Comedian Druski responds to Erika Kirk 'whiteface' skit after backlash

Druski has addressed the backlash over a video skit in which he used prosthetics and makeup to portray a character resembling Erika Kirk.

In the footage, the 31-year-old comedian - whose real name is Drew Desbordes - depicts a blonde white woman navigating various scenarios, including a mock press conference where the character proclaims, "We have to protect all men in America, especially all white men in America."

Another segment shows the character dancing surrounded by pyrotechnics reminiscent of those featured when Erika Kirk made an appearance at her husband Charlie Kirk's memorial service. The video was posted on March 25 and was captioned, "How Conservative Women in America act."

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The sketch has generated significant controversy from conservatives and right-wingers as it circulated online, across numerous social media platforms. Druski, who is Black American, previously cause discussuion last September with a video entitled "Guy who is just proud to be an American."

That video featured him wearing prosthetics and makeup to portray a white NASCAR enthusiast, reports the Mirror US.

Some complaints from those upset have compared his use of makeup to depict a white character to the racist practice of 'Blackface.' Blackface is when white performers would paint their faces to make fun and demean Black people, dating back to minstrel shows in the 19th century. According to the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), the racist practice began in the 1830s in New York by white performers with blackened faces (mostly with burnt cork or shoe polish), who wore tattered clothing to mock enslaved Africans on Southern plantations.

The white performers would not only use polish and cork to darken their skin and wear ragged clothing, but would also exaggerate their features to create a caricature of Black people. Per the NMAAHC, "these performances characterized blacks as lazy, ignorant, superstitious, hypersexual, and prone to thievery and cowardice."

In response to criticism, Druski jokingly asked if he had gone "too far" in an Instagram post, which accompanied a photo of him as a child next to an older white man. There was another photo of the same white man holding a Billboard magazine with the content creator on the cover. The post did not say who the unknown individual pictured was or whether he was related to Druski. Many people assumed the man was Druski's grandfather and that Druski was implying he was biracial. The post appears to have been deleted.

A spokesperson for Druski confirmed to Complex that the older white man was not Druski's grandfather and that he is the influencer's neighbor from his youth.

Druski appeared on Chunkz and Filly's show in 2024, where he talked about his ancestry. He said that his last name (from his dad) is German in origin, and also said his father has green eyes, and that's a feature that is prevalent on his dad's side.

Druski noted that his mother's side of the family is just Black while he's not clear what his father's side is from entirely and said that his dad doesn't know who his actual father is.

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