Overview

• Aziz Ansari defended performing in Saudi Arabia on Jimmy Kimmel Live, saying he weighed the decision, cited his Muslim background and engagement over isolation, and planned to donate part of his fee to press and rights groups.
• Human Rights Watch said it cannot accept donations from participating comedians and urged them instead to publicly call for the release of detainees, including Waleed Abu al-Khair and Manahel al-Otaibi.
• The state-backed festival ran Sept. 26 to Oct. 9 in Riyadh and featured more than 50 international comedians, including Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson and Ansari.
• Rights advocates and some comics labeled the event a state image campaign, with reported contract guidelines limiting sensitive topics and paydays said to range from mid–six figures to about $1.6 million.
• Several performers defended attending, while others criticized or declined offers; Jessica Kirson apologized for appearing and said she donated her entire fee to a human rights organization.