By Jacob Bryant

Copyright thewrap

David Cross ripped into many of his former comedy heroes for their participation in Saudi Arabia’s controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival.

The comedian posted his thoughts on his website and in an X post, saying he was “disgusted, and deeply disappointed in this whole gross thing.” Cross wondered how people he admired in the comedy space would “condone this totalitarian fiefdom for … what, a fourth house? A boat? More sneakers?”

“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 wrote. “I mean that’s it; you have a funny bit about how you don’t like Yankee Candles or airport lounges? Okay great, but you’re cool with murder and/or the public caning of women who were raped, and by having the audacity to be raped, were guilty of ‘engaging in adultery’? Got any bits on that?”

He continued: “These are some of my HEROES! Now look, some of you folks don’t stand for anything so you don’t have any credibility to lose, but my god, Dave and Louie and Bill, and Jim? Clearly you guys don’t give a s–t about what the rest of us think, but how can any of us take any of you seriously ever again? All of your bitching about ‘cancel culture’ and ‘freedom of speech’ and all that s–t? Done. You don’t get to talk about it ever again. By now we’ve all seen the contract you had to sign.”

My thoughts on the Riyadh Comedy Festival. https://t.co/yRSj3GjwDt pic.twitter.com/6OFZ0hcQsU— david cross✍ (@davidcrosss) September 29, 2025

Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival began on Sept. 26. The festival, which is expected to last until Oct. 9, boasts a lineup of high-profile American and British comedians, including Bill Burr, Pete Davidson, Aziz Ansari, Hannibal Buress, Jimmy Carr, Dave Chappelle, Sam Morril and Tom Segura.

The festival’s participants have come under heavy fire from comedians who refused to take part in it, including Marc Maron and Atsuko Okatsuka, the latter of whom shared the censorship rules that were included in her original invite. Shane Gillis also revealed on an episode of “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast” that he was offered a “significant bag” to perform at the festival but took a “principled stand” against doing so.

“You’re performing for literally, the most oppressive regime on Earth,” Cross added. “They have SLAVES for f–k’s sake!!!”

He went on: “I don’t understand how being rich can make someone such a whore. Poor people desperate to improve their (or their families lives), sure. Still not acceptable but I can understand the desperation to put food on the table. But this? I mean, it’s not like this is some commercial for a wireless service or a betting app. This is truly the definition of ‘blood money.’ You might as well do commercials for Lockheed Martin or Zyklon B.”

Cross is not the only celebrity to speak out against the comedy festival and its participants. Leah Remini also shared remarks she made at the 2024 Democracy in Saudi Arabia Summit and urged Westerners not to “launder” the regime of Saudi Arabian Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MBS).

“I don’t believe it’s my business or any non-Saudi person’s business to dictate what the Saudi government should look like,” Remini said in her speech. “Those decisions are solely up to the Saudi people. But I do believe every human being has the right and responsibility to advocate for every other human being’s most basic freedoms.”