Melbourne comedian apologises for ‘offensive’ resurfaced comments on Gabby Petito murder
Melbourne comedian Nick Trapani has claimed he’s “deeply sorry” for shocking remarks made by another comedian on his podcast regarding the murder of US woman Gabby Petito.
Trapani came under fire this week after a resurfaced clip from his podcast Trapanischoice revealed jokes made about the murder of Petito, with one guest comedian calling the horrific act “justified”.
Rising comedian Nick Trapani has issued an apology for the “offensive” remarks made on his podcast. Instagram/@nick_trapani_comedy
On Thursday, Trapani posted an official statement to Instagram taking “full responsibility” for the comments. It came hours after he was dropped from an upcoming event following mass backlash from the online community.
“In 2022, during one of my podcast episodes, jokes and flippant remarks were made about the tragic murder of Gabby Petito at the hands of her fiancé,” Trapani’s statement, posted to his 21,000 Instagram followers, read.
“While the comments were not mine, nevertheless, it was my show and I laughed along.
“Words matter. What was said was wrong. It was offensive. I take full responsibility, and unreservedly apologise. I’ve since deleted the episode.
“Violence against women should never be turned into a joke.”
Trapani then said he was “deeply sorry” to Petito’s family and friends, and anyone who has lived through “or has a loved one who is or has been subjected to violence”.
“I stand firmly against violence against women,” he wrote.
Gabby Petito was tragically killed by her fiancé during a cross-country road trip in 2021. Nine
Trapani said he will spend time to reflect on his role as a comedian, the role of his guests and their community to “ensure the words we use don’t do harm”.
Nine.com.au has contacted Trapani for further comment.
Trapani was joined by three other comedians during the mentioned podcast episode.
In the now deleted video, one comedian joked Petito’s murder was “justified” while the others laughed, alongside other degrading and misogynistic jokes.
Nick Trapani issues an apology to social media for the remarks made on his podcast about the murder of Gabby Petito. Instagram/@nick_trapani_comedy
Petito was killed by her boyfriend Brian Laundrie on July 2, 2021, while the couple were on a road trip through the United States.
Laundrie later died by suicide, leaving behind a written confession in a notebook where he admitted to ending Petito’s life.
The context of the short clip was not made clear when it resurfaced this week.
The video, however, gained traction after being shared online on Tuesday by a popular women’s right campaigner.
Trapani has 21,000 followers on Instagram. Instagram/@nick_trapani_comedy
Following the backlash, Trapani was publicly dropped by South Coast Monster Trucks, who the star was promoting ahead of the Melbourne Country Show last weekend.
“SouthCoast Monster Trucks has made the decision that Nick Trapani will no longer be representing or working with our organisation,” wrote the company in a statement made online.
South Coast Monster Trucks drop Nick Trapani amid the backlash faced by the comedian. Instagram/@southcoastmonstertrucks
“The content that has been brought to our attention does not reflect our values or the standards we expect from anyone associated with our team.
“Our goal has always been to create a safe, enjoyable and family-friendly environment for our community, and we stand firmly by those values.
“We sincerely apologise to anyone who has been hurt, upset or disappointed by this situation. We appreciate everyone who raised their concerns with us and allowed us the opportunity to properly review the situation before making this decision.”
