Mike Epps’s career has taken him to the forefront of the comedy world. The hilarious actor’s journey from the streets of Indianapolis to the big screen has not been lost on him. Throughout the ride, Epps has made sure to pour into his family and the community he grew up in. Recently, he admitted to Wanda Sykes why he buys so many homes in his birth town and the promise he made his mother when they were getting evicted years ago.
Mike Epps was born to Mary Reed and Tommie Epps. The actor’s father died when he was young, and his mother struggled to make ends meet. Mike says that they often got evicted from their homes due to financial issues. As a young boy, he promised his mother that if he ever got famous, he would go back and buy all the homes they got kicked out of. Fast forward almost 20 years into his career, Mike has been able to do just that. Thanks to the success of films like Next Friday, The Hangover, Girls Trip, and most recently, You People, Mike has been able to go back and purchase several homes in his city, many of which he’d been kicked out of as a kid.
While discussing this with Wanda Sykes on The Daily Show, Mike says, “I went back to my hometown. I been buy housed in Indianapolis for about 25 years.” Mike says that he and his wife are fixing them all up now. “My wife is really in charge of everything. She got with a builder.” Mike says his goal is to build all the houses back up and make them affordable for low-income families. Fans applauded him in the comments saying, “
so good to hear there is still good in the world some days it’s hard to remember 
.” Another person said, “What a fantastic thing to do with money!”
The project is actually being captured for a series on HGTV called “Buy The Block Back.” The series will debut this summer and will focus on Mike and his wife as they work through fixing the different homes they’ve purchased. His wife is Kyra Epps, a television producer who got her start on “Iyanla Fix My Life.” Mike said his next goal would be to make the world better for kids, but he is not interested in running for office despite Wanda Sykes insistence.
Mike Epps’s mother passed away in 2020. Some believe it was due to complications with COVID-19. In a post around that time, he said, “Rest in paradise, mama. Thank you for all the lessons and life it’s self.” He shared a photo of him hugging his mother and smiling. He goes on to say, “you fought hard baby because of you I will never stop fighting in this thing called life she loved her kids and family and we had good times with her this is not a good bye it’s a We will see you later.”
Elsewhere in the discussion, Mike and Wanda talk about why their series The Upshaws is doing so well. They discuss their different demographics and how they all come together to give fans “the best of both worlds.” They pairs chemistry is on full display throughout the interview. Check it out below.