Charlamagne Rejects Violence After Chappelle's Kirk Joke
Originally published by AllHipHop Read the original
Radio host Charlamagne Tha God pushed back on Dave Chappelle‘s joke about feeling better since Charlie Kirk‘s death, saying he did not want people shot for what they think.
His response came Monday, November 9, after the show played a short clip from the comedian’s set at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“Any of us can be shot. And I don’t want anybody getting shot because somebody disagrees with their opinion,” he said.
He stressed that “you have the freedom” to joke about any topic, but said he did not want to deal with that energy in his own life. He would not wish such a death on his worst enemy.
The panel also asked if there was more to the joke than the video showed, and there was. Chappelle’s joke was a sly play on Tony Hinchcliffe’s joke about George Floyd during “The Roast of Kevin Hart” on Netflix.
Chappelle played the Garden on November 6 and 7. At his request, the ban barred cameras, smart glasses and phones.
The rules required small devices to stay in locked Yondr pouches, which fans kept with them throughout the show.
But footage leaked showing Chappelle talking about Kirk’s killing and relating it to his own fears as a public speaker before the Garden shows.
“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 said.
The comedian added: “I’m sure Charlie Kirk is looking up at us right now, laughing so hard he can’t breathe,” a play on Hinchcliff’s controversial George Floyd joke.
Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. He was 31.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, had posted her own statement on X on November 8. She spoke out against leftist comics, podcasters and pundits who made light of political killings.
She did not name Chappelle. She urged people to see the value of a life even when they do not share that person’s views. She also warned that laughing at such deaths would harm the country’s shared values.
