Kit Roberts
Comedian Rob Schneider ended a comedy set early after making a string of offensive jokes.
Schneider had been performing at the Four Seasons Ball fundraiser, but attendees said his set left the audience 'groaning'.
Attendee Tynan Allan claimed that the set included transphobic, misogynistic, and anti-vax jokes.
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Ultimately, the comedian was asked to end the set early after the Hospitals of Regina Foundation confirmed that 'the performance did not meet the expectations of our audience and our team.'
Schneider has become notorious for his anti-vax views, which stretch back as far 2012.
These include spreading the false claim that vaccines are linked to autism, a claim which has been repeatedly refuted.
Talking to News10Sacremento in 2012, he said: "The efficacy of these shots have not been proven,
"And the toxicity of these things -- we're having more and more side effects. We're having more and more autism."
In 2023, Schneider also accused TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who is transgender, of 'gender appropriation'.
Allan described the atmosphere in the room as Schneider did his set.
“Everyone in the room was groaning, saying, ‘What is going on?’ Like, whispering to themselves,” Allan told CBC, saying that there was 'not a single laugh at times.'
Allan added: “It was just very apparent how uncomfortable everyone felt and how unacceptable the things he was talking about were.”
The Hospitals of Regina Foundation has since issued a public apology for the set.
In a statement a spokesperson said: “While we recognize that in a free and democratic society individuals are entitled to their views and opinions and that comedy is intended to be edgy, the content, positions and opinions expressed during Mr. Schneider’s set do not align with the values of our foundation and team.
“We do not condone, accept, endorse or share Mr. Schneider’s positions, as expressed during his comedy set, and acknowledge that in this instance the performance did not meet the expectations of our audience and our team.”
The foundation also offered an an 'unconditional apology' to guests and its community immediately following the performance.
Allan said that the foundation should have checked Scheider's background and views before booking him.
He said: “He’s been anti-vax throughout the pandemic, and he’s said transphobic things for years.
“I understand that you’re raising money, that you sometimes need to draw a crowd, but it doesn’t take a lot to vet people and specifically to vet people from a values-based perspective.”
The event went on to raise $350,000 for the foundation.
The Hospitals of Regina Foundation confirmed that Schneider was booked for the event in 2023 via an agent.
UNILAD has reached out to representatives of Rob Schneider for comment.