Dave Chappelle told a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden that he felt “better” after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The comedian made the remarks during back-to-back weekend shows that closed his “Karmageddon” tour and opened the New York Comedy Festival. In a leaked clip that circulated on X, Chappelle addressed the audience about the realities of public speaking.
“I feel f–ked up saying this. It’s scary being a public speaker,” Chappelle said. “And I mean look, ever since that guy Charlie Kirk got murdered… and I shouldn’t say this publicly, but I feel better.”
🔥🤔 TONIGHT DAVE CHAPPELLE JUST STOOD ON STAGE AT MSG AND SAID “I’M SO HAPPY CHARLIE KIRK WAS KILLED. I CAN’T HELP IT, IT’S INVOLUNTARY.” The left are growing bolder because there are ZERO consequences. Watch this entire video til the end and it will ALL MAKE SENSE. They are… https://t.co/HRW3ZOrZpL pic.twitter.com/m8znTVzhlm
Laughter and scattered applause followed the comment from the New York City crowd. Chappelle continued, “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 circulating video clip is less than a minute long and offers no further explanation, leaving what came before and after it unclear. The show was advertised as phone-free, with attendees’ devices sealed in Yondr pouches.
Rob Henderson, a writer who attended the Saturday show, posted his own account of the line hours before the video surfaced on social media. Henderson wrote on X, “I’m so happy Charlie Kirk was killed. I can’t help it, it’s involuntary,” attributing the phrasing to Chappelle. Henderson later noted that the second sentence struck him as particularly odd.
Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead on September 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson has been charged with his murder.
"I'm so happy Charlie Kirk was killed. I can't help it, it's involuntary." -Dave Chappelle tonight at Madison Square Garden
Chappelle has previously addressed the subject of Kirk in his work. In his December Netflix stand-up special The Unstoppable, the comedian discussed how the shooting had affected him, stating, “If you talk for a living and see Charlie Kirk get murdered that way, I’m gonna be honest, I was shook.”
In that same special, Chappelle also railed against comparing Kirk to Martin Luther King Jr., calling such comparisons a reach and asserting that internet personalities are negative because they have to be.
Following Chappelle’s recent remarks at Madison Square Garden, Erika Kirk posted on X, seemingly responding to the stand-up routine.
