Musician "Weird Al" Yankovic revealed that he turned down a seven-figure offer to perform at Saudi Arabia's inaugural Riyadh Comedy Festival last year, stating the prospect of accepting the payment made him "feel icky."
Yankovic, a Grammy-winning parody artist, was reportedly offered more money than he had ever been offered before for a single show at the festival. He told the Tribune-Review that while he did not want to perform at the event, he did not judge other comedians who accepted payment for their appearances.
"I’m not dissing anybody that took the money because I’m sure everybody that went there got a lot of money," Yankovic said. "I’m sure they had their own reasons and justifications for doing it. But I’m doing enough that I don’t need to take any amount of money if it makes me feel icky, and that kind of did."
The comedian also previously made headlines for declining a lucrative offer for an unspecified artificial intelligence advertisement.
The Riyadh Comedy Festival has drawn criticism from figures in the American comedy scene. Host Bill Maher, in a previous appearance on "Real Time," questioned comedian Dave Chappelle's remarks about free speech in Saudi Arabia following his performance at the festival. Maher suggested Chappelle's assertion that one could speak more freely in the United States than in Saudi Arabia might not be accurate.
Comedian Louis C.K., who also performed at the festival, responded to Maher's remarks by noting that Chappelle is Muslim and that the ability to speak freely can depend on one's identity and chosen topics.
Separately, talk show host Jimmy Kimmel questioned comedian Aziz Ansari about his participation, referencing the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Ansari responded that he was there to perform for the people and that comedy festivals can encourage curiosity about outside ideas and values, potentially fostering openness in a young country.
Fox News Digital reached out to Yankovic and the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia for comment.