Comedian Dave Chappelle is facing criticism after leaked clips from his Madison Square Garden show appeared to show him joking about Charlie Kirk’s killing.
The footage includes a remark that he felt “better” since Kirk was murdered, as well as a second joke that some viewers have interpreted as a reference to Kirk being in the afterlife.
The clips surfaced online after Chappelle’s Karmageddon tour performances at the venue. His shows are advertised as phone-free, but several audience recordings circulated on social media.
What Chappelle said
In one clip, Chappelle speaks about the risks of being a public figure before saying he felt better since Kirk was killed. He then jokes that he sometimes finds himself in a good mood before remembering why.
“I’m sure Charlie Kirk is looking up at us right now, laughing so hard he can’t breathe”
Dave Chappelle makes a joke about Charlie Kirk during his show at Madison Square Garden https://t.co/in4UIQaiyx
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) November 9, 2026
A second clip shows Chappelle saying he was sure Kirk was “looking up at us,” laughing so hard he could not breathe.
HotNewHipHop described the line as an apparent callback to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s controversial joke about George Floyd during the Kevin Hart roast. The short clips do not include the full routine around either remark, so the wider context is unclear.
Erika Kirk and public figures respond
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, criticised comedians and commentators who laugh about political assassination in a post on X.
She did not name Chappelle directly, but said treating the death of a person as a punchline was “beyond disgusting” and described it as a sign of “profound moral decay.” She also wrote that she and the couple’s children would live with the loss for the rest of their lives.
Elon Musk also criticised Chappelle, while broadcaster Piers Morgan called the remark disgusting. Florida congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna later told TMZ that she did not find the jokes funny, despite saying she had previously liked Chappelle’s comedy.
The controversy comes after criticism of other jokes about Kirk’s death. The hosts of the “I’ve Had It” podcast apologised after laughing at a separate joke about Kirk, and some of the show’s advertisers withdrew their support.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event on September 10, 2025. Chappelle has not publicly responded to the criticism, and the available clips do not show the full context of his set.
Discover more from Daily Mast
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
