"Comedian Ben Bankas had six sold-out shows at the Laugh Camp Comedy Club in St Paul, Minnesota, cancelled after videos of him joking about the death of Renee Good went viral and sparked threats of protests. Venue owner Bill Collins said the decision was made due to "heightened threats, increasing media attention and civil disorder" and has refunded all ticket holders. The offending material was performed at Laugh It Up Comedy Club in Poughkeepsie, New York, on 9 and 10 January 2026."
"One video from the shows has garnered nearly 400,000 likes on Bankas' Instagram account and sees the performer say: "Her last name was Good. That's what I said after they shot her." He also called her a "r*****", mocked her partner and suggested she should have been shot sooner. Bankas responded by criticising the club and vowing to try to perform elsewhere in the state."
Six sold-out shows by comedian Ben Bankas at the Laugh Camp Comedy Club in St Paul were cancelled after videos of him joking about the death of Renee Good went viral and provoked threats and potential protests. Venue owner Bill Collins cited "heightened threats, increasing media attention and civil disorder" and refunded all ticket holders. The material was performed at Laugh It Up Comedy Club in Poughkeepsie on 9 and 10 January 2026. An Instagram clip with nearly 400,000 likes shows Bankas saying, "Her last name was Good. That's what I said after they shot her," while using a derogatory slur, mocking her partner and suggesting she should have been shot sooner. Bankas criticised the venue and said he would seek other performance opportunities in the state. Bruce Springsteen recently named Renee Good and Alex Pretti in a new song dedicated to Minneapolis.
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