NEWSHasan Minhaj Feels 'Horrible' About 'Needlessly Misleading' New Yorker Profile: 'I Am Not a Psycho'
Hasan Minhaj is telling his side of the story after he was criticized for embellishing stories about things he'd experienced in real life for his comedy sets.
The New Yorker wrote about the situation in a profile and the coverage that followed from other outlets often implied Minhaj was lying about very serious topics to gain popularity.
Hasan Minhaj claimed there were 'omissions and factual errors' in the outlet's profile on him.
"There were omissions and factual errors in The New Yorker article that misrepresented my life story, so I wanted to give people the context and materials I provided The New Yorker with full transparency," Minhaj said in a statement.
The comedian explained his side of the story in a 20-minute video addressing why the controversial profile upset him.
"With everything that’s happening in the world, I’m aware even talking about this now feels so trivial," he said. "But being accused of ‘faking racism’ is not trivial. It’s very serious, and it demands an explanation."
Minhaj previously explained that he tells the 'emotional truth' of a story while exaggerating other parts of it.
"To everyone who read that article. I want to answer the biggest question that’s probably on your mind: Is Hasan Minhaj secretly a psycho?" he continued. "Underneath all that pomp, is Hasan Minhaj just a con artist who uses fake racism and Islamophobia to advance his career? Because after reading that article, I would also think that."
"The reason I feel horrible is because I’m not a psycho," he added. "But this New Yorker article definitely made me look like one. It was so needlessly misleading, not just about my stand-up, but also about me as a person. The truth is, racism, FBI surveillance and the threats to my family happened. And I said this on the record."
Minhaj apologized to anyone who felt 'betrayed or hurt' by his stand-up material.
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The 38-year-old comic also apologized to anyone who "felt betrayed or hurt" by his stand-up material, noting that he'd written it to "express myself and drive home larger issues affecting me and my community."
Near the end of the video, Minhaj repeated that the person portrayed in The New Yorker's profile was "a proper f---ing psycho," but he hoped that after listening to what he had to say, others may believe that the "real" him is not.
Minhaj said he hoped fans would have a better understanding of who he was as a person after watching the video.
"I’m just a guy with IBS and low sperm motility," he joked. "Again, there is much more important news happening in the world right now that needs your attention. So I appreciate you watching, I take the note and I hope to see you at the next show."
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The New Yorker later responded with a statement which claimed they stood by their story.
"Hasan Minhaj confirms in this video that he selectively presents information and embellishes to make a point: exactly what we reported," a spokesperson said. "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."
The Hollywood Reporter shared Minhaj's statement and video.
