Any comedian worth their salt knows how to handle a tough crowd. For most, boos and silence are the ultimate nightmares. But few have faced a reaction quite like what TV legend Jerry Seinfeld encountered in May at Duke University.
Seinfeld, invited to receive an honorary degree, walked onto campus amid heightened tensions due to his outspoken support for Israel amid the ongoing conflict. That stance sparked controversy — and some students made their feelings clear in a dramatic fashion.
As Seinfeld took the stage, dozens of students staged a walkout, chanting “Free, free Palestine.” The protest turned into a charged moment, with some in the audience jeering as the demonstrators exited. Meanwhile, the 70-year-old comedian maintained a tense smile, waiting patiently for the crowd to settle before addressing the audience.
“Thank you. Oh my God, what a beautiful day,” Seinfeld quipped, his signature dry humor cutting through the tension.
Instead of confronting the protest directly, Seinfeld steered his commencement speech into familiar territory: a mix of comedy and life advice. “A lot of you are thinking, ‘I can’t believe they invited this guy.’ Too late,” he said, joking about privilege and his own background. “I say, use your privilege. I grew up a Jewish boy from New York. That is a privilege if you want to be a comedian.”
Since the October 7, 2024 Hamas attacks, Seinfeld has remained a vocal supporter of Israel throughout the war in Gaza — a stance that clearly sparked divided reactions on campus.
Duke University’s vice president for communications, Frank Tramble, released a statement after the protests, emphasizing the importance of peaceful expression: “We understand the depth of feeling in our community, and as we have all year, we respect the right of everyone at Duke to express their views peacefully, without preventing graduates and their families from celebrating their achievement.”
