‘I’m not a psycho’, Hasan Minhaj speaks out against charges of ‘faking racism’ by The New Yorker
Hasan Minhaj has responded to New Yorker article and defended the authenticity of his stories
Comedian Hasan Minhaj has come out to address accusations around authenticity of certain narratives shared in his stand-up acts by The New Yorker magazine. “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 to The Hollywood Reporter after posting his video online.
Even though, earlier Minhaj had issued a brief statement asserting the truthfulness of his stories, he has now chosen to respond in the Minhaj way, through a candid 20-minute video. He starts by agreeing his story is very trivial in the backdrop of what's happening in the world today, “but being accused of ‘faking racism’ is not trivial. It’s very serious, and it demands an explanation."
In the video, Minhaj has revisited three particular incidents discussed in his stand-up: the prom rejection due to racism, encounters with undercover law enforcement surveilling his community, and an anthrax scare at his residence. Using graphics, email exchanges, and expressive narrative, he offered a clearer picture of the context and truth surrounding these events.
The New Yorker's piece from September suggested that Minhaj might have fabricated or exaggerated certain references in his performances, a claim that Minhaj has taken seriously.
Minhaj emphasized the gravity of being accused of fabricating racism, stating that such an accusation is far from trivial. He acknowledged that while there might have been artistic interpretations to better express the emotional truth of these events, the core of the stories were based on real experiences.
He says both because of the state of the world at the moment and because he’s been “processing” the criticism that has come his way in the wake of the article, “I just want to say to anyone who felt betrayed or hurt by my stand-up, I am sorry. I made artistic choices to express myself and drive home larger issues affecting me and my community, and I feel horrible that I let people down."
“The reason I feel horrible is because I’m not a psycho. 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,” he further adds.
Responding to the video, the New Yorker stood by their story, stating that Minhaj’s video confirmed their report about his selective presentation of information. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter the publication stated, “Hasan Minhaj confirms in this video that he selectively presents information and embellishes to make a point: exactly what we reported. Our piece, which includes Minhaj’s perspective at length, was carefully reported and fact-checked."
