Comedian Dave Chappelle has drawn criticism for saying he “feels better” after last year’s shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Chappelle made the comments Saturday night during a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden as part of his “Karmageddon” tour. Although the performance was supposed to be phone-free, video clips of the show were leaked on social media.
“Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered — and I shouldn’t say this publicly — but I feel better,” Chappelle said, according to one video posted to X. “I know I shouldn’t say that, but it’s just a feeling.”
British broadcaster Piers Morgan called the comment “disgusting,” writing on X that it was “especially egregious given that Chappelle himself survived an attack on stage in 2022.”
Chappelle’s representatives did not immediately respond Sunday to messages seeking comment.
The comedian isn’t the only one to come under scrutiny for allegedly making light of 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.
As they recapped social media quips about the midterm elections, Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan reportedly laughed at one that read, “we’re digging up Charlie Kirk and doing it again.” That prompted the exit of several advertisers, including Cash App, which wrote on X, “We do not condone violence of any kind, and we are no longer sponsors of this podcast.”
“It was an insensitive joke, and we should not have laughed,” the hosts wrote in a statement posted to the podcast’s Instagram account. “We regret it, and we apologize.” They donated money to nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, 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 believes that it happened because “straight white conservative Christian men are being silenced.”
In an interview with The Times, Che said he wants people to “laugh at the things that horrify you.”
Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk appeared to respond to the recent jokes, writing on X that seeing “leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators laugh about political assassination as though it’s entertainment and the destruction of a human life is a punchline, is beyond disgusting.”
“A culture that laughs at assassination is one of profound moral decay,” she wrote Sunday. “It threatens the very foundation of our country and the principles that hold our democracy together.” She did not specify what prompted her statement.
Charlie Kirk, who founded conservative political group Turning Point USA, was shot and killed September 2025 while speaking at a college event in Utah. Tyler Robinson, of Utah, has been charged in his death.
Times correspondent Stuart Miller contributed to this report.
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