Hasan Minhaj admits to fabricating details in stand-up specials

Comedian and former 'Patriot Act' performer, Hasan Minhaj, has admitted that he concocted some alarming stories about racial discrimination in his stand-up act. 

In an interview with the New Yorker, the comedian revealed the story about sending his daughter to the hospital due to a suspected anthrax exposure was also made up. 

Hasan told the newspaper that he often exaggerates or invents elements in his stand-up stories founded on a 'seed of truth'.

"My comedy Arnold Palmer is 70% emotional truth that happened and then 30% hyperbole, exaggeration, fiction," Minhaj told the publication. 

He emphasised, however, that he was not fooling his audience, but rather entertaining them with the instruments of his trade.

"I use the tools of standup comedy, such as hyperbole, changing names and locations, and compressing timelines, to tell entertaining stories," he told The New York Post.

In "The King's Jester", he described receiving a letter containing white powder and panicking when his daughter got some on her. He said he hurried her to the hospital, where a doctor informed him that the powder was safe. He further claimed that his wife threatened to leave him if he ever put their children in jeopardy again.

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According to Minhaj, the letter containing white powder was genuine, but his daughter was never exposed to it or had to be taken to hospital. He also stated that his wife never said such nasty comments to him.

Another lie told by the California native was about a white FBI operative named Brother Eric, who infiltrated his Sacramento mosque as a teenager.Minhaj claimed that when he joked with Brother Eric about earning a pilot's license, he was tackled by the cops.

The 37-year-old said the narrative was inspired by a time when he and his friends played basketball with some older males they feared were cops. During a game, one of them pushed Minhaj to the ground.

Minhaj added that he developed these fictional people and circumstances in his comedy for himself. 

"No, I don't think I'm manipulating (the audience)," he responded. I believe they've come for the emotional roller-coaster. I don't care if people say, 'Yo, that is far too weird to happen,' because yes, heck yes — that's the idea," stated Minhaj. 

Minhaj also defended his stand-up stories, claiming that they were inspired by true occurrences in his life.

"All of my stand-up stories are based on true events. Yes, I was turned down for prom because of my race. Yes, a mail containing powder was delivered to my flat, which nearly killed my daughter," he stated.

"I had contact with law enforcement during the war on terror." Yes, I had varicocele repair surgery for us to become pregnant. Yes, I roasted Jared Kushner in front of him," concluded the comedian.