Stress Factory New Brunswick Hello all,

As most of you know by now on Monday night Pete Davidson was scheduled to appear at The Stress Factory Comedy Club in Bridgeport. While Pete was prepared to go on I made an announcement on stage advising the audience to refrain from using cell phones, yelling out and specifically yelling out anything about Arianna Grande or Kate Beckinsale. I cleared this comment immediately before going on stage with Pete’s security team and made the announcement without any attempt to be funny or insincere. It was explained to me that Pete did not want any comments from the audience regarding his personal life and my announcement was meant to provide Pete with the best possible environment to perform in while also informing the audience what was expected of them. There was no malice in my intent nor was there any attempt at humor in the announcement.

Unfortunately, this upset Pete and he chose not to perform. Pete believed that I did something to embarrass him. At no time did Pete and I speak directly about his expectations and it is my sincere belief that this is what led to the problem. I spoke to a member of his team and the information I needed was miscommunicated. I stand by that because I know it is true.

I have always respected and liked Pete. I would never intentionally harm him or any other comic and for that matter I would not disparage Arianna Grande or Kate Beckinsale. I treat comics with the utmost respect and would never intentionally embarrass them in any way. Over the years we have always tried to provide an atmosphere of love and respect for our comics and audience. We vigilantly try to strike the balance between artist and audience while trying to protect the comic’s artistic expression from cell phone recordings and hecklers all while being respectful and courteous.

We would have never gone public with this incident but after an Instagram post, I needed to address it. I have relayed to everyone that I have spoken with that I like and admire Pete and while I’m saddened and hurt and our business is hurt I don’t harbor any ill will toward Pete. I have reached out to Pete’s team several times to try to bring this to a better conclusion. Pete I am truly sorry that announcement upset you. I was trying to make certain you were cared for and that you enjoyed your performance. I’d love to put this behind us. You know we have a good long history prior to this. Hopefully you’ll think about that and we can do that show you promised where it was intended to be in the first place. If not, I will always still wish the best for you and will root for your continued success.

To those that have shown support, thank you. I would ask politely that you refrain from saying anything negative about Pete on social media. It isn’t productive or positive and while I know your intent is to support us we ask that you do so positively. Things happen. Let’s get past them together. To our customers in Bridgeport please know that we have processed the refunds and we are sending you all a free ticket for another night on us. We have poured our heart and souls into our clubs. Bridgeport is a new project in a town that is rich in culture and beauty and we are proud to be there. We remain committed to being a small part of an ever improving city for a long time and we appreciate your support.

Sincerely, Vinnie and Vicki Brand