David Cross Condemns Fellow Comedians for Saudi Arabia Festival Participation

David Cross has strongly condemned comedians who are performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. In an Instagram post, he expressed deep disappointment with colleagues who are participating in the event, describing it as accepting 'blood money' from 'the most oppressive regime on earth.' Cross specifically criticized well-known performers like Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr, arguing that their participation contradicts their previous statements about free speech. The festival features many famous comedians including Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, and Pete Davidson.

Other comedians like Marc Maron have also spoken out against the event, citing Saudi Arabia's human rights record and involvement in the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Some performers declined to participate after learning about strict content restrictions that would prevent criticism of the Saudi government.