Julian Woods, an Australian comedian dubbed the "king of dark comedy," has defended a skit mocking the September 11 terrorist attacks after it went viral online and triggered a wave of criticism.
In the video, posted on his Instagram page on Friday to his 439,000 followers, Woods approaches a stranger sitting on a public bench, cracks a joke about the World Trade Center, then flashes a fake bomb strapped to his chest.
Woods told the Daily Mail that making people uncomfortable is the point of his comedy and that no subject is off limits. "I love making people laugh and then watching them try and shove the laughs back in," he said. "I joke about what's wrong because I know what's right. I like to make people laugh then feel bad about it after."
He said several fans had threatened to unfollow him over the stunt, but that he had not noticed any drop in his follower count. "I didn't notice anything at all, and I wouldn't care if they did. I'm not here to please everyone," he said. "I definitely didn't miss the mark. People are allowed to not like jokes. As Ricky Gervais once said, just because you're offended doesn't mean you're right."
He added: "Those people who threatened to unfollow me most likely followed me by laughing at a joke about another sensitive topic. Good logic."
What happened in the 9/11 video
In the clip, Woods approaches an elderly man and asks him: "Excuse me... if science has flown us to the moon, where has religion flown us?" before delivering the punchline: "Into the twin towers!"
He then opens his jacket to reveal the fake bomb. "It's actually the 25th anniversary of 9/11 today. Did you know that? Well, I'm not a scientist but I am religious..." he says, before the frightened man scrambles from his seat and runs away as Woods begins a countdown from ten. He captioned the post "Never Forget. 25th anniversary!" alongside a plane emoji.
The stunt received mixed reviews. Commenters branded it "vile" and "tasteless." One person wrote: "Stop making jokes about 9/11. I lost my uncle on that day." Another asked: "Do you really think that is funny?!!" A third wrote: "I have good humor, and some 9/11 humor is funny if made appropriately, but this isn't funny." Others were blunter, with one writing "Have some f***ing respect" and another saying "Not cool. This is why the world's corrupt."
Arrest in Bali alongside Bonnie Blue
Woods also made headlines in December when he was arrested at a Bali film studio alongside British adult performer Bonnie Blue, accused of flouting Indonesia's strict morality laws as part of a probe into pornography. He was never formally charged and was released from custody eight days later.
Woods insists he did not break the law and did not film any pornographic scenes with Blue. He said the pair had only worked together on comedy skits, having first discussed collaborating years earlier when Blue "first started ruffling feathers on the Gold Coast." They eventually met while he was on tour in the United Kingdom, where they filmed comedy skits together, and stayed in touch, catching up again at Coachella and in Bali. Woods said he also helped write jokes for some of Blue's videos and appearances.
Blue, whose real name is Tia Billinger, welcomed her first child in August but has not revealed who fathered the baby, and conspiracy theories have circulated online claiming the child is not real but another publicity stunt. Woods dismissed the theories, saying: "Of course the baby is real," before hinting he could be the father. "A bit scary though, roughly nine months from when we were in Bali?! I should change my name to Clyde by the sounds of it," he said.
Skye Wheatley dating rumours
Woods also fuelled speculation in July when he was seen on a night out with Big Brother Australia star Skye Wheatley in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, shortly after she ended her relationship with longtime partner Lachlan Waugh. Neither addressed rumours of a romance.
Asked directly about the pair, Woods would not confirm or deny anything, instead joking about Wheatley's recent drink driving conviction. "I was teaching her how to drive. Turns out I failed on that one," he said.
Backing from fans and family
Not all reaction to the 9/11 skit was negative. Some viewers said Woods' dark humour was being taken too seriously, with one commenting "This is brilliant" and another calling him a "legend." One fan wrote: "Follow a dark humour page, then whinge about dark humour. Imagine that! Lighten up."
Woods, who toured with his Cancel Me World Tour last year, has repeatedly attracted criticism for his material, including a gory miscarriage skit earlier this year that angered social media users.
He said his family and friends remain supportive of his career. "My family enjoy the presents I buy them with the money I make from comedy too much, I don't think they'd say anything unless the gifts started slowing down," he said. He added that he would not let a relationship progress "past the dinner stage" if a partner objected to his content, saying they did not need to find his jokes funny but would need to "at least have a big enough brain to understand what a comedian's job is."
Next for Woods
Woods said he has no plans to be silenced, and is preparing a new tour across Australia, the UK, Europe and America while in talks with several streaming platforms. He also said he hopes to reach the heights of fame achieved by another boundary-pushing Australian comedian, Chris Lilley. "I'm coming to avenge the cancellation of Chris Lilley," he said. "That'll be fun."
