THE AMERICA ONE NEWS
Oct 8, 2025  |  
0
 | Remer,MN
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge.
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge and Reasoning Support for Fantasy Sports and Betting Enthusiasts.
back  
topic


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Veteran comedian Bill Burr unleashed on critics of his recent trip to Saudi Arabia, saying he doesn’t "give a f---" what anyone thinks about his appearance at a comedy festival in Riyadh. 

The outspoken comic made the remarks during a special live recording of "Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend" on Sunday, responding to backlash over performing in the kingdom amid concerns about human rights and free expression.

"I really don’t give a f---, and if it affects my career, I’ve been to LAX enough in my life, I’ll f---ing sit home for a little bit," Burr said.

BILL MAHER CRITICIZES DAVE CHAPPELLE FOR REMARKS ON FREE SPEECH AT SAUDI COMEDY FESTIVAL

Bill Burr on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Comedian Bill Burr during an interview on "The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon" in New York City on March 18, 2025. (Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)

"I will actually tell you LAX is slightly sadder than Saudi Arabia," he added.

Burr's remarks came after he and approximately 50 other comedians traveled to the Middle East to appear at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The festival, organized under Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, was promoted as part of the kingdom’s Vision 2030 cultural reforms, though critics contend such events are meant to gloss over the country’s human rights record.

CHAPPELLE SAYS IT'S EASIER TO SPEAK FREELY AT SAUDI ARABIAN COMEDY FEST THAN IN USA, BRINGS UP CHARLIE KIRK

A sign showcasing the Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia

An installation showcasing the Riyadh Comedy Festival is pictured at Boulevard City in the Hittin neighborhood of Riyadh on October 6, 2025.  (Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images)

At one point, however, Burr insisted the festival served as a sign of forward progress in the region. 

"The general consensus is, ‘How dare you go to that place and make those oppressed people laugh, you f---ing piece of s---. I can’t believe you went to that place. I can’t find it on a map, and this bot said I was upset about it, so now I am," he quipped. 

WASHINGTON POST REBUKES DAVE CHAPPELLE, OTHER TOP COMEDIANS FOR PERFORMING AT SAUDI COMEDY FEST

People walking past a Riyadh Comedy Festival sign in Saudi Arabia

People walk past an installation showcasing the Riyadh Comedy Festival at Boulevard City in the Hittin neighborhood of Riyadh on October 6, 2025. (Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images))

"It’s one thing to wear clothes made by sweatshop labor. It’s quite another to go to the factory and make them laugh. I can’t believe how much anger I had about this issue after it went viral."

"All of these sanctimonious c---s out there… who don’t really sincerely give a s---," he added at another point, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Burr likened human rights violations in Saudi Arabia to current events occurring inside the U.S., particularly drawing on immigration raids conducted under the Trump administration.

"We’re f---ing grabbing moms and dads and sticking them in a van for making illegally made f---ing tacos to go to Alligator Alcatraz," he said.

"It’s f---ing insane and, someday, they’re going to be out of brown people to put in those vans, they’re still gonna have the vans, so you shouldn’t be feeling comfortable about it. Thinking that you’re not going to be in it."

Taylor Penley is an associate editor with Fox News.