Comedian Reginald D Hunter has compared an Israeli couple ‘hounded’ out of his Edinburgh Fringe gig to Star Wars villains – the ‘Siths’.
The terrified Jewish couple revealed they were left ‘in fear of violence’ after allegedly being called ‘baby killers’ and told to ‘f**k off’.
Hunter jested about the couple just a day after he was cleared by police of any ‘hate crime’ being committed during his controversial show.
Police Scotland confirmed ‘no crime was established’ following claims that the American comic, 55 was ‘encouraging a baying mob’ to harass the pair.
Hunter had been performing his new stand-up show ‘Fluffy Fluffy Beavers’ at the Edinburgh Fringe when he made a joke about how a Channel 5 documentary about domestic abuse had made him think of Israel.
Comedian Reginald D Hunter has compared an Israeli couple ‘hounded’ out of his Edinburg h Fringe gig to Star Wars villains – the ‘Siths, shortly after being cleared of a hate crime
When criticised by an angry users on X for the incident where a Jewish couple were allegedly hounded by a mob at his Edinburgh Fringe gig, he responded with the above
But when two Israeli audience members objected, they were reportedly sworn at, called ‘genocidal’ and told ‘you’re not welcome’ by fellow spectators shouting ‘Free Palestine’.
Hunter earlier released an apology on X claiming it is part of his job as a comedian to ‘push boundaries’.
More recently, he joked about the incident again when criticised for his alleged actions against the couple.
Responding to the critique he quipped: ‘The Sith travel in pairs’, comparing the two to the evil enemies of the Jedi in the Star Wars movie franchise.
His latest jest comes as advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism posted a detailed statement on Friday night revealing that they had spoken to the couple at the centre of the storm, as well as additional witnesses and the events are ‘worse than initially reported.’
A spokesperson added that the victims told them ‘they were left in fear of violence’ and have urged Edinburgh Fringe to cancel his upcoming performance.
They said no one in the audience came to their aid and they believed they might be physically attacked.
The statement read: ‘The entire incident made the victims “feel sick” and understandably so.
‘The victims noted how, throughout this shocking ordeal, nobody in the audience came to their aid.
Police Scotland had recently confirmed ‘no crime was established’ following claims that the American comic, 55 was ‘encouraging a baying mob’ to harass the pair.
The statement made by Campaign Against anti-semitism where they claim to have spoken to the Jewish couple
The American, 55, was due to perform at a council-owned hall in Scottish town Giffnock, but the local authority has cancelled the show
Hunter has took to X to apologise for his behaviour
‘One of them told us: ‘I thought someone was going to hit me.’
‘A Jewish couple being hounded out of a venue whilst being called ‘baby killers’ and told to ‘f*** off’ can not be excused as ‘pushing boundaries’, much as Mr Hunter has tried to in his statement.
‘Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but they also have a responsibility to their audience.’
The CAA said it was writing to venues currently scheduled to host Mr Hunter ‘to ensure that they are fully aware of his conduct at the Edinburgh Fringe.’
This comes shortly after the comedian was due to perform at a council-owned hall in Scottish town Giffnock, but a local authority has axed the show.
They said: ‘We have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously.’
Hunter took to X to apologise for his part in the incident.
The comedian from Albany in the US state of Georgia, who has lived in the UK since 1997, insisted that he is ‘staunchly anti-war and anti-bully’ after the backlash he received following the show.
Hunter was set to perform in Giffnock on September 28, but East Renfrewshire Council said it had taken the decision ‘to cancel Eastwood Park Theatre’s show featuring Reginald D Hunter’.
They added: ‘We have a commitment to our community, and to our values of diversity and inclusion, which we take seriously.’
Local Conservative councillor Paul Edlin told the Jewish Telegraph: ‘He encouraged a baying mob in the audience to hound out a Jewish couple, one of whom was in a wheelchair.’
The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities and the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council (GJRC) had both complained about the incident to East Renfrewshire Council.
Dominic Cavendish, chief theatre critic at The Telegraph who was at Sunday’s Fringe show, said it was the ‘most unpleasant comedy gig I’ve ever attended’.
