What's Really Going On With Louis C.K.'s Shows In Ukraine?
The country of Ukraine is locked in a war with Russia after Vladimir Putin and his army invaded their neighboring country on February 24, but, in a bizarre twist, rumors quickly swirled that two comedy shows by Louis C.K. were still going ahead in the now war torn country.
Ukraine has seen serious bloodshed since the Russian army moved in, with the infamous Chernobyl power plant site being taken over by the country while armed forces began to move in on the capital city, Kyiv, with TIME claiming that Putin has the aim of taking over the city and creating a new government.
The Mayor of Kyiv, former professional boxer Vitali Klitschko, has spoken out against Putin, saying on "Good Morning Britain" on February 24 that he would be willing to fight in the streets himself after Ukrainian men aged between 18 and 60 were banned from leaving the country for 30 days in order to take up military service. "It's already a bloody war," Klitschko said. "I don't have another choice. I have to do that. I would fight."
Since then, the Russian army has continued to advance on Kyiv, with photos from the scene showing the Ukrainian army lining up in the streets to take them on. And, in a move that comes as a bit of a surprise, Louis C.K. appeared to be giving the phrase "the show much go on" a whole new meaning.
Louis C.K.'s shows are no longer available
Louis C.K. – who faced serious controversy in 2017 over sexual assault allegations – was still getting booked in Ukraine and had shows scheduled at Kyiv's National Palace of Arts still on February 25 and February 26 as of February 22, one day before the invasion, New York Post confirmed.
Twitter user Patrick Verisimilitude shared a screenshot of what appeared to be an email, which read, "Dear attendees, Louis C.K. performance will take place, as planned, on February 25 and 26, 2022. Tickets for Louis C.K. show purchased earlier remain valid for new dates and do not require an exchange." It was reported some tickets were 30% off and there were still some left a few days before the show, per Gawker, who noted attendees were asked to hand over their phones pre-show.
Ticket Hunt appeared to be still selling tickets up until February 24, but, in a move that won't come as a surprise in the wake of the invasion, the site seemingly stopped sales and the events are "not available" as of February 25.
Those in the Ukraine are dealing with one of the worst crisis in the country's recent history as the Russian army continues to cause chaos. Former "Dancing with the Stars" professional dancer Maks Chmerkovskiy is one of the many stuck in Kyiv and has been keeping fans updated on social media, while Sean Penn is also in the country to film a documentary series.