Hasan Minhaj is trying to rewrite the narrative about his comedy and public persona after a bombshell profile from the New Yorker alleged the comedian fabricated parts of his backstory in his stand-up comedy.
The comedian clapped back at the profile in a 20-minute-long video in "Patriot Act"-style, diving into his "own scandal with graphics because there was so much evidence that I gave the New Yorker that they ignored."
Minhaj told The Hollywood Reporter, “There were omissions and factual errors in The New Yorker article that misrepresented my life story, so I wanted to give people the context and materials I provided The New Yorker with full transparency.”
In the video, Minhaj addresses the stories that were criticized: being rejected at prom because of racism, undercover law enforcement surveilling the Muslim community in his hometown, and his daughter's anthrax scare.
Minhaj apologized to anyone who felt like they couldn't trust him. “I thought I had two different expectations built into my work: my work as a storytelling comedian and my work as a political comedian, where facts always come first. . . But in my work as a storytelling comedian, I assumed the lines between truth and fiction were allowed to be a bit more blurry . . . The reason I feel horrible is because I'm not a psycho, but this New Yorker article definitely made me look like one. "
The New Yorker stood by their story: "Hasan Minhaj confirms in this video that he selectively presents information and embellishes to make a point: exactly what we reported. Our piece, which includes Minhaj’s perspective at length, was carefully reported and fact-checked. It is based on interviews with more than twenty people, including former “Patriot Act” and “Daily Show” staffers; members of Minhaj’s security team; and people who have been the subject of his standup work, including the former F.B.I. informant “Brother Eric” and the woman at the center of his prom-rejection story. We stand by our story."
