"Holding up a recent New York Times article about the ill-fated purchase, Davidson used the opportunity to defend his performance at the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival. "In case you're wondering why I had to do a show in Saudi Arabia, we're losing millions on this ferry," he joked. "I assume that's what the article says. I can't spend $5 on a paywall when I got a kid on the way.""
"This isn't the first time Davidson has defended the Saudi performance as just another gig. In a September appearance on Theo Von's This Past Weekend podcast, he dismissed claims that the festival was an attempt to "comedy-wash" the Saudi government's atrocious human rights record. "I've been getting a little bit of flak just because my dad died [in] 9/11," he said at the time. "So they're like, 'How could you possibly go there?'" As is often the case, the simple answer is money."
Pete Davidson returned to Weekend Update and addressed financial losses tied to a decommissioned Staten Island ferry he and Colin Jost bought in January 2022. He defended his performance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival and joked that losing millions on the ferry forced him to take a show in Saudi Arabia, noting he could not afford a paywall with a child on the way. Other headliners at the festival faced backlash, but criticism focused on Davidson because his father died responding to the 9/11 attacks. The Saudi government sponsored the festival and faces a lawsuit alleging funding ties to the attacks. Davidson referenced the 9/11 connection on air and previously dismissed claims that the festival was an attempt to "comedy-wash" the kingdom's human rights record, saying money motivated the decision.
Read at Consequence
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