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Following Saudi Arabia’s arguable debut drama show past year, Weird Al Yankovic is discussing his determination not to subordinate nan star-studded lineup.
The 5x Grammy-winning parody musician precocious revealed that he turned down “seven figures” to execute astatine nan Riyadh Comedy Festival, explaining it would person made him “feel icky” to judge Saudi money for his comedic services.
“I was invited to nan Riyadh Comedy Festival, which is thing that I evidently did not want to do,” he told Pennsylvania’s Tribune-Review. “They offered me, I’m not going to opportunity really much, but it was 7 figures to do 1 show, which is measurement much than I’ve ever been offered successful my life to do a show.”
Yankovic continued, “But I conscionable couldn’t beryllium portion of that. I’m not dissing anybody that took nan money because I’m judge everybody that went location sewage a batch of money. I’m judge they had their ain reasons and justifications for doing it. But I’m doing capable that I don’t request to return immoderate magnitude of money if it makes maine consciousness icky, and that benignant of did.”
After revealing he turned down a “nice heap of money” to look successful an AI ad, Yankovic quipped, “I wish group would connection maine things that I didn’t consciousness bad astir accepting.”
Other comedians person antecedently called retired their peers who agreed to execute astatine nan Riyadh Comedy Festival, which ran Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, noting Saudi officials’ roles successful 9/11 and nan 2018 assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, arsenic good arsenic nan quality authorities abuses committed by Saudi curate of entertainment, Turki Al-Sheikh, who is down nan festival.
Deadline exclusively announced nan first Riyadh Comedy Festival lineup past July, which yet included Kevin Hart, Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Pete Davidson, Hannibal Buress, Jack Whitehall, Zarna Garg, Gabriel Iglesias, Jim Jefferies, Jo Koy, Bobby Lee, Jeff Ross, Andrew Santino, Tom Segura, Chris Tucker and more.
