The Internet Turned On Akaash Singh

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]What's going on? It's your boy, Don Hennessey. You're watching Don Hennessey Live. Uh like, comment, subscribe.

[00:00:07]And let's just get into it. So, um we're going to talk about the Akash Singh situation. Man, my boy Akash, man, he's going through a tough time this year. He's going through a rough time this year. And like, the year started off rough. We're half We're about halfway through the year, and Um we got to address the elephant in the room, no pun intended, okay?

[00:00:29]As I'm sure you guys are aware, boy Akash he really uh went through it earlier this year, uh showed amazing resilience, and you know, selling out Radio City recently, setting records in Toronto, just crushing stand-up around the globe, and literally just like living the dreams that he would tell me about at 2:00 in the morning when we're eating [ __ ] egg sandwiches at the Selkirk. So, it's been amazing to see, but uh the experience has put things in perspective for him.

[00:00:54]And uh he's made the decision to focus all of his energy on stand-up. He is going to be stepping away from the pod.

[00:01:01]It is bittersweet. You know, we wished [clears throat] that he did not want to do that, but at the same time, you know, it's very hard not to root for your friends, you know, literally living his dreams. And if you know Clear the Air, Akash hasn't been on the pod for a while. We thought it was time we, you know, talked to you guys about it. Mhm.

[00:01:17]God's voice. It's >> [laughter] >> I don't know. Like, there's just some It It It doesn't seem truthful. It doesn't seem like Andrew's being truthful there.

[00:01:28]Like, that little smirk he just did.

[00:01:30]He's like, he just knows it's Cuz look, I've been listening to these guys for years, really an idiot. It does I don't know. It just doesn't seem like they're telling the complete truth. Of course, there's They're not going to just come out and say, "Hey, this this and that.

[00:01:41]He doesn't want to be here anymore. This whole situation [ __ ] everything up."

[00:01:44]Of course, this is what how they have to deliver it, but Okay. So, first off, he's not dead.

[00:01:50]Like, you guys can call him. You can go see your boy. Like, like this is this sounds like a [ __ ] eulogy, man.

[00:01:56]Like, this is crazy. Recap the whole situation, right? So earlier this year Akash Singh found himself in a weird internet situation and honestly it escalated way more than anybody would think. For people who missed it, Akash's wife started a podcast and on this podcast she started telling some spicy stories, let's say.

[00:02:16]Stories about her past, dating experiences, partying, that type of stuff, you know. Now look, it's the internet. Everybody embellishes a little bit online. Some people exaggerate to sound cooler, richer, tougher, more experienced, whatever fits the brand, all right? That's basically influencer culture at this point. Half the internet is just trying to role play as a more entertaining version of themselves and honestly it looked like she was trying to build a brown girl call her daddy type persona, which could have worked out until the internet figured out who she was married to, right? Because once people connect you to somebody famous, the investigation begins immediately. And once the content escapes your core audience, you're cooked. Like you're done. People start analyzing every clip like it's the Zapruder film and the internet basically landed on two possibilities. Either she was lying to Akash about who she used to be or she was lying to her audience about who she actually is now.

[00:03:14]Basically, she was capping in her raps.

[00:03:16]She was not living what she portrayed.

[00:03:19]She was lying, bro. Would y'all ever have an orgy together with your [laughter] husband? Riya, I I'm I'm actively trying to have an orgy because this couple is so [ __ ] good looking and you haven't seen Nav yet, but wait till you [ __ ] see him. His body goes crazy. His face card always slays, never decline. And it's kind of weird cuz I'm talking ABOUT YOUR HUSBAND. NO, I'M KIND OF LOVING IT, BUT I'M LIKE I JUST know that Nav's dick >> [laughter] >> is like at least 10 inches. When I got to college, I'm like, "Oh my god, I can dress however I want. I can do whatever I want."

[00:03:56]>> a roster of trap queens. [laughter] What does a roster mean to you?

[00:03:59]>> didn't actually translate to a roster.

[00:04:01]It just meant like two guys I was talking to and flirting with at the same time. That's it.

[00:04:06]>> That's all? Yeah. When you say hooking up, I think people think you meant that.

[00:04:09]>> hooking up, I just meant making out.

[00:04:11]Again, like everything I say is so amplified and hyperbolic because it's so like incongruous to who I'm actually who I actually am as a person.

[00:04:20]>> Right, right. So, you were you're saying you're a big old prude. I was popping my [ __ ] in these white boy frat houses.

[00:04:27]And from her explanation, honestly, it just sounded like she was using like slang and African-American Vernacular English. She didn't fully understand.

[00:04:36]And this is where the conversation gets kind of awkward online because people try to blur everything and they're just going to be like, "Nah, bro. That's just Gen Z language. That's internet slang.

