Comedian and TV host Steve Harvey says he regrets meeting then President-elect Donald Trump in January after suffering a torrent of criticism.

In an interview given to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this week, Harvey opened up about the experience, lamenting the backlash he received from peers and fans following the high-profile meeting.

'I didn't see that coming... Jesus,' Harvey told the Reporter, which published the interview Tuesday. 'It was so vicious that it really threw me.'

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Then President-elect Donald Trump and television personality Steve Harvey speak to reporters after their meeting at Trump Tower, January 13, 2017

'I was being called names that I've never been called: Uncle Tom. A c**n. A sellout,' he added.

The encounter between Harvey and Trump was apparently set-up by his business partner after he received 'a call from the Obama transition team, who said that the Trump transition team would like to set up a meeting'.

Harvey agreed, but now says he should have listened to his wife, Marjorie. who advised against it and suggested instead he stick with plans to celebrate his 60th birthday.

'My wife says, "Steve, just take off [and skip the meeting]. You'll meet with him some other time,''' he recalled. 'God, I should've listened.'

Harvey said that the two spoke mostly about golf in the 20 minute conversation they had at Trump Tower in New York City in January.

Television personality and host Steve Harvey (L) and his wife Marjorie Harvey attend the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino

After suffering a torrent of criticism, Harvey released a statement explaining why he met with the newly elected President

Trump also discussed the possibility of Harvey working with Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on a number of projects, including ways to help transform closing schools into 'vision centers and teach STEM and computers and coding.'

'We’re actually trying to get it started,' he said, saying that he's already met with Carson at HUD offices this year.

'Hopefully before the year goes out, we’ll be making the announcement about the first vision center.'

But immediately after the meeting, Harvey was pictured with Trump in the downstairs lobby of his building.

Immediately after the meeting, Harvey was pictured with Trump in the downstairs lobby of his building (seen above). From there he faced a barrage of criticism

From there, he began being pelted with abuse on social media and television, evoking anger from some who argued that a man of color with Harvey's recognition should not be meeting someone who had been so disrespectful of minority communities throughout the 2016 campaign.

Soon after the meeting, Harvey released a statement explaining why he met with the then President-elect, saying he walked away feeling that Trump 'genuinely wants a make a difference' in urban communities, describing him as 'congenial and sincere.'