Part of what makes comedy shows funny is that the jokes can get a bit edgy – especially at R-rated performances. But while the jokes are only intended to make people laugh, they may not be for everyone.
On August 16, 2024, professional comedian Robert L. Hines clearly offended the wrong passenger after a fight broke out during his late-night set onboard MSC Seashore – and a video of the confrontation has gone viral on social media.
Hines, who is known for the viral “Jones BBQ & Foot Massage” YouTube video that has been viewed more than 27 million times, was performing on the 5,179-passenger ship as a guest performer as part of a 3-night cruise to Nassau, Bahamas, and MSC Ocean Cay, the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas.
“A fight was beginning between two guys during the 11:30 pm comedy show. The comedian and cruise director calmed the situation and the guys sat down. The comedian made jokes about the fight. This lady got mad, then this…,” a witness from the audience wrote on X, above a video of the aforementioned altercation.
The video shows an unidentified woman, who was likely intoxicated, go on stage to confront the comedian. She was then escorted out while Hines made some off-color jokes about the woman and the situation.
The audience laughed and applauded as the hostile woman, who only paused to argue with some unidentified guests in the crowd and the cruise director, was officially removed.
K. Danielle, a lifestyle and travel influencer on TikTok (@k.daniellelifestyle) was also in the audience during the incident, and detailed what she witnessed in her own words in a video on TikTok.
Per the influencer’s account, the woman threw her drink on Hines, which is legally considered assault. She also alleges that the hostile passenger removed her shoe to throw at the comedian, but was stopped.
“She was grabbing for their drinks to try to throw at the comedian…she finally did get her hands on one of their drinks, and as you can see in the clip, she threw that drink. She took her shoe off and she was going to throw that, too,” K. Danielle says in her TikTok, which has received over 131,000 views in just about 48 hours.
What ultimately became of the comedian and the unruly cruiser remains unconfirmed – although some sources say the woman was met with authorities at the next port of call and the comedian was suspended for his response to the conflict.
Comedy Isn’t Always Meant for Everyone
If someone isn’t enjoying a comedian’s performance, there is no reason they have to stay and watch – and the fact that this woman was offended enough to confront the artist is making her the butt of the jokes on social media.
“I’ve seen heckling but coming up on stage is next level,” one TikToker commented.
“She just wanted to be seen and she was seen,” someone else added in jest.
No official statement about the incident has been released from MSC Cruises, and the woman in question has remained anonymous.
Hines posted the TikTok from K. Danielle on his Instagram, but remained neutral in his caption – and likely kept telling jokes in the moment (albeit with some colorful language and insults) to keep the atmosphere light for the non-heckling guests.
“@robert_l_hines was on a cruise and went to somebody else’s house this weekend and this happened. Apparently this was viral on the other app, and we had to let y’all know,” the comedian shared on his House of Hines Comedy instagram page.
Read Also: Why Are MSC Cruises So Cheap?
Interestingly, this event went viral shortly after Carnival Cruise Line made headlines for causing controversy with the R-rated shows offered by the Punchliner Comedy Club – which can be found onboard all 27 ships in the fleet.
After being hounded with hundreds of complaints about some of the content in these performances on a weekly basis, Carnival’s brand ambassador, John Heald, couldn’t stay silent any longer.
He made an official request on his public Facebook page for guests who don’t think they will like the shows to not attend them – or at least not to take prime seating away from guests who are sure they want to be there.
In general, it’s also good etiquette for guests who arrive late or aren’t sure if they will stay for the duration of the performance to sit toward the back of the theater or on an aisle off to the side to avoid disturbing other people.
