Hasan Minhaj, the comedian and former host of “Patriot Act,” recently revealed that he fabricated some shocking stories in his stand-up routine. In a New Yorker profile published Friday, he admitted to concocting a story about rushing his daughter to the hospital due to a suspected anthrax exposure.
This particular story was included in his 2022 Netflix stand-up special, “The King’s Jester.” According to Minhaj, he received an envelope filled with white powder, which he believed to be anthrax, and accidentally spilled it on his daughter. He and his wife promptly took her to the hospital, only to find out that the powder was not anthrax.
However, when confronted by The New Yorker, Minhaj, 37, confessed that most of the story was fabricated. There were no police reports or hospital records to support his claims, and employees at his residence had no recollection of the incident. While he maintains that he did receive the powder, he admitted that none of it actually came into contact with his daughter and that they never visited a hospital. In fact, he joked with his wife at the time, saying, “Holy shit. What if this was anthrax?”
But the anthrax story was not the only fabrication in his stand-up routine. Minhaj also admitted that the threatening tweets he displayed during “The King’s Jester” were exaggerated for comedic effect.
In a Daily Beast interview last year, Minhaj discussed his fear for his daughter and the consequences of his actions on those who rely on him the most.
Concerns arise about whether Minhaj’s penchant for fabricating or exaggerating stories dilutes the credibility of social justice issues, the primary focus of his comedy. The New Yorker profile delves into multiple instances where his storytelling blurs the line between fact and fiction.
One such instance involves the central story in his 2017 Netflix special, “Homecoming King,” where Minhaj recounts a prom date rejection due to his race. However, the woman involved has since come forward, stating that Minhaj did not adequately protect her identity and that her family faced harassment and death threats from his fans. Moreover, she claims that she never agreed to be Minhaj’s prom date in the first place.
Minhaj concedes that she never accepted his prom date request, but he argues that the story he told has an emotional truth and resonates with others who have experienced similar discrimination. He blends elements of truth and fiction to deliver compelling punchlines.
Another fabricated story in Minhaj’s 2022 special involves a white undercover FBI informant infiltrating his family’s mosque. Minhaj uses a combination of real experiences, such as being pushed during a basketball game, to enhance the premise of the story. However, the actual informant, Craig Monteilh, denies any involvement with Minhaj’s mosque and expresses confusion as to why Minhaj would tell such a tale.
Minhaj defends his storytelling by explaining that his stand-up routines are based on events that happened to him. He acknowledges using comedic tools like hyperbole, altering names and locations, and compressing timelines to create entertaining stories. According to him, these fictionalized elements are intrinsic to the art form of stand-up comedy.
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