In a fairly abrupt move, Louis C.K. has canceled a string of shows he’d scheduled in Texas. The controversial comedian recently nixed four appearances at the Houston Improv. The shows were scheduled to start tonight and run through Sunday. However, those who bought tickets are able to get a refund or wait for the comic to reschedule sometime in May.
According to TMZ, the reason for the cancellations involves an “unforeseen family emergency,” though no specifics were given. An email was also sent out to ticket holders offering a chance to score a free ticket to see Joe Machi, who will serve as C.K.’s replacement act this weekend. The offer is even extended to those who opt for a refund.
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C.K. has slowly been returning to the world of standup after he was accused of non-consensually masturbating in front of several women back in 2017. Early on in 2018, FX, which was the home to his sitcom, Louis, severed its ties with the comedian.
“We view this as a no-tolerance workplace,” network head John Landgraf said at the time. “It’s our responsibility to provide a safe working environment. We’re trying to get better and better.”
As he’s been staging his comeback, C.K. hasn’t seemed to be backing away from controversial material. Back in late 2018, he came under fire after making a joke about the Parkland shooting, which left 17 dead just months earlier.
“You’re not interesting because you went to a high school where kids got shot,” C.K. said from the stage. “Why does that mean I have to listen to you? How does that make you interesting? You didn’t get shot. You pushed some fat kid in the way. Now I gotta listen to you talking?”
When clips of the segment began circulating online, several people clapped back to C.K., including one of the shooting’s survivors.
C.K. kept the controversy ball rolling in November of last year when he made a questionable reference to Nazi Germany at a comedy show in Israel. “I’d rather be in Auschwitz than New York City,” he told the crowd. “I mean now, not when it was open.”
The comedian also joked about the very controversy that led to his downfall. While he (once again) admitted to masturbating in front of women, he said the action was wrong but doesn’t recommend doing it now. “If they say ‘yes,’ then still don’t do it, because it’s not popular.”
