A joke from Pete Davidson about murdered conservative activist Charlie Kirk has sparked controversy after coming off awkwardly during a live roast of comedian Kevin Hart on Netflix. The punchline made the audience uncomfortable.The moment occurred at The Roast of Kevin Hart at the Kia Forum in California, where a number of comedians, including Tom Brady, Chelsea Handler, Jeff Ross and Dwayne Johnson, participated in the televised event.Davidson used dark humor and directed parts of fellow comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s set. While drawing a comparison between Hinchcliffe and Kirk, he said a line that caused a scream from the crowd.Davidson said, “Tony reminds me of Charlie Kirk, in that he’s definitely letting a guy put something down his throat on camera.”Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA and died during the Utah Valley University shooting in 2025. The reference to his death was seen as a cause for audience uneasiness.Davidson made another comment on Hinchcliffe’s podcast title after the joke, saying, “Please someone kill Tony.”The set also included a reference to rapper Kanye West, with Davidson saying, “I was in a feud with Kanye, so I’d better take shots from gay Nazis.” West had previously faced criticism over anti-Semitic comments, for which he later apologized in a public statement.Despite the reaction to parts of his routine, Davidson praised Hart’s influence on comedy. Before leaving the stage, he told the host, “You’ve always been very good to me.”The roast format is traditionally known for pushing boundaries, and the Netflix special has featured several comedians presenting similarly controversial material throughout the night. However, Davidson’s comments came to light.Online reaction was divided after the clip of the set aired, with some arguing that no topic should be off limits in comedy, while others said that the joke crossed a line given the circumstances of Kirk’s death.One user commented that while roast comedy is meant to be extreme, “it wasn’t even funny. Roasts are supposed to be shocking, but also funny. Not just shockingly insane.”Others defended the format, saying that performers at the roast are expected to take risks and push boundaries, regardless of sensitivity.Davidson is known for incorporating personal trauma into his comedy and has often spoken publicly about using dark humor as a coping mechanism. His father, a firefighter, died during the September 11 attacks, a loss that has shaped much of his material.The Netflix roast aired live as part of the platform’s comedy festival and was not subject to broadcast restrictions, allowing all content to be shown uncensored.