief to succeed.

More so, the entertainer was also faced with skepticism for his career dreams while growing up. This was because he had a shortcoming that made many have doubts about his abilities.

Growing up, Harvey had a childhood stutter that brought him jest from people around. While In sixth grade, his teacher asked the class to pen down what career choice they desired.

When she discovered he wrote down he wanted to be an entertainer, she subjected him to ridicule in front of the whole class.

The teacher opined that Harvey’s speech impediment would never allow him to succeed as an entertainer. She even called his mother, telling her to wean him off his dreams.

Harvey was not put down by her words. With some help, he would overcome his speech impediment and begin a career in comedy in the 90s.

His first stint at comedy, however, left him broke and homeless. Despite his sorry situation, Harvey never gave up and kept pushing till he got his big break. This was the turning point he needed to shoot his career shot into the limelight.

Having a speech impediment can have adverse social effects, especially among young children. Those with it are usually the brunt of bullying, which can trigger low self-esteem in the child.

Though Harvey’s family had little, they made up for it by supporting his dreams endlessly. While others scorned him for his speech disorder, his family encouraged him to always strive for success.

Despite his speech disorder, Harvey soared on the wings of his family’s moral support and kept on entertaining. He loved making people laugh, and he knew it was the path he had chosen for himself.

Remedy for Harvey’s stutter came in the form of a local deli man. He often gave the young lad tips on how to slow down and speak carefully.

As a reward, he would give Harvey candy whenever he spoke clearly. Those tricks were efficacious as Harvey slowly outgrew the stutter.

During an interview with Oprah, Harvey revealed he never forgot that fateful day his teacher made jest of him. Once he started earning, he served her an act of revenge.

“Every year when the teacher was living, I used to send her a TV for Christmas, cause I wanted her to see me,” the comedian said.

He further stated he did it to rub his success in her face for doubting his dreams, then grew emotional as he recounted his success.

“That little boy with the stuttering problem is on TV, seven days a week,” Harvey says, growing emotional. “Yeah. I’m on TV. All the time. You dig?”

Harvey did not disclose when he started sending his former teacher a “spite television” or if he will ever stop.

After getting his big break, the entertainer performed standup comedy occasionally. This continued until he closed that chapter in 2012.

He starred in the ABC show “Me and the Boys,’ but the producers discontinued it due to poor ratings. Later, Harvey started his eponymously named show “Steve Harvey Show,” which brought rave reviews and critical acclaim.

In 2002, the show rebranded into “Steve Harvey Morning Show” and rode on the waves of its previous success, growing more in popularity.

Alongside his show, Harvey is the host of “Family Feud,” which he started anchoring in 2010. He has also written several books, including his bestseller “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.”