Comedian accused of 'breaking rules' after her seriously unexpected response to being heckled by man goes viral

US comedian Natalie Cuomo has hit global headlines in recent days for her passionate response to a heckler attending one of her shows.

And now, she's been accused by another critic of 'breaking the rules' after doing so.

Why did Natalie Cuomo go viral?

For those out of the loop, Cuomo is a 30-year-old New York-born comedian, who last weekend closed her latest tour in Washington D.C.

There, however, she encountered her most brutal heckler.

In a 3 Feb TikTok, which has since gone viral online, the comic could be seen having some fun with a 'little man' in the audience, who seemingly had a lot to say about her performance.

The criticism came as Cuomo joked that the man in question was in a relationship with the friend he'd brought along to the gig.

"It's not my fault that you don't have material," he yelled from his seat.

"I can roast you too, you can't roast all of us and get nothing."

Initially, the funny-woman was able to shrug off the remark, asking whether the audience member was offended that he was being called gay.

After he replied by warning her he could always take the mic away from her, Cuomo became enraged - crouching down to his level, she then shouted in his face: "There's so many people coming together to be supportive and you’re putting negative - No, look me in the eyes!

"You’re putting negative f***ing energy out there!"

She went on to yell: "This is the last show of my f***ing weekend, look me in the f***ing eyes!

"It’s a sold out show and you want to say mean s*** to me? Don’t f***ing do that!"

After standing back up and composing herself, she told the man: "You can leave."

The drama didn't end there, however, and later on during the show, she noticed the man's friend - who was still sitting in his seat - texting him.

Grabbing the phone, she read the text that the now-expelled man had since written: "Lol what a f***ing clown. I did warn you I would get kicked out. Man, she is sensitive, especially for a comedian."

In response to the text, she took a selfie on the friend's phone whilst holding up a middle finger, and sent it straight to the man.

The internet remains divided

Whilst some people think the comic's response to the heckler is pretty iconic, not everyone agrees - including one social media using critic, who accused Cuomo of blowing the moment out of proportion.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), they wrote on Wednesday (5 Feb): "You broke the rules of a heckler and comedian and than turned it into a full on attack.

"You are massively out of line and owe that person an apology and maybe even compensation."

After they then faced a wave of responses defending the comedian, they went on to write of the expelled man: "There was no disrespect at all.

"She opened the door and created a voluntary situation. She invited him into her space and when you engaged with people they can respond how they want.

"This is completely on her and she is in the wrong."

As we say, others are divided by the viral moment.

In the comments of the original TikTok video, one also hit out: "Comedians that can’t take a joke is actually so cringe."

Another confessed: "Half of me loves this. The other half notices that other comedians use their quick wit and demolish hecklers with jokes. Not yelling at them."

"She rocks!" a third gushed, however.

"If you're that much of a fragile man why go to a comedy show full knowing you might get roasted.

"What a drop kick."