Dave Chappelle criticised after telling crowd Charlie Kirk’s assassination made him ‘feel better’

Comedian Dave Chappelle has drawn criticism after telling a Madison Square Garden crowd that Charlie Kirk’s assassination made him “feel better,” Daily Mail reports. Chappelle, 53, made the remark during a sold-out show in New York City on Saturday night, according to a clip circulating online. “I feel f***ed up saying this. It’s scary being a public speaker,” he said. “And I mean, look, ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered… and I shouldn’t say this publicly, but I feel better,” he added. Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025.

Conservative commentator Benny Johnson criticised the comment on X. Erika Kirk, Kirk’s widow, also condemned it. “A culture that laughs at assassination is one of profound moral decay,” she wrote on X. His “Karmageddon” tour closed with back-to-back shows. Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing Kirk, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder. The charge makes him eligible for the death penalty.