British Comedian Canceled By Talent Agency After Threatening to Murder Another Comic

Cancel culture is out of control — nowadays, a comedian can’t even explicitly threaten to murder another comedian in a stupidly public Instagram rant without his agents dropping him.

For the last 10 years, Dane Baptiste has (or, I guess, had) been a steadily rising star in the U.K. comedy scene. In 2014, Baptiste became the first Black Briton to be nominated for the coveted “Best Newcomer” award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and, in the following years, he began selling out prestigious theaters across the U.K. Throughout the late 2010s, Baptiste was a mainstay on the popular panel show circuit on U.K. television, appearing on shows such as Mock the Week and Sweat the Small Stuff as his profile grew. Baptiste wrote for Idris Elba when the actor hosted the 2018 Best FIFA Football awards, and, in 2021, Baptiste’s debut pilot Bamous premiered on BBC One.

Then, earlier this week, Baptiste made the bizarre career decision to post a long-winded rant issuing an unambiguous death threat to an unnamed female comic, claiming that he will come to her house and kill her if she doesn’t stop “stalking” Baptiste’s family on social media. After the story sparked outrage, Baptiste quickly deleted the post and issued a public apology for his murderous rhetoric. But you can’t exactly un-delete a career.

“A quick message to the Zionist comedian stalking my family’s page,” Baptise began in the rant that caused talent agencies Insanity Group and Gag Reflex to drop him as a client and issue their own public apologies, “I want you to sit down with your husband and kids and imagine what their lives will be without you, b/c/ north London is a quick trip to make and a Think Tank will have to be an actual tank to keep you safe from me. Ask about and (sic) comedians will tell you I will be at your literal doorstep. Your agent won’t keep you safe. And I’ll sit in prison while your family sit at the cemetery. First and last warning. Your act is dumb but don’t be a dumb woman. For your own safety.”

Baptiste claims that his inflammatory post was a reaction to social media harassment that he and his family had received after he publicly expressed pro-Palestinian views. However, as is the case in the American legal system, the U.K. doesn’t have a loophole that gives possible cyberbullying victims amnesty when it comes to prosecuting completely unambiguous and extremely public death threats. It’s a shame that a comedian with two different management groups representing him couldn’t take a “quick trip” down to literally any lawyer’s office and get their advice on how to deal with online harassment without burning down his career and possibly catching a case.

Earlier today, London’s Metropolitan Police announced that they are investigating Baptiste’s threats and have asked the public to contact them with any additional information on the post. I can think of at least one unnamed woman whose husband and kids probably have something to say to the coppers.