Shane Gillis is no stranger to scandal, but even he has his limits.
The stand-up comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” cast member weighed in on the controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival, a star-studded performance series that kicks off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday, Sept. 26.
During a recent appearance on his “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast,” Gillis revealed he was offered a “significant bag” to perform at the festival, which has a lineup featuring comedy stars Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Gabriel Iglesias, Aziz Ansari and others.
Gillis, 37, said he turned down the gig, even after the festival reportedly doubled its offer, citing the Middle Eastern country’s alleged ties to terrorism during the 9/11 attacks. “I took a principled stand,” he said. “You don’t 9/11 your friends.”
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Gillis’ comments come after a federal judge in New York ruled earlier this month that a lawsuit against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia over its potential involvement in the 2001 terrorist attacks can move forward.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels marks a legal victory for the relatives of 9/11 victims, who have been trying to bring the kingdom to court since 2002.
What is the Riyadh Comedy Festival?
The Riyadh Comedy Festival has been billed as “the world’s largest comedy festival,” according to the Visit Saudi website, offering attendees access to performances from over 50 comedy stars from Sept. 26 through Oct. 9.
However, the inaugural festival has quickly gained controversy for its association with Saudi Arabia and the country’s authoritarian regime.
Nonprofit Human Rights Watch accused the Saudi government of using the festival to “deflect attention from its brutal repression of free speech and other pervasive human rights violations.”
“Participating comedians, to avoid contributing to laundering the Saudi government’s reputation, should use the comedy festival to publicly urge Saudi authorities to free unjustly detained Saudi dissidents, journalists and human rights activists,” the organization wrote in a Sept. 23 statement.
Marc Maron, Pete Davidson speak out on Riyadh Comedy Festival
Gillis isn’t the only comic speaking out on the Riyadh Comedy Festival.
Marc Maron blasted the Saudi Arabian festival during a stand-up performance, which he shared in a Sept. 23 Instagram post.
“I mean, how do you even promote that? ‘From the folks that brought you 9/11. Two weeks of laughter in the desert, don’t miss it!'” said Maron, who also noted the country’s reported involvement in the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“I mean, the same guy that’s going to pay them is the same guy who paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a … suitcase,” Maron continued. “But don’t let that stop the yucks, it’s going to be a good time!”
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Fellow comedian Pete Davidson has a softer stance on the issue.
During a Sept. 23 appearance on the “This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von” podcast, the “SNL” alum acknowledged he’d received “a little bit of flak” for his participation in the festival but noted the performance’s financial incentive.
“I get the routing, and then I see the number, and I go, ‘I’ll go,'” said Davidson, whose firefighter father died in service during the 9/11 attacks.
Shane Gillis’ history of controversy
Gillis has become one of the biggest names in comedy in the last several years, but his rise to stardom hasn’t been without criticism.
In 2019, Gillis was set to be a new cast member on “SNL” but was fired before he got to appear on the show. Days after the announcement of his casting, Gillis faced backlash over a 2018 podcast clip, in which he used an anti-Asian slur, mocked stereotypical accents and said that “an Asian trying to learn English bothers me.”
Gillis apologized after the video resurfaced and said at the time that he is a “comedian who pushes boundaries.” He added that while his “intention is never to hurt anyone,” he’s “trying to be the best comedian I can be, and sometimes that requires risks.”
Shane Gillis attends the Netflix “Tires” Season 2 premiere at The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas, on June 4, 2025.
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The comedian has since continued to generate controversy with some of his button-pushing material, some of which critics have deemed offensive.
But the outcry has not derailed Gillis’ career. The comic has enjoyed success with his stand-up tours, as well as comedy specials like 2023’s “Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs” on Netflix. He also cocreated and stars in the TV series “Tires,” which released a second season in June.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Brendan Morrow and Michael Loria, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shane Gillis turned down gig at controversial Riyadh Comedy Festival