Dave Chappelle’s Karmageddon tour ended with two sold-out Madison Square Garden shows on Nov. 6 and 7. They were billed as phone-free, with devices locked in pouches. A clip still got out, and by Sunday it was one of the most-shared videos on X.
“It’s scary being a public speaker,” Chappelle says in the footage. “Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered — and I shouldn’t say this publicly — but I feel better.” He adds: “I know I shouldn’t say that, but it’s just a feeling.” Outlets differ on which of the two nights it was recorded.
Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder, was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University event on Sept. 10, 2025. Part of the outrage comes from history. In 2022 a man rushed the stage and attacked Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl. When prosecutors declined to bring felony charges against the attacker, Kirk publicly condemned the decision as excusing political violence against people who speak out.
Elon Musk wrote “Shame, shame, shame on Chappelle,” and Piers Morgan also condemned the remark. On Sunday, Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, posted a statement without naming Chappelle. “To see leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators laugh about political assassination as though it’s entertainment… is beyond disgusting,” she wrote, adding that “a culture that laughs at assassination is one of profound moral decay.”
There is a context question. The leaked clip is short, and outlets including Complex noted that it leaves out what came before and after, so it is hard to judge how the bit fit his set. In his recent special, Chappelle said Kirk’s killing left him “shook” as someone who talks for a living. He also mocked comparisons between Kirk and Martin Luther King Jr.
Chappelle has not publicly addressed the backlash. What is clear is that the line struck a nerve on a subject that is still raw for many Americans.
Sources and further reading
- Variety: Chappelle’s Charlie Kirk joke prompts response from Erika Kirk
- Deadline: Charlie Kirk’s widow calls out jokes after Chappelle set
- Los Angeles Times: Chappelle comment about Kirk’s death sparks backlash
- Complex: Chappelle faces backlash over leaked joke
- Topic lead (not copied): https://t.me/ResisttheMainstream/50592
