Tony Hinchcliffe, comedian who sparked controversy at Trump rally, lands Netflix deal
Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian and podcaster who sparked controversy with racist jokes at an October rally for now-President Donald Trump, has landed a deal with Netflix.
The contract is for three specials under Hinchcliffe's 'Kill Tony' branding, his weekly live podcast that streams on YouTube. The first special will film at The Comedy Mothership in Austin, Texas and premiere on Netflix on April 7.
'Myself and our entire crew of Austin comedians, peers, and upcomers are excited for the opportunity to share our chaotic, insane show with a whole new chunk of the globe,' Hinchcliffe said in a press statement. 'It's the most spontaneous and improvised show that is out there and the creative freedom given to us by Netflix to keep the show in its pure form is a comedian's dream and we can't wait to Netflix and Kill.'
The deal also includes a one hour standup special for Hinchcliffe.
Late last October, he was invited to open then-candidate Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden. Hinchcliffe began by assailing Puerto Rico.
'There's a lot going on, like, I don't know if you know this but there's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now,' Hinchcliffe quipped. 'I think it's called Puerto Rico.'
The line - and other disparaging comments - went over well with the crowd in the arena, though the Trump campaign later tried to distance itself from the remarks.
'This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,' Trump campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez said in a statement to CNN at the time.
Bad Bunny, Luis Fonsi and other artists of Puerto Rican descent spoke out against Hinchcliffe's remarks.
'It's ok to have different views, and I respect those who think different than me…but going down this racist path ain't it,' Fonsi wrote in a social media post.
Netflix has not shied away from controversial comedy in the past.
In 2021, Netflix boss Ted Sarandos reiterated his support for Dave Chappelle and the comic's special, 'The Closer,' which had drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ advocates, artists and Netflix employees for Chappelle's jokes about the trans community.
After reports surfaced last month that Netflix was going after more podcasters, Netflix's Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria told Puck that the streamer is open to working with a broad range of talent.
'Our job is to make sure we know the creators out there doing really cool, interesting things, and what makes sense for Netflix,' Bajaria said. 'Some of them may be on YouTube, some of them may be in film school right now, some of them may be at a festival that we're gonna find.'
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