Jessica Kirson expressed “sincere regret” for participating in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Kirson admitted she was surprised to be invited to the festival and even requested “guarantee” that she could be “openly out as a lesbian on stage and perform gay material.” “I hoped that this could help LGBTQ+ people in Saudi Arabia feel seen and valued,” she continued. “I am grateful that I was able to do precisely that—to my knowledge, I am the first openly gay comic to talk about it on stage in Saudi Arabia. I received messages from attendees sharing how much it meant to them to participate in a gay-affirming event. At the same time, I deeply regret participating under the auspices of the Saudi government.” Kirson said performing at the festival, which features comics like Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr and Louis C.K., has “weighed heavily on [her] heart.” Comedians such as David Cross and Marc Maron have spoken out against the festival. Atsuko Okatsuka, who turned down an offer to perform, posted the contract online, which barred comedians from saying anything that would “degrade” Saudi Arabia or its royal family. Maron’s critique came in the form of a joke regarding the murder of Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi, saying, “The same guy that’s gonna pay [the comedians] is the same guy that paid that guy to bonesaw Jamal Khashoggi.” Comedian Tim Dillon, who says the festival fired im after he joked about forced labor, said comics were paid huge sums of money to perform.
Read it at The Hollywood Reporter
