{"id":108451,"date":"2025-10-28T14:17:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T18:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/wanda-sykes-rips-kimmel-suspension-calls-riyadh-comedy-fest-in-saudi-arabia-anti-comedy-108451"},"modified":"2025-10-28T14:17:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T18:17:10","slug":"wanda-sykes-rips-kimmel-suspension-calls-riyadh-comedy-fest-in-saudi-arabia-anti-comedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/wanda-sykes-rips-kimmel-suspension-calls-riyadh-comedy-fest-in-saudi-arabia-anti-comedy-108451","title":{"rendered":"Wanda Sykes rips Kimmel suspension, calls Riyadh Comedy Fest in Saudi Arabia \u2018anti-comedy\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Comedian Wanda Sykes<\/a> blasted Disney\u2019s suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel last month and criticized Saudi Arabia\u2019s Riyadh Comedy Festival for warning comics not to joke about its regime in an interview published Monday, calling both examples of censorship.<\/p>\n

Speaking with Variety, Sykes said Kimmel\u2019s suspension over comments about the alleged shooter of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was a “crazy” example of cancel culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“It was a real \u2014 I don\u2019t want to say a wake-up call, because we were aware of how bad things were. But this is crazy now. I still don\u2019t see how what he said was outlandish or hurtful,” Sykes said<\/a>, defending the “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” host.\u00a0<\/p>\n

AOC USES HOUSE FLOOR SPEECH TO SMEAR CHARLIE KIRK: ‘HIS RHETORIC AND BELIEFS WERE IGNORANT, UNEDUCATED’<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Sykes was scheduled to appear on Kimmel\u2019s ABC show when Disney suspended it after Kimmel suggested on air that Charlie Kirk\u2019s suspected killer, 22-year-old Utah native Tyler Robinson, could be a supporter of President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

Reports later indicated that Robinson had expressed left-leaning views. ABC\u2019s parent company reinstated Kimmel\u2019s show<\/a> several days later.<\/p>\n

Many Hollywood figures condemned Kimmel\u2019s removal, calling it censorship and a violation of free speech. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, suggested in an interview<\/a> that Kimmel\u2019s comments could have created regulatory issues for ABC.<\/p>\n

BILL BURR BLASTS CRITICS OF SAUDI ARABIA COMEDY FESTIVAL VISIT IN EXPLETIVE-LADEN INTERVIEW<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Sykes agreed the suspension amounted to an attack on Kimmel\u2019s free speech<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“But what happened to Jimmy, that\u2019s real. People online are losing their jobs for stuff they post. It\u2019s not about what a comic says \u2014 now, the guy who works at the post office says something on Facebook, and people jump all over him and want that person fired. So now it applies to everybody.”<\/p>\n

However, Sykes said that despite what happened to Kimmel, comedians shouldn\u2019t censor what they say about politics or Trump.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“You can\u2019t really censor yourself like that and give people a good show. I can\u2019t. So I don\u2019t,” she said.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Sykes also discussed the Riyadh Comedy Festival \u2014 a month-long stand-up event in Saudi Arabia that ended in October \u2014 featuring 50 high-profile comedians, including Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings and Louis C.K.<\/p>\n

Several comedians faced backlash<\/a> for performing in the kingdom amid reports that participants were barred from criticizing the Saudi government over its human rights record. Sykes joined in the criticism.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m sure it was a nice paycheck. And hey, these comics feel comfortable going there. I wouldn\u2019t. I\u2019m a Black gay woman. I have no business there; I wouldn\u2019t feel comfortable with the treatment of the LGBT,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

On the venue barring criticism<\/a> of the Saudi government, Sykes said, “To me, that\u2019s anti-comedy. If you complain about cancel culture, but then you take money to not say things \u2014 I mean\u2026”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Source – https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/wanda-sykes-rips-kimmel-suspension-calls-riyadh-comedy-fest-saudi-arabia-anti-comedy <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Comedian Wanda Sykes blasted Disney\u2019s suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel last month and criticized Saudi Arabia\u2019s Riyadh Comedy Festival for warning comics not to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_2902945987_2902945987":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[16563],"tags":[],"stock_ticker":[],"class_list":["post-108451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-market-news","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWanda Sykes rips Kimmel suspension, calls Riyadh Comedy Fest in Saudi Arabia \u2018anti-comedy\u2019 - Wall Street PR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cablemanpro.com\/wallstreetpr\/wanda-sykes-rips-kimmel-suspension-calls-riyadh-comedy-fest-in-saudi-arabia-anti-comedy-108451\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Wanda Sykes rips Kimmel suspension, calls Riyadh Comedy Fest in Saudi Arabia \u2018anti-comedy\u2019 - 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