SZA Says Katt Williams Jokingly Complimented Her as 'Mentally Ill' on Set of Upcoming Movie

SZA says Katt Williams jokingly called her “mentally ill” doing production on an upcoming film.

The SOS singer’s interaction with the comedian was briefly recounted in a recent Harper’s Bazaar cover story, with Kendrick Lamar being interview by his former Top Dawg labelmate. At the top of the discussion, SZA mentioned being on set the previous night, noting that she’s new to the process of feature-length filmmaking.

“We shot a movie last night,” she said, as seen here. “I’ve never shot a movie before, so I was freaking out. It’s a lot of being scared to be myself. I’m either gonna pretend it never happened or not show up to the premiere.”

Though she didn’t specify, SZA is seemingly referencing Lawrence Lamont’s untitled comedy, recently revealed to be set for an early 2025 release and featuring Williams. Among those also confirmed for the TriStar production’s cast are Keke Palmer, Maude Apatow, and Lil Rel Howery. When meeting on the set, per SZA, Williams offered her a memorable compliment.

“He told me I was mentally, like, as a compliment,” SZA recalled to Kendrick. “He was like, ‘Sa, I believe you might have some mental—‘ And I was like, ‘Illness?’ And he was like, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Oh, welcome.’”

From there, naturally, SZA and Kendrick embarked on a larger discussion about mental health that eventually led to reflections on the power of true vulnerability, pivotal moments of letting the tears flow, and more.

Also on the horizon for SZA fans is a new album, tentatively titled Lana. In February, notably on the same night she took home multiple Grammys, SZA gave fans a taste of what’s to come with the release of “Saturn,” a song Complex ranked among the best of the year so far.