Baltimore native Jess Hilarious is headlining the Baltimore Comedy Factory this week, returning to a hometown stage while promoting her debut memoir with a book signing set for Saturday at Barnes & Noble in Ellicott City. The comedian, radio host, and social media star built her name from viral Baltimore roots, and now she is bringing both her stand-up act and her new book back to the city where it all started.
A Homecoming Stop for Her New Book
Jess Hilarious, born Jessica Robin Moore in Baltimore, first broke through nationally in 2017 with her viral Instagram commentary series “Jess with the Mess,” according to Wikipedia. As reported by FOX45 News, the comedian is headlining the Baltimore Comedy Factory this week as part of the promotional run for her book. The venue, located at 5625 O'Donnell Street, regularly hosts national stand-up acts, per Unique Venues.
Her Baltimore ties run deep. Hoodline previously covered her headlining set at the city's Hippodrome Theatre back in February 2019, long before she became a fixture of national radio and streaming. Before she was a headliner in her own right, she cut her teeth opening for established names including Martin Lawrence, Mo'Nique, Mike Epps, and Rickey Smiley, according to Chevalier Theatre.
A Memoir Rooted in Young Motherhood
The book tied to her Baltimore appearances, *Til Death Do We Parent: Raising My Kid with His Dad*, was released April 28, 2026, through Atria/Black Privilege Publishing — an imprint Charlamagne tha God created under Simon & Schuster. The 224-page memoir explores her experience co-parenting her son Ashton with her ex-partner Gerome “Rome” James after she became pregnant at age 19, per Simon & Schuster. The seed report from FOX45 News confirms Jess Hilarious has a book signing scheduled at Barnes & Noble in Ellicott City, starting at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Barnes & Noble has announced the signing. Following the memoir's release, Jess Hilarious and Rome James appeared together on The Breakfast Club and on audio podcasts in May 2026 to discuss moving past a once-toxic dynamic toward a healthier co-parenting arrangement, according to an interview posted on Omny Studio.
From Baltimore Screens to National Radio
Jess Hilarious's path from Baltimore internet fame to national media has moved through television as well as radio. She starred as Brittany on the Fox sitcom *Rel* alongside Lil Rel Howery and Sinbad during its 2018–2019 run, and she has made recurring appearances across multiple seasons of MTV's *Wild 'N Out*, according to TV Guide. In January 2024, iHeartMedia named her the permanent third co-host of the nationally syndicated *The Breakfast Club*, joining Charlamagne tha God and DJ Envy and succeeding Angela Yee.
That platform has only grown since. In May 2026, *The Breakfast Club* expanded beyond radio syndication with a daily live stream on Netflix featuring Jess Hilarious alongside her co-hosts, a shift Hoodline detailed when the show made the leap. iHeartMedia has noted that her social following exceeds 5.5 million Instagram followers, an audience she has leveraged in her pivot from stand-up comedy into radio syndication, publishing, and sold-out live shows.
For Baltimore fans, this week offers a chance to catch her at the Baltimore Comedy Factory even as she anchors a daily show reaching millions nationwide. Between the Barnes & Noble signing in Ellicott City and her Baltimore Comedy Factory set, the run underscores how a hometown story — young motherhood, a viral Instagram voice, and a comedy career built opening for other headliners — has carried her onto national radio and streaming without erasing where she started.
