David Cross tears the ancient heroes of the comedy on the participation of the Riyadh festival
David Cross has torn many of his former comedy heroes for their participation in the controversial festival of the comedy in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
The actor published his reflections on his website and in a post X, saying that he was “disgusted and deeply disappointed with all this rough thing”. Cross wondered how the people he admired in the comedy space “to tolerate this totalitarian stronghold for … what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers? “
“We can never take it seriously all that these actors complain about (unless it complains that we do not support enough torture and mass executions of journalists and LGBQT peace activists here in the United States, or that we would not terrorize enough Americans by stealing planes in our buildings)”, wrote Cross. “I mean that’s all; Are you a little funny about how you don’t like Yankee candles or airport salons?
He continued: “These are some of my heroes! Now look, some of you represent nothing, so you have no credibility to lose, but my God, Dave and Louie and Bill, and Jim? Clearly, you don’t also give you what you don’t think so, but how do we don’t do it even more? We have all seen the contract you have to sign. »»
My reflections on the Riyad Comedy Festival. https://t.co/yrsj3gjwdt pic.twitter.com/6ofz0hcqsu
– David Cross✍ (@davidcross) September 29, 2025
The Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia began on September 26. The festival, which should last until October 9, has a range of high -level American and British actors, including Bill Burr, Pete Davidson, Aziz Ansari, Hannibal Burss, Jimmy Carr, Dave Chappelle, Sam Morril and Tom Segura.
The festival participants were submitted to heavy shooting of actors who refused to participate, notably Marc Maron and Atsuko Okatsuka, the latter, whose rules of censorship were included in his original invitation. Shane Gillis also revealed in an episode of “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast” that he had offered a “significant bag” to perform at the festival but took a “position of principle” against this.
“You play for literally, the most oppressive diet of the earth,” added Cross. “They have slaves for the good F – K !!!”
He continued: “I do not understand how to be rich can make someone such a whore. The poor desperate to improve their life (or their life), of course. Still not acceptable, but I can understand the despair of putting food on the table. But that? You could as well do advertisements for Lockheed Martin or Zyklon B.”
Cross is not the only celebrity to denounce the comedy festival and its participants. Leah Remini also shared remarks that she made at the Summit of Democracy in Saudi Arabia in 2024 and urged Westerners not to “whiten” the regime of Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud (MBS).
“I do not believe that it is my business or non-saudi affairs to dictate what the Saudi government should look like,” said Remini in his speech. “These decisions belong only to the Saudi people. But I believe that each human being has the right and responsibility to defend the most fundamental freedoms of all other human beings. ”
