A series of venue decisions followed sexual-assault allegations against comedians Jay Rich, the stage name of Justin Richardson, and Dauood Naimyar. Some shows were canceled, while another scheduled appearance remained on the calendar at the time of the San Francisco Chronicle’s report. Both men deny the allegations.
A patchwork of venue responses
On Oct. 3, the Comedy Underground said it had ended promotion and future bookings with the performers in question and was reviewing its production and reporting processes. The Deaf Puppy Club in Manteca canceled the second night of a Richardson show that day. The Comedy Bar in Chicago canceled Naimyar’s Oct. 2 and 3 performances, the Laugh Factory in San Diego canceled his Oct. 23 show, and Astronaut City barred him from its Arcadia club, the Chronicle reported.
The response was not uniform. Richardson had hosted a show at Tommy T’s Comedy Club in Pleasanton on Oct. 22 and was scheduled to perform at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre in November, according to the Chronicle. The cancellations and policy review describe decisions by particular venues; they do not establish the truth of either allegation.
The allegations and denials
Chelsea Bearce, 45, told the Chronicle that Richardson sexually assaulted her after inviting her to an Oakland bar in March 2018. Richardson denied wrongdoing and said the allegation was false. Bearce said she planned to file a report with Oakland police; the Chronicle reported that neither woman had reported her alleged assault to police or sued the men at the time of publication.
A Sacramento woman, whose name the Chronicle withheld, said Naimyar raped her twice when she was a teenager, more than 15 years ago. She said they met through mutual friends while she attended high school in San Ramon. Naimyar denied the allegations, telling the Chronicle their interactions were mutual and consensual. The paper reported that the two accusers do not know each other and did not coordinate their accounts.
Richardson’s contest win brought added attention to the timing: performing as Jay Rich, he won the 50th annual San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition and its $7,500 prize in the same stretch of weeks. Bearce had also competed, placing third in 2021 and reaching the semifinals this year, the Chronicle reported.
A limited comparison, and unresolved legal questions
Venue cancellations are not unique to this episode, but comparisons require care. The Los Angeles Times reported that a separate Chris D’Elia appearance scheduled for Jan. 11 at Hollywood Improv was canceled; the club’s booker attributed that cancellation to a scheduling conflict. That account documents a cancellation, not a response to allegations, and does not show a broader industry pattern.
The allegations described in the Chronicle report date to 2010 and 2018, but the available facts here do not establish what legal time limits apply or whether any claim is timely. California Courts cautions that statutes of limitations are fact-specific and can be difficult to calculate; that general guidance does not resolve criminal or civil deadlines, including how rules may differ when a person was a minor.
