Key Takeaways
- Dave Chappelle joked at Madison Square Garden that he feels “better” since Charlie Kirk’s assassination, drawing laughter, gasps, and scattered applause.
- Elon Musk and Piers Morgan condemned the remarks, while Erika Kirk called laughing at political assassination “beyond disgusting” without naming Chappelle.
- The leaked clip omits the surrounding routine, prompting some viewers to reserve judgment until they can hear the full segment.
Dave Chappelle is facing backlash after footage from a recent Madison Square Garden performance surfaced online, showing the comedian joking about feeling happier following the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The remarks reportedly came during Chappelle's Karmageddon tour, which wrapped up with two sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 6–7). In a leaked clip circulating on X, Chappelle addressed Kirk's September 2025 assassination while discussing the dangers of public speaking.
"I feel fucked up saying this. It's scary being a public speaker. And I mean look, ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered … and I shouldn't say this publicly, but I feel better," Chappelle told the crowd.
The comment drew nervous laughter, gasps, and scattered applause before Chappelle continued.
"I know I shouldn't say that, but it's just a feeling. I didn't ask to feel this way. I just be driving around like, 'Why am I in such a good mood? Oh!'"
The footage quickly sparked criticism from several conservative figures, including Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, and Elon Musk.
Although Erika didn't mention Chappelle by name, she appeared to address the controversy in a post on X, describing people laughing at political assassination as "beyond disgusting."
"Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates," she wrote.
Musk also weighed in, writing, "Shame, shame, shame on Chappelle."
Piers Morgan called the remarks "especially egregious given that Chappelle himself survived an attack on stage in 2022."
The leaked footage has also raised questions about the context of Chappelle's joke. The clip doesn't include what the comedian said before or after the remarks, making it difficult to determine how the bit fit into his full routine.
Chappelle previously addressed Kirk's death in his Netflix special The Unstoppable, released last December, acknowledging that the assassination shook him.
"If you talk for a living and see Charlie Kirk get murdered that way, I'm gonna be honest, I was shook," Chappelle said.
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson, the man charged in connection with his death, has pleaded not guilty.
