Hasan Minhaj Defends “Emotional Truth” of Stand-Up After Claims Some Material Was Embellished (2024)

Hasan Minhaj says “all my standup stories are based on events that happened to me” after a new profile in The New Yorker found that some of the details in his onstage anecdotes, like those featured in his Netflix stand-up specials, may have been made up.

Stories that The New Yorker found didn’t necessarily play out as he presented them include jokes involving one of his children and their possible exposure to anthrax and an alleged interaction with police and an FBI informant at his family’s mosque when he was a teen.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter responding to The New Yorker story, Minhaj said, “All my standup stories are based on events that happened to me.Yes, I was rejected from going to prom because of my race. Yes, a letter with powder was sent to my apartment that almost harmed my daughter. Yes, I had an interaction with law enforcement during the war on terror. Yes, I had varicocele repair surgery, so we could get pregnant. Yes, I roasted Jared Kushner to his face. I use the tools of standup comedy — hyperbole, changing names and locations, and compressing timelines to tell entertaining stories.”

“That’s inherent to the art form,” he continued. “You wouldn’t go to a haunted house and say ‘Why are these people lying to me?’ — The point is the ride. Standup is the same.”

Among the material he was accused of making up was an anecdote about an FBI informant who allegedly infiltrated the Sacramento-area mosque Minhaj’s family attended in 2002, as well as claims he and his daughter were exposed to white powder in an envelope, necessitating her being taken to the hospital.

He also reportedly compressed the amount of time between an attempted interview with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2018 at the country’s embassy and the death of reporter Jamal Khashoggi, according to an unnamed Patriot Act producer and an email obtained by The New Yorker; as well as a high school rejection in a joke from his 2017 special Homecoming King, which allegedly led to a white female childhood friend, the joke’s subject, being doxxed and harassed.

“Every story in my style is built around a seed of truth,” the comedian told the magazine in response to claims he made up material for his jokes, a statement he made after the subjects of those jokes denied certain details of his recollections were true. “My comedy Arnold Palmer is seventy percent emotional truth — this happened — and then thirty percent hyperbole, exaggeration, fiction.”

The Friday story details how Craig Monteilh, the subject of Minhaj’s alleged run-in with an FBI informant as a teen, was in prison in 2002 and didn’t begin working with the FBI until 2006. He also told the magazine he had never operated in the Sacramento area. “I have no idea why he would do that,” Monteilh said in response to Minhaj’s joke about their interaction.

In his latest special, The King’s Jester, Minhaj detailed the reactions and responses to Patriot Act jokes he made about the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalism. Minhaj claimed he had received a letter to his home featuring a white powder, some of which had spilled onto his daughter, resulting in her being evaluated in a hospital.

According to The New Yorker, area hospitals nor the NYPD confirmed any record or report of the incident Minhaj describes. The outlet also claims Minhaj’s security guard at the time, Patriot Act employees tied to the show’s security team and unnamed front-desk and mailroom workers at the comedian’s former residence had no recollection of an incident like the one Minhaj shared.

The comedian ultimately reveals in the special that the substance wasn’t anthrax, and while speaking to the magazine, says that his daughter was neither exposed to a white powder nor hospitalized. The former Daily Show correspondent added that both incidents were “made up,” according to The New Yorker, but based in “emotional truth” and on differing experiences from the ones he relayed in his material.

“I think what I’m ultimately trying to do is highlight all of those stories,” he said. “Building to what I think is a pointed argument.”

The comedian also defended his comedic approach, telling the magazine that he doesn’t believe he’s manipulating audiences, that the “punch line is worth the fictionalized premise” and that he is avoiding “pointless riff” with his material, which is “grounded in truth.”

“I think [audiences] are coming for the emotional roller-coaster ride,” he continued. “To the people that are, like, ‘Yo, that is way too crazy to happen,’ I don’t care because yes, fuck yes — that’s the point.”

When asked how his approach to comedy might impact a possible hosting run on The Daily Show covering someone like Rep. George Santos, Minhaj reiterated his previous statements, telling the magazine, “the emotional truth is first. The factual truth is secondary.”

THR has reached out to The Daily Show for comment.

Hasan Minhaj Defends “Emotional Truth” of Stand-Up After Claims Some Material Was Embellished (2024)

FAQs

Why was Hasan cancelled? ›

Hasan's departure comes after it was announced in November that MSNBC was canceling his show amid a broader reshuffling of the network's weekend programming lineup, drawing backlash from progressive lawmakers and activists. “Yes, I've decided to leave,” Hasan said at the end of his final show.

