British comedian Dane Baptiste, a regular on TV and creator of two BBC shows, has been criticized for allegedly posting an “antisemitic” death threat about a female comic.
Prominent members of the British comedy community rounded on Baptiste after he was accused of publishing a now-deleted Instagram post in which he told an unidentified female comedian he would “sit in prison while your family sit at the cemetery.” The full post is below.
The UK’s Community Security Trust, a charity that examines incidences of anti-Jewish hate, has been notified about Baptiste’s message, which began: “A quick note to the Zionist comedian stalking my family’s page.”
Deadline understands that the matter has been reported to the police.
Baptiste wrote: “I want you to sit down with your husband and kids and imagine what their lives will be without you, b/c north london is a quick trip to make and a think tank will have to be an actual tank to keep you safe from me. Ask about and comedians will tell you I will be at your literal doorstep. Your agent won’t keep you safe.” He added: “Your act is dumbbut don’t be a dumb woman.”
Deadline does not know the identity of the comedian Baptiste was allegedly threatening. The post has since been deleted but is doing the rounds on X, formerly known as Twitter. Baptiste and his agent at Insanity have been contacted for comment.
Ricky Gervais reposted a post that highlighted Baptiste’s “publicly threatening to kill a Jewish woman.”
Prominent British comedian David Baddiel reposted with the line “Jews don’t count,” which is a reference to his theory that Jewish people are not considered a “proper minority.”
Another well-known comic, Marcus Brigstocke, wrote: “The threat made by Dane Baptiste against a woman on IG wasn’t vague & cannot be justified. It was targeted & dangerous. Driven (imo) by antisemitism & misogyny. I refuse to look the other way & stay silent while only Jewish friends speak up.”
Baptiste’s Instagram and X accounts are still live and his most recent X post made an inflammatory allegation about new LBC presenter Vanessa Feltz, a Jewish woman.
Baptiste, who is 42, was the first Black British act to be nominated for best newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards and has since had two BBC shows: sitcom Sunny D and pilot Bamous. He has made numerous TV and radio appearances and hosts a podcast, Dane Baptiste Questions Everything.
In a Guardian interview last year, he criticized “the failure of most British comedians, despite their keen observational skills, to identify racial and class inequality in the UK.”
Earlier today Dane Baptiste posted a public death threat to a female, Jewish comedian and I am convinced he’d have received more backlash from the comedy world if he came out as a Tory. pic.twitter.com/NyV0nLzMpb
— alextenenbaum (@alextenenbaum) May 1, 2024
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