Dave Chappelle has found himself in controversy once again. According to Consequence, Chappelle made comments at the New York Comedy Festival that appear to make light of late podcaster Charlie Kirk’s death.
Although most of Chappelle’s shows are famously phone-free, a grainy clip of the statement appeared on social media. “I feel fucked up saying this. It’s scary being a public speaker… Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered, and I shouldn’t say this publicly, but I feel better,” Chappelle joked. Following some chuckles, Chappelle goes on to say, “I know I shouldn’t say that. But it’s just a feeling.”
Rob Henderson, who’s a writer and also a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute (a conservative institution), wrote on social media that Chappelle also said, “I’m so happy Charlie Kirk was killed. I can’t help it, it’s involuntary.” Chappelle had previously made jokes about Charlie Kirk in 2025, when he said that he was frightened of being shot for anti-transgender jokes he had made in the past.
Chappelle also criticized those who compared Kirk to Martin Luther King, Jr. He joked that the two couldn’t be more different, with Kirk’s run as an internet personality being antithetical to King’s cause. He asked the audience to imagine King acting like a social media commentator, and said that the comparison only went so far as the two of them being assassinated.
Chappelle’s jokes have drawn the ire of conservative commentators. In addition to Henderson, Elon Musk tweeted out, “Shame, shame, shame on Chappelle”, signalling his dislike of the comedian’s statements. Chappelle has previously caused controversy in liberal and leftist spaces for his statements on transgender people, which have been called transphobic by detractors. The comedian has yet to comment on this latest controversy, and it’s unknown if he will make any statement about the joke.
Shame, shame, shame on Chappelle
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 8, 2026