Dave Chappelle recently addressed the subject of free speech while performing abroad. He responded directly to questions about the boundaries of expression in the United States. The comedian, best known for his stand-up and Netflix specials, shared his perspective when comparing America to Saudi Arabia.
Dave Chappelle compares free speech in the US and Saudi Arabia at Riyadh Comedy Festival
Headlining the event, he joked, “Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, you’ll get canceled. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out.”
In front of an audience of 6,000, he added, “It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.” Chappelle later said he worried about returning to the United States because “they’re going to do something to me so that I can’t say what I want to say” (via The New York Times).
The festival coincided with a divisive free speech debate in the U.S. Conservatives and a federal regulator briefly forced late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air after his monologue about the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Kimmel returned the following week, while President Trump publicly urged regulators to revoke broadcast licenses for networks airing his critics.
The Riyadh event marked Saudi Arabia’s first global comedy festival. American comics, including Chappelle, Bill Burr, and Louis C.K., performed. While some comedians praised the experience, the participation drew backlash in the U.S. David Cross criticized them in a statement, accusing performers of condoning a “totalitarian fiefdom” and declaring, “All of your bitching about ‘cancel culture’ and ‘freedom of speech’ and all that shit? Done.”
Burr described the festival differently, saying on his Monday Morning Podcast that Riyadh was one of the “top three experiences” of his career. He added, “It was great to experience that part of the world and to be a part of the first comedy festival over there in Saudi Arabia. The royals loved the show. Everyone was happy. The people that were doing the festival were thrilled.”
Originally reported by Anubhav Chaudhry on ComingSoon.net.
