Comedian Dave Chappelle has been criticized for saying he “feels better” after the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last year.
Chappelle made the comments Saturday night during a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden as part of his “Karmageddon” tour. Even though the show was supposed to take place without phones, video clips of the show were leaked on social media.
“Since this guy, Charlie Kirk, was murdered — and I shouldn’t say this publicly — but I feel better,” Chappelle said, according to a video posted on X. “I know I shouldn’t say this, but it’s just a feeling.”
British broadcaster Piers Morgan called the comment “disgusting”, writing on X that it was “particularly egregious given that Chappelle himself survived an on-stage attack in 2022”.
Representatives for Chappelle did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Sunday.
The comedian isn’t the only one facing scrutiny for allegedly ridiculing Kirk’s death in recent weeks. The hosts of the “I’ve Had It” podcast apologized Saturday after reacting to a joke about Kirk during Thursday’s episode.
While recapping social media jokes about the midterm elections, Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan reportedly mocked the one that said, “We’re digging up Charlie Kirk and we’ll start again.” This led to the departure of several advertisers, including Cash App, which wrote on X: “We do not tolerate violence in any form and we no longer sponsor this podcast. »
“It was an insensitive joke and we shouldn’t have laughed,” the hosts wrote in a statement posted to the podcast’s Instagram account. “We regret it and we apologize for it.” They donated money to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization, they wrote as part of their apology.
Comedian Michael Che also joked about Kirk’s murder in the opening of his Netflix special, “Michael Che: Shot in Minnesota,” released last month, saying he thought it happened because “white, straight, conservative Christian men were being silenced.”
In an interview with The Times, Che said he wanted people to “laugh at the things that horrify you.”
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, appeared to respond to the recent jokes, writing on
“A culture that mocks assassinations is one of profound moral decline,” she wrote on Sunday. “This threatens the very foundations of our country and the principles that hold our democracy together.” She did not specify what prompted her statement.
Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative political group Turning Point USA, was shot and killed in September 2025 while speaking at a college event in Utah. Tyler Robinson, of Utah, was charged in her death.
Special correspondent Stuart Miller contributed to this report.
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