Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, condemns jokes about "political assassination" without naming the comedian, as a leaked clip spreads online and critics including Elon Musk weigh in.

NEW YORK — Comedian Dave Chappelle is drawing sharp criticism after a leaked clip from his Madison Square Garden show showed him joking that he has felt better since conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed.

Chappelle made the remarks during his two-night run at the arena on Nov. 6 and 7, which wrapped up his "Karmageddon" tour. Outlets differ on which night the joke came, with Variety and Fox News saying Friday and the Los Angeles Times saying Saturday. The shows were advertised as phone-free, with attendees required to lock their devices in Yondr pouches, but fan footage still reached social media.

"I feel f—ed up saying this. It's scary being a public speaker," Chappelle said in the clip. "Ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered, and I shouldn't say this publicly, but I feel better. 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 crowd responded with laughter, gasps and scattered applause, according to accounts of the footage.

On Sunday, Erika Kirk posted a statement on X that did not name Chappelle but was widely read as a response. "To see leftist podcasters, comedians, and commentators laugh about political assassination as though it's entertainment and the destruction of a human life is a punchline, is beyond disgusting," she wrote. "My husband, Charlie Kirk, was killed in an act of political violence, something our two children and I will live with every day for the rest of our lives." She added: "You do not have to agree with someone's politics to recognize the value of their life. This should not be so hard. Political violence must never be something this country tolerates, excuses, or celebrates."

Others have criticized Chappelle by name. Elon Musk wrote, "Shame, shame, shame on Chappelle." Broadcaster Piers Morgan called the remark "disgusting," saying it was "especially egregious given that Chappelle himself survived an attack on stage" in 2022. Podcaster Alec Lace called him a "scumbag." A Turning Point USA spokesman referred reporters to Erika Kirk's statement.

Some viewers have urged caution because the clip omits the rest of the routine, according to Complex. Chappelle has addressed Kirk's killing before. In his December 2025 Netflix special The Unstoppable, he said, "If you talk for a living and see Charlie Kirk get murdered that way, I'm gonna be honest, I was shook." Reports reviewed for this article did not include a public response from Chappelle. Newsweek said it asked his representatives for comment.

Kirk, 31, the founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Sept. 10, 2025, at a Utah Valley University event in Orem, Utah. A suspect, Tyler Robinson, has been charged with aggravated murder and has pleaded not guilty, according to Reuters. The controversy follows criticism of podcast hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan, who apologized Nov. 7 for laughing at a joke about Kirk's death and lost sponsors, according to the Independent.

Virtue.News will update this story if Chappelle or his representatives respond.

Sources: Variety (Nov. 8), Entertainment Weekly (Nov. 8), Los Angeles Times (Nov. 8), Deadline (Nov. 2026), Fox News, Newsweek, Complex (Nov. 9), The Independent, Yahoo Entertainment (Nov. 8), Quartz.