David Cross bashes fellow comedians over Saudi festival: "They have SLAVES for f**k's sake!!!"
New York, New York - Comedian David Cross shared his disappointment as several America's biggest comedy stars prepare to perform at Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Comedy Festival.

On Monday, Cross shared a post on his website stating that he is "disgusted, and deeply disappointed" that fellow comedians "with unarguable talent" – many of whom he considers his "heroes" – would condone the "totalitarian fiefdom" of Saudi Arabia.
"For... what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?" he wrote.
"We can never again take seriously anything these comedians complain about (unless it's complaining that we don't support enough torture and mass executions of journalists and LGBQT peace activists here in the states, or that we don't terrorize enough Americans by flying planes into our buildings)," Cross continued.
"All of your b***hing about 'cancel culture' and 'freedom of speech and all that s**t?" he continued. "Done. You don't get to talk about it ever again. By now, we've all seen the contract you had to sign."
Cross was speaking on the ongoing two-week Riyadh Comedy Festival, which promoters are hailing as the "world's largest comedy festival." The lineup consists of some of the biggest names in comedy, including Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Pete Davidson, and many more.
The Saudi government has funded the festival in an effort to bring more tourism to the region. Those on the roster have been offered huge amounts of money to perform, garnering significant backlash.
Critics have accused them of ignoring the moral convictions they claim to stand for, as Saudi Arabia has a long history of human rights violations, in exchange for a massive paycheck.
Cross noted that he wasn't asked to perform, but said, "There's not enough money for me to help these depraved, awful people put a 'fun face' on their crimes against humanity," later adding, "They have SLAVES for f**k's sake!!!"
Comedians defend decision to perform at the Riyadh Comedy Festival

Cross isn't the only one speaking out against the festival – fellow comedian Mark Marron criticized the lineup in a recent performance.
"I mean, how do you even promote that? 'From the folks that brought you 9/11 – Two weeks of laughter in the desert, don't miss it!'" Marron joked.
"I mean, the same guy that's gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a f**king suitcase," he added.
While most of the comedians on the lineup have been quiet in the face of criticism, some have addressed it – and appeared unfazed by it.
In a recent interview, Pete Davidson was asked about his decision to perform at the festival even though his father was killed in the 9/11 attacks, which were allegedly conducted and funded by Saudi extremists.
He didn't address the criticism and instead joked, "I just know I get the routing, and then I see the number, and I go, 'I'll go.'"
Jim Jeffries, meanwhile, joked that "One reporter was killed by the government – unfortunate, but not a f**king hill that I'm gonna die on," while Tim Dillon quipped, "So what, they have slaves? They're paying me enough money to look the other way," as reported by The Guardian.
Both comedians have since been removed from the festival lineup – seemingly as a result of those comments.
Others have specifically called out the bigger names on the lineup – like Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr – for accepting the offer, as their careers have been quite lucrative in recent years.
Cover photo: Jerod Harris / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP