Carlito Addresses ‘I Gotta Learn Chinese’ Comment After Walking Past IYO SKY & Kairi Sane On WWE Raw, Feels It Was Not Racist

Carlito opens up about the segment.

During an October 2024 edition of Monday Night Raw, IYO SKY and Kairi Sane were speaking to General Manager Adam Pearce in his office. As they were walking out, Carlito walked in, and when they exited the camera’s view, Carlito said, “I gotta learn Chinese.”

Carlito appeared on Refin’ It Up and explained why he feels it was not a racist comment. At the time, Fightful Select reported that the line was not planned, and WWE staff were in disbelief that Carlito said it.

Carlito confirmed that he said it on the fly. He added that he felt bad for the writers and was not going to pass any blame onto them.

“The only one was the IYO SKY thing which, I don’t know, people — and that one I just improvised live but, that wasn’t even a racist thing. It was a language thing… I wanted to get on something but they told me not to say anything… It has nothing to do with race. This character is oblivious to things. I was like, ‘Oh man, people are just damn sensitive these days…’ (It was) like a throwaway line. 

I didn’t either (Carlito agreed with the co-host that he didn’t view it as a racist comment). All of a sudden, this is racist. What are you talking about? It was like, no, you dumbasses… It could have been somebody talking Italian and I said, oh, I gotta speak French, you know what I mean? That was the joke. But, in the writers’ defense, that one was live. I just threw it out there… and nobody was responsible but me. That was all me, so, I feel bad for the writers… 

People told me that. Thankful that I didn’t pass it (the blame). I was like, ‘Bro, I’m not gonna do that.’ I’m not built that way. I’ll just take it on the chin. If it was me, it was me. I don’t wanna get anybody else in trouble.”

Carlito’s time with the company came to an end in May when he was informed that his deal was not being renewed. It concluded his second run with the company, which started in 2023. He has since returned to the independent scene.

If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Refin’ It Up with an H/T to Fightful for the transcriptions.