Comedian Hasan Minhaj opened up to Esquire about missing out on hosting The Daily Show after a New Yorker profile alleged he embellished onstage anecdotes.
“We were in talks, and I had the gig, and we were pretty much good to go,” Minhaj revealed.
However, after the article’s publication, the offer was revoked.
“It went away,” he said. “That’s part of showbiz.” Minhaj also faced public scrutiny, affecting his family.
“The most painful thing is my wife and my parents,” he shared. “To see them hurt, to see them engage with ‘So I’m reading on the internet …’ — that is so painful.”
He regretted letting his parents down, “I’m the eldest. I feel really, really sad that I let my parents down. I’m very lucky that they got to see many beautiful highs of my career. Watching them experience a painful moment, an embarrassing moment in your career, I wish I didn’t put them through that.”
In response to the allegations, Minhaj released a 20-minute video offering context.
“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.”
He acknowledged the controversy’s triviality amidst global issues, “With everything that’s happening in the world, I’m aware even talking about this now feels so trivial.”
Minhaj questioned the allegations, stating, “Being accused of ‘faking racism’ is not trivial. It’s very serious, and it demands an explanation.”
He recalled the interview, “Halfway through the interview … I was saying, you put this here and do that. I could see the journalist was not interested. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this might not be great.'”
Fellow comedians Ramy Youssef, Mike Birbiglia, John Mulaney, and Jon Stewart supported Minhaj.
Birbiglia defended Minhaj, “I love Hasan, and I think the intent of that writer remains very nebulous in why they’d write that. It’s very confusing to me.”
Stewart encouraged Minhaj, “Why the f**k are they doing this? And who does this benefit? This is great for you.”
Minhaj has since launched an interview show, Hasan Minhaj Doesn’t Know, and starred in It Ends With Us.
His stand-up special, Off With His Head, premieres on Netflix in October, 2024.
