Kobe Bryant: Ari Shaffir slammed for saying NBA star 'died 23 years too late', says 'vile' post was a joke
Comedian Ari Shaffir has apologized for his 'vile' joke that Kobe Bryant 'died 23 years too late'. Shaffir has been dropped by his talent agency as a result of the joke and has seen his stand-up gigs canceled.
Kobe Bryant was killed along with eight others including his daughter Gianna Bryant, 13., in a helicopter crash on January 26 in California.
Shaffir had taken to his Instagram stories to share, "A guy who got away with rape got his today. Kobe Bryant is gone. I’m here in Charlotte, the home of the team that originally drafted him."
Shaffir was referring to a 2003 case where Kobe had been accused of raping a 19-year-old. The basketball legend had denied the allegations and though he was charged with sexual assault, the case never made it to trial.
"Maybe he wouldn’t have raped that chick in Denver if he’d stayed with the Hornets." In addition to this, he had also taken to Twitter to share, "Kobe Bryant died 23 years too late today. He got away with rape because all the Hollywood liberals who attack comedy enjoy rooting for the Lakers more than they dislike rape. Big ups to the hero who forgot to gas up his chopper. I hate the Lakers. What a great day."
Shaffir's joke was dubbed 'disrespectful' and was called 'sickening'.
The New York Comedy Club had to cancel one of the comedian's shows after receiving threats. The club has filed an aggravated harassment report post receiving many threatening phone calls regarding the booking.
Shaffir took to Instagram to apologize and share, "Every time a beloved celebrity dies I post some horrible s*** about them. I’ve been doing it for years now. I like destroying gods. And right when a famous person dies they’re at their most worshipped. So as a response to all the outpouring of sympathy on social media, I post something vile. It’s just a joke. I don’t really hate any of the people."
