Nick DiPaolo, a comic who leans hard into his anti-PC reputation, is promoting a new stand-up special with a photo of himself flipping off Muhiyidin D’Baha, a Charleston Black Lives Matter activist who was shot to death in New Orleans last year.
The graphic is part of promotional material for DiPaolo’s latest special, A Breath of Fresh Air, which was released Monday on YouTube. In it, D’Baha is shown wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt and gesturing alongside four others. The graphic was also used as the teaser image on YouTube.
“Labeled too ‘dangerous’ for Netflix and too ‘honest’ for Comedy Central, Nick is giving the special away for FREE,” reads a description.
D’Baha was a notable figure in Charleston activism. He gained national attention in 2017 when he leapt over police tape to tear down a Confederate flag that was being waved outside of a speech at the College of Charleston.
In February 2018, D’Baha was found lying on a street in New Orleans early one morning. He had been shot in the thigh, and died of excessive blood loss at a local hospital later that day. In July, police arrested a suspect in the case with second-degree murder.
[content-1] Authorities told D’Baha’s sister, Kim Duncan, that the shooting may have been a case of mistaken identity.
“It’s hurtful to those who loved Muhiyidin,” Duncan said about DiPaolo’s promo in a text message to the City Paper. “It’s disrespectful to those who knew what his fight was about and why. It’s counter productive in pushing for change. It’s sad to ‘challenge’ someone who can’t defend themselves, and Moye would have challenged him and won.”
Duncan says she first found out about the photo online.
DiPaolo, 57, is known for his conservative views and inflammatory, race-baiting comedy. He has appeared in Louis CK’s now-canceled FX show Louie and on Inside Amy Schumer.
A representative for DiPaolo did not immediately respond to questions about the image, but DiPaolo took to Twitter to apologize on Tuesday afternoon.
“I did not know that as I found it online in stock photos,” he wrote, responding to a tweet criticizing the inclusion of d’Baha. “Looking into changing it as we speak. My apologies.”
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