Row over Pete Davidson’s ‘dark humour’ on Charlie Kirk: ‘He constantly makes 9/11 jokes…’

A joke by Pete Davidson about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk has stirred a row after it landed awkwardly during Netflix’s live roast of comedian Kevin Hart. The punchline left the audience uncomfortable.The moment took place at The Roast of Kevin Hart at the Kia Forum in California, where several comedians, including Tom Brady, Chelsea Handler, Jeff Ross and Dwayne Johnson, took part in the televised event.Davidson used dark humour and directed part of his set at fellow comedian Tony Hinchcliffe. While making comparisons between Hinchcliffe and Kirk, he delivered a line that drew groans from the crowd.“Tony reminds me of Charlie Kirk, in that he’s definitely been on camera letting a guy unload in his throat,” Davidson said.Kirk was founder of Turning Point USA and was killed during a shooting at Utah Valley University in 2025. The reference to his death was seen as the reason for the audience’s discomfort.Davidson followed the joke with another comment aimed at Hinchcliffe’s podcast title, saying, “Please someone f—ing kill Tony.”The set also included references to rapper Kanye West, with Davidson saying, “I was in a beef with Kanye, so I’ve taken shots from better gay Nazis.” West has previously faced backlash over antisemitic comments, which he later apologised for in a public statement.Despite the backlash to parts of his routine, Davidson praised Hart’s influence in comedy. “You’ve always been super nice to me,” he told the host before leaving the stage.The roast format is traditionally known for pushing boundaries, and the Netflix special featured several comedians delivering similarly controversial material throughout the night. However, Davidson’s remarks stood out.Online reaction was divided after clips of the set circulated, with some arguing that no topic should be off limits in comedy, while others said the joke crossed a line given the circumstances of Kirk’s death.One user commented that while roast comedy is meant to be extreme, “it wasn’t even funny. Roasts are supposed to be shocking but also funny. Not just shockingly deranged.”Others defended the format, saying performers at roasts are expected to take risks and push boundaries regardless of sensitivity.Davidson is known for incorporating personal trauma into his comedy and has often spoken publicly about using dark humour as a coping mechanism. His father, a firefighter, died during the September 11 attacks, a loss that has shaped much of his material.The Netflix roast aired live as part of the platform’s comedy festival and was not subject to broadcast restrictions, allowing all content to be shown uncensored.