FACT CHECK: Comedian Mark Normand Escort Off Stage Was Planned Incident
A post shared on social media purportedly shows an altercation at a comedy club in New York City.
Comedian Mark Normand was rushed off stage after crazy interaction during his set pic.twitter.com/5awSktQ37i
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) January 25, 2024
Verdict: False
The claim is inaccurate.
Fact Check:
An AI generated standup special of the late Comedian George Carlin has prompted a lawsuit from his estate, CBS News reported. The lawsuit was filed against the media company responsible and calls for the court to demand the special to be taken down.
A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows a video of Comedian Mark Normand being interrupted by a man that ran up on the stage during Normand’s set at the New York Comedy Club. Several other people then chased the man outside before Normand was escorted off the stage and club managers requested that every exit the building.
The caption reads, “Comedian Mark Normand was rushed off stage after crazy interaction during his set.”
The incident was staged. Credible news reports, including the New York Post, indicate that the incident was a planned occurrence by the comedy club. Early reporting, such as a TMZ article, did suggest that the incident was authentic. The club released a statement soon after the incident saying it was a planned filming. (Did Times Square Billboards Call Ceasefire Anti-Semitic?)
Regarding last night… pic.twitter.com/4t5JNRLrU5
— New York Comedy Club (@nycomedyclub) January 25, 2024
They wrote in a post on X saying, “First and foremost, nobody was harmed or injured. The disruption was part of a filming by @HI_Hi_, the producers that rented out our venue for the night.” Normand then posted a story on his Instagram account confirming that the incident was preplanned. However, he also noted that he had no knowledge that it was staged.
This is not the first time misinformation was shared online. Check Your Fact debunked a claim Saudi Arabia and Qatar supported strikes on Houthis.