A well-known comedian from Davis is blasting an article about him. Hasan Minhaj released a 20-minute video, saying the profile in the New Yorker made him look like a “psycho.” The article from a month ago implied that Minhaj lied about details of his life for comedy. In his video, Minhaj questioned, “…why did the New Yorker fact-check my standup special, but not properly fact-check their own article?” In the video, Minhaj specifically mentioned the story of Hamid Hayat from Lodi. The comedian had included Hayat’s story in one of his standup shows that he performed in Sacramento and around the country. Hayat was convicted in 2006 of being part of a terrorist sleeper cell. He was released in 2019 after his conviction was vacated. A judge said Hayat had not been adequately represented during his trial, and his lawyer didn’t use testimony from witnesses who could have provided a credible alibi. “Hamid and I were part of the same NorCal Muslim community, and when he got entrapped, it rocked our community. He spent 14 years in prison. We were the same age, same background and like him, I also had run-ins with undercover agents,” Minhaj says in the video. Later in the video, Minhaj went on to share a screenshot of a text with Hayat.“Hamid Hayat’s story is really important to me, and he reached out to me after the article came out. And he wanted me to share these texts. He said that he had nothing but love for me and that I hadn’t diminished his story,” he says in the video.Minhaj apologized to anyone who may have felt betrayed or hurt by his stories. He said he made artistic choices in order to express himself and illustrate bigger issues. KCRA 3 has reached out to Minhaj’s team multiple times in the last year, including on Thursday, to request an interview with him. So far, his team has denied those requests. The New Yorker responded to our request for comment on Minhaj’s video. In a statement, a New Yorker spokesperson said, “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.”
A well-known comedian from Davis is blasting an article about him. Hasan Minhaj released a 20-minute video, saying the profile in the New Yorker made him look like a “psycho.”
The article from a month ago implied that Minhaj lied about details of his life for comedy. In his video, Minhaj questioned, “…why did the New Yorker fact-check my standup special, but not properly fact-check their own article?”
In the video, Minhaj specifically mentioned the story of Hamid Hayat from Lodi. The comedian had included Hayat’s story in one of his standup shows that he performed in Sacramento and around the country.
Hayat was convicted in 2006 of being part of a terrorist sleeper cell. He was released in 2019 after his conviction was vacated. A judge said Hayat had not been adequately represented during his trial, and his lawyer didn’t use testimony from witnesses who could have provided a credible alibi.
“Hamid and I were part of the same NorCal Muslim community, and when he got entrapped, it rocked our community. He spent 14 years in prison. We were the same age, same background and like him, I also had run-ins with undercover agents,” Minhaj says in the video.
Later in the video, Minhaj went on to share a screenshot of a text with Hayat.
“Hamid Hayat’s story is really important to me, and he reached out to me after the article came out. And he wanted me to share these texts. He said that he had nothing but love for me and that I hadn’t diminished his story,” he says in the video.
Minhaj apologized to anyone who may have felt betrayed or hurt by his stories.
He said he made artistic choices in order to express himself and illustrate bigger issues.
KCRA 3 has reached out to Minhaj’s team multiple times in the last year, including on Thursday, to request an interview with him. So far, his team has denied those requests.
The New Yorker responded to our request for comment on Minhaj’s video.
In a statement, a New Yorker spokesperson said, “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.”
