Entertainment
Major U.S. comedians set to perform in Saudi Arabia urged not to help cover up “abuses of a repressive regime”
Some of the biggest American names in comedy have signed up to perform at a festival in Saudi Arabia, and they’re being urged to speak out against the country’s human rights abuses — and not to be “complicit in covering up the abuses of a repressive regime,” by the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch organization.
Saudi Arabia will host the Riyadh Comedy Festival, which organizers say will be the “world’s largest comedy festival,” from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9. Some of North America’s most popular comedians, along with comics from Europe and elsewhere, are featured on the bill, including Dave Chapelle, Kevin Hart and Bill Burr.
The festival will be the latest in a series of sports and cultural events hosted by Saudi Arabia’s government that critics say amount to an effort to obscure the country’s reputation for rampant human rights abuses.
“The Saudi government has invested billions into high profile entertainment events like these in a deliberate effort to whitewash the country’s human rights record and deflect from the egregious abuses that continue to happen inside of the country,” Human Rights Watch researcher Joey Shea told CBS News. “These investments are a part of the broader strategy to… have people thinking about a comedy event, for example, rather than the soaring number of executions that are happening inside of the country.”
HRW noted specifically the state execution of journalist Turki Al-Jasser, who was killed in June following seven years of detention after reportedly being identified as the author of several anonymous tweets criticizing the Saudi royal family.
Reporters Without Borders
Al-Jasser had been convicted of terrorism and high treason on the basis of posts he was accused of authoring, according to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. Reporters Without Borders, an organization that works to protect journalists, branded the charges against him as “false.”
“This execution of a journalist went forward to very little international criticism and this is clearly a result of these billions that had been invested in the country’s whitewashing strategy,” Shea said.
When asked whether they believed the comedians would be able to freely tell jokes at the festival, the HRW researcher predicted there would be clear red lines drawn by organizers to prevent any criticism of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, who has already taken over as ruler of the highly conservative Islamic kingdom, as well as his policies and the broader royal family.
Win McNamee/Getty 
Shea called on the high-profile entertainers attending the event — funding for which comes from the Saudi government’s General Entertainment Authority — to mitigate the positive effect that their presence might have on the country’s reputation for human rights abuses, including by “speaking out about the abuses.”
Tom Dillon, one of the comedians scheduled to perform at the Riyadh festival, claimed on his podcast that he’s being paid $315,000 for a single show, and that some of his more famous colleagues would receive around $1.6 million for their appearances.
CBS News has contacted the publicists representing billed attendees Bill Burr, Mark Normand, Kevin Hart, Sebastian Maniscalco, Dave Chapelle, Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, Tom Segura, Andrew Schulz and Jim Jeffries, but has received no comment from any of them regarding their expected appearances in Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh Comedy Festival 
CBS News asked Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment on HRW’s assertions, but has not received a response.
One of the highest-profile cases of the Saudis’ purported efforts to change their image came in 2021, with the launch of LIV Golf, a golf league that saw seasoned professionals defect from the famed PGA Tour in exchange for highly profitable contracts.
Critics accused the golfers of helping the Saudi government to “sportswash” its reputation, only three years after Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an outspoken critic of the county’s leadership, was brutally murdered inside a Saudi diplomatic office in Istanbul, Turkey.
A CIA report concluded with a medium to high degree of confidence that the killing was likely carried out at bin Salman’s orders.
In a 2019 interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, bin Salman denied ordering Khashoggi’s assassination, but said he took responsibility for it.
Jack Quaid and Claudia Doumit have gone from co-stars to newlyweds.
The couple — who met on the set of The Boys — have reportedly tied the knot in a private ceremony in Australia. According to Australian outlet news.com.au, the ceremony reportedly took place on April 18 at Mona Farm in Braidwood, a quiet countryside location not far from Canberra.
Their reception, held in a marquee on the property, was said to include a star-studded guest list, with names like Meg Ryan, Dennis Quaid, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks, Kevin Costner and Henry Golding in attendance.
While the event was kept low-key, glimpses from guests briefly surfaced online, showing the pair celebrating their first dance to Atlantis by Donovan, before the images were later removed.
Doumit wore an off-white satin gown with a ruffled skirt and floral headband, while Quaid opted for a bold red Western-style blazer with gold embroidery.
Several of their The Boys co-stars also showed up, including Karl Urban, Colby Minifie and Nathan Mitchell, marking a full-circle moment for the couple who first connected through the hit series. They were first linked in 2022 after being spotted holding hands, two years after Doumit joined the show.
Karachi Kings won the toss and decided to bat first against Peshawar Zalmi in the 32nd match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday.
Babar Azam-led Zalmi have already qualified for the playoffs and sit at the top of the points table. They remain unbeaten in PSL 11 so far, having won seven of their eight matches, with one game abandoned due to rain.
In contrast, Karachi Kings are placed seventh on the points table, with just three wins from seven matches.
Historically, the two sides have faced each other 24 times. Zalmi hold a clear advantage with 16 wins, while the Kings have secured eight victories.
Squads
Karachi Kings: David Warner (c), Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Saad Baig (wk), Moeen Ali, Azam Khan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shahid Aziz, Mir Hamza, Adam Zampa, Hamza Sohail, Aqib Ilyas, Jason Roy, Haroon Arshad, Reeza Hendricks, Ihsanullah, Zahid Mahmood, and Rizwanullah.
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (c), Sufiyan Muqeem, Abdul Samad, Ali Raza, Aaron Hardie, Aamir Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Haris (wk), Khalid Usman, Abdul Subhan, Tanzid Hasan, Michael Bracewell, Kusal Mendis, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Farhan Yousuf, Brian Bennett, Mohammad Basit, and Shoriful Islam.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.
Tori Spelling shared a heartfelt remembrance of her former boyfriend, actor Patrick Muldoon, who died suddenly on April 19 at the age of 57.
Spelling dated Muldoon in the 1990s while starring on Beverly Hills, 90210 and he was appearing on Melrose Place.
She took to Instagram to pen an emotional tribute late Tuesday.
“This post took me a couple days. I wasn’t ready to write because then it felt real. And, this shouldn’t be real,” she wrote.
Reflecting on their relationship, Spelling recalled their playful bond and shared memories of singing Grease together at her 22nd birthday party.
“We shared a love of Broncos, guitars, goofing off, playing tag, and Grease! Loved to belt out Grease. I was Sandy to his Danny!” she said.
She praised Muldoon’s warmth and humour.
Spelling revealed they affectionately called each other “f— face.”
“He was special and one of a kind. The kindest most caring human w/ raddest weird sense of humor. We got each other! Laughed a lot! I laughed w/him and at him and he loved it… We called each other F—face ????. That was us!”
Spelling also highlighted his support during her divorce, remembering how he would check in and send her “the worst jokes” to make her laugh.
“He always showed up. And, was a true hype man 4 those he cared about. He was a huge part of my formative 20’s. We went on to be good friends! Still laughing & always caring,” she wrote.
Muldoon’s passing has prompted tributes from many including Denise Richards, who described him as her “best friend & my family.”
Richards’ daughter Lola Sheen also wrote, “When I think of my childhood I think of you Pat. And it’s gonna be so weird to go on without you in our lives.”
Muldoon will be remembered for roles on Days of Our Lives, Melrose Place, and Saved by the Bell.
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