Hunter has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to apologise for his part in the incident – claiming it was part of his job as a comedian to ‘push boundaries’
The comedian from Albany in the US state of Georgia, who has lived in the UK since 1997, insisted that he is ‘staunchly anti-war and anti-bully’
In a post on X Hunter wrote: ‘There was an unfortunate incident in my new show ‘Fluffy Fluffy Beavers’.
‘As a comedian I do push boundaries in creating humour, it is part of my job. This inevitably creates divided opinions but I am staunchly anti-war and anti-bullying.
‘I regret any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members.’
In further comments on social media, he has suggested he could be let go from more scheduled gigs ahead – telling one commenter who suggesting meeting up for a drink: ‘I may become extremely unbusy real soon.’
Anti-semitism campaigners called the incident ‘a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy’ – as organisers maintained they were ‘committed to upholding the principles of creative freedom of expression.’
The pressure group Campaign Against Antisemitisim have asked their own lawyers to review footage to see whether any action can be taken.
In a statement the group said: ‘Reginald D Hunter has laughed off his Holocaust jokes and another supposed joke about ‘typical f***ing Jews’ in the past, but watching on and cracking jokes as Jews are hounded out of your show is a sickening low that cannot be disguised as comedy.
‘We have seen this before in recent months, and venues must stand extremely firm against this kind of behaviour.’
Assembly George Square Studios today confirmed there were no plans to cancel his gigs at its venue, which are set to run until August 25.
Reginald D Hunter said: ‘I regret any stress caused to the audience and venue staff members’
A previous statement made by the pressure group Campaign Against Antisemitisim on social media
A spokeswoman for the venue said: ‘We are aware of two members of the audience choosing to leave Reginald D Hunter’s performance on Sunday August 11.
‘The venue front of house team attended and supported them upon exiting.’
The US-born entertainer was half-way through the packed gig at the Edinburgh Festival on Sunday night – described by one theatre critic as the ‘ugliest Edinburgh Fringe moment ever’ – when the commotion began.
As a woman told her story of how she was ill-treated by her husband, the comedian revealed that he thought to himself: ‘My God, it’s like being married to Israel.’
While the joke evoked laughter from the audience, a couple on the front row were prompted to shout out ‘not funny’, before revealing they were Israeli.
Dominic Cavendish, chief theatre critic for The Telegraph, was in the audience when the furore erupted.
Writing a review of the show, which he awarded one star to, Cavendish said: ‘The pair, who said they were from Israel, then endured their fellow audience members shouting expletives (‘f— off’ among them), and telling them to go – with slow-hand claps, boos and cries of ‘genocidal maniac’, ‘you’re not welcome’ and ‘free Palestine’ part of the toxic mix.’
Rather than pulling the audience up for their animosity towards the unwitting hecklers, Hunter apparently instead said to them: ‘You can say it’s not funny to you, but if you say it to a room full of people who laughed, you look foolish.’
The couple, one of whom was disabled, are then said to have exited from the show as Hunter apparently ‘openly laughed’ at them and as fellow audience members continued to jeer.
Two Israeli audience members were sworn at, called ‘genocidal’ and told ‘you’re not welcome’ by fellow spectators shouting ‘Free Palestine ‘ at them after objecting to a joke told by stand-up comedian Reginald D Hunter at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Hunter then related a story about how his partner had complained about not being able to access the Jewish Chronicle’s website, as it is behind a paywall.
He is reported as saying: ”Typical f***ing Jews, they won’t tell you anything unless you subscribe.’ ‘It’s just a joke,’ he added.
The incident has provoked outrage among some social media users, who describe it as ‘awful’ and ‘anti-semitic’.
One wrote: ‘His behaviour was abhorrent – but what was the audience thinking by abusing two strangers who happened to be Israeli? Hateful, toxic, repellent stuff.’
Another posted: ‘So disappointing that someone who is from a minority doesn’t empathise with (in fact encourages) racism towards another minority.’
A third said: ‘If your gags are at the expense of [a] bullied minority, you’re not a comedian – you’re a bully.’
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