Multiple Artists Pull Out of Jerry Seinfeld-Headlined Comedy Festival After Comedian’s Controversial Statements: ‘Insistently Defends Ideas and Acts That I Consider Indefensible’

Multiple acts originally set to participate in a comedy festival in Portugal have announced they will no longer appear at the event, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Per THR, the MEO Commedia a La Carte Fest (AKA the Lisbon International Humour Festival) is currently being rocked by several attendees dropping out from the Jerry Seinfeld-headlined event.

For instance, actress Inês Aires Pereira revealed that her show Namastê was being removed from the festival this past Saturday. Regarding the reason for her cancellation, Pereira said that “one of the names [featured at the festival] insistently defends ideas and acts that I consider indefensible.”

Pereira followed up by posting on social media, “We cannot relativize or normalize a genocide,” likely referencing the continuing war in Gaza.

Other acts to drop out of the festival include “Tributo Pop”, the group Conjunto Cuca Monga, comedian Pedro Tochas and visual artist Vhils. Additionally, the comedy duo Cebola Mol, comprised of members Eduardo Madeira and Filipe Homem Fonseca, shared they were no longer appearing at the festival, writing on social media, “We will celebrate justice, freedom and joy with you on another occasion.”

The cancellations come after Jerry Seinfeld’s outspoken support of Israel during the war on Iran resulted in a fair amount of public scrutiny for the beloved stand-up comedian.

Most notably, the comedian received significant controversy for likening the Free Palestine movement to the Ku Klux Klan during an event at Duke University last year.

“Free Palestine is, to me, just — you’re free to say you don’t like Jews,” Seinfeld said at the time. “Just say you don’t like Jews. By saying ‘Free Palestine,’ you’re not admitting what you really think. So it’s actually — compared to the Ku Klux Klan, I’m actually thinking the Klan is actually a little better here because they can come right out and say, ‘We don’t like Blacks, we don’t like Jews.’ Okay, that’s honest.”