[00:04:45]That's TikTok talk." And no, let's call it what it is. It's Black American slang, bro. It's African-American Vernacular English spread through music, social media, meme culture. Then once everybody starts using it, the meaning slowly gets stretched, twisted, watered down, and completely bastardized. This happens literally every few years online. And I can give a million examples, but that's like a whole 'nother video, right? Now, apparently, all this backlash got batted off that Akash decided to leave the Flagrant podcast. Like, he was making bank off the Patreon alone. Like, that whole Patreon started because Akash when when they first started blowing up, Akash wasn't like he's basically broke and he was surviving off the Patreon. And he's just walking away from all that. Holy, that tells you how bad the situation really got, right? But honestly, I think it's probably a good thing for him mentally cuz the internet is ruthless.

[00:05:37]Some people online dedicate alarming amounts of time to trolling strangers.

[00:05:41]Like, genuinely impressive levels of unemployment. But at the same time, I do think there's a little hypocrisy here.

[00:05:48]You need to know what comes with this fame thing and and decide if you really want it. And I realize I don't really want that. I want to be the best stand-up comedian I can be, hopefully ever.

[00:05:59]All that other dude, I don't care. If we go to the Met Gala, she probably made me. I don't give a [ __ ] about all that stupid red carpet picture picked. Like, I don't care about any of that. Now, I just want the happy, healthy Because you can't really build a career being on a podcast where you discuss and roast other people constantly, right? Then act shocked when the internet turns the microscope on you.

[00:06:20]That's the game. Like, that's it.

[00:06:22]And if you remember the whole Will Smith situation, like after the Oscar slap, Akash went hard on Will Smith and his wife. Yo, he did not hold back anything.

[00:06:33]Like, it it sounded kind of personal. He called Will and Jada all types of names.

[00:06:37]He called them [ __ ] bro. The whole thing. And I understand, right? Like, comedians, all comedians were upset because to them, Will slapping Chris Rock was like attacking one of the sacred cows of comedy. But still, as a comedian, roasting people is literally part of your profession.

[00:06:53]There are entire compilations of comedians online destroying random audience members for sport. Like, some of it's too far, some of it's valid, you know, whatever. Everybody has their own opinion on that. So, when the internet starts clowning you back, people are going to look at your reaction differently. And like, comedians get hit for this all the time cuz like, they're the ones always saying, "Yo, nothing goes too far. There's there's no like, you can say whatever you want."

[00:07:15]They're all these free speech warriors.

[00:07:17]But once it gets turned around on them, it's like, now now everybody wants to get all sensitive and stuff, right? It's all like, that's always hilarious to me.

[00:07:25]And now, I'm going to give Akash a little grace, okay? There's a difference between jokes and millions of people trying to humiliate your wife. Like, everybody has their limits. Right it right there, seriously. And the internet always aims for that thing that hurts you most. So, I'm not going to sit here and say, "Just grow thicker skin."

[00:07:39]That's easy to say when you're not the one you're not the one that's trending, right? I'm just a little confused by his reaction considering the environment he built his career in. Personally, I hope Akash bounces back and from all this and gets even bigger, you know?

[00:07:54]But honestly, I'd actually be really interested to hear him talk about this situation like 2 to 3 years from now after the ego cools down, after the internet moves on, and process everything like properly, you know?

[00:08:06]Because that version of the conversation is way more honest. The internet loves authenticity until authenticity gets messy. Then everybody suddenly becomes a detective, a therapist, a prosecutor at the same time. And that's basically my thoughts on the situation. Like I think it's Akash is There's nothing wrong with him taking a step back. His comedy career is doing fine.

[00:08:27]Like he has a huge Indian fan base and non-Indian fan base. I think he's going to be okay.

[00:08:33]Like I do think as any type of creative, you do want to have your own platform.

[00:08:37]So maybe he's going to start his own podcast at some point. That's probably the direction he wants to head in cuz as a comedian or even as a creative in this day and age, you everybody needs a platform. So I don't expect Akash to be completely silent. I do feel like we will hear something in the near future.

[00:08:54]I don't think it's a good idea to have completely abandoned podcasting, right?

[00:08:57]That's how you built your career. That's how you built all this. Unless you're going to start doing movies or something or you're going to pivot completely.

[00:09:03]Like all comedians will tell you, having a podcast or having your own platform is how you sell tickets. I feel like even more musicians should start doing that, honestly. But anyways, thanks for tuning in. Let me know what you think. Like did Akash make the right move here? Did he handle this properly?

[00:09:16]Yeah, let me know in the comment section. Like, comment, subscribe. Let's keep the conversation going.