What is Hasan Minhaj famous for? ›

EXCLUSIVE. Pioneering, two-time Peabody Award-winning comedian Hasan Minhaj is the creator of Netflix's comedy show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, which brought an inclusive and nuanced perspective to global news, politics and culture.

How much does Hasan Minhaj make per show? ›

An example fee to book Hasan Minhaj is in the starting range of $150,000-$299,000. However, any recent popularity change would cause a price fluctuation well beyond this example. Also, their speaking fee might be different than the fee shown for the cost to perform or to just appear.

Which comedian fabricated stories? ›

15 story titled “Hasan Minhaj's 'Emotional Truths'” revealed that the comedian fabricated parts of his stand-up comedy stories in pursuit of poignancy, what he called “emotional truth.”

What is Hasan Minhaj accused of? ›

The New Yorker story alleges that Minhaj embellishes stories and is selective in the information he presents, creating routines based on "emotional truth" to make points about racism in America.

Why did Hasan Minhaj lose his show? ›

He was referring to a controversy sparked by a September story in the New Yorker that aimed to fact-check Minhaj's stand-up comedy. The month before, Variety had exclusively reported that he was the frontrunner to replace Trevor Noah as host of “The Daily Show,” but he lost the job after the scandal arose.

Is Hasan Minhaj related to Nicki Minaj? ›

Is Hasan Minhaj related to Nicki Minaj? No. I did briefly meet her at the Met Gala and I was like, "Hey, we should take a picture together." And Trevor Noah was like, "Hey, yeah, you should.

Is Hasan Minhaj wife a doctor? ›

Hasan Minhaj and Beena Patel in 2022. Patel is a public health doctor who holds a DrPH from UCLA. She is the executive director of the Vituity Cares Foundation, where she works to bridge gaps in healthcare to make it accessible to everyone.

How much is Jimmy Fallon paid? ›

How much does Jimmy Fallon make per show? Assuming there are 193 episodes of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon per season like there were in 2022, at a salary of $16 million per year, Fallon makes about $82,901.55 per show.

Who is the highest paid comedy? ›

Highest-paid comedians
RankNameAnnual earnings (USD)
1Kevin Hart$87.5 million
2Jerry Seinfeld$43.5 million
3Terry Fator$21 million
4Amy Schumer$17 million
6 more rows

Who was the highest paid talk show host? ›

Daytime annual salaries
NameProgramSalary
Ellen DeGeneresThe Ellen DeGeneres Show$50 million
Judith SheindlinJudge Judy$47 million
Barbara WaltersThe View$13 million
Bob BarkerThe Price Is Right$10 million

Who was the comedian who jumped off the comedy store? ›

Shore also paid the rest of her staff, including waitresses and bartenders. After the strike, some comedians were no longer allowed to perform at the club, including Steve Lubetkin, who committed suicide by jumping off the roof of the Continental Hyatt House next door.

Is Kevin Hart a real comedian? ›

Kevin Darnell Hart (born July 6, 1979) is an American comedian and actor. The accolades he has received include nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards.

Who is the comedian turned children's author? ›

Walliams began writing children's novels in 2008 after securing a contract with the publisher HarperCollins. His books have been translated into 53 languages, and he has been described as "the fastest-growing children's author in the UK", with a literary style compared to that of Roald Dahl.

Is Hasan Piker cancelled? ›

After an episode on the 2023 Israeli-Hamas war, the show went on permanent hiatus.

What happened with Mehdi Hasan? ›

On 30 November 2023, it was announced that Hasan's MSNBC and Peacock shows would end. Hasan announced at the end of his final show on 7 January 2024 that he had decided to leave the network. Hasan joined The Guardian as a regular columnist in February.

How many times has Hasan been banned on Twitch? ›

According to the automated streamer tracking bot StreamerBans, Hasan has been banned on Twitch four times in total. The account started tracking his channel in 2019, and the streamer was hit with his first-ever suspension on August 1, 2019.

Why were Minhaj's classmates mad at him on the Monday after the prom? ›

On the Monday after the prom, why were Minhaj's classmates mad at him? They were mad at him because he didn't say anything about Bethany's family. He told his class he decided not to go. He took the blame for her.

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