Jocelyn Chia

Jocelyn Chia (born ) is an American stand-up comedian. She was formerly a lawyer before becoming a comedian in 2013.

Early life and education Chia was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She spent her childhood in Singapore, the birthplace of her parents. She studied in St Nicholas Girls' School and National Junior College in Singapore. She then returned to the United States to earn her college degree at Georgetown University.

In 2016, she won the Ladies of Laughter competition, and was also a finalist at the 2017 New York's Funniest. and made her Comedy Central debut in 2018. The clip drew criticism from some Malaysians, who deemed it "crude" or "insulting". Malaysian comedian Jason Leong supported Chia's routine, earning rebuke from some, while Harith Iskander urged caution to fellow comedians that their content could easily be taken out of context. Singaporean entertainer Kumar criticised Chia. The Singaporean ambassador to Malaysia apologised on her behalf. Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore's Foreign Minister, condemned Chia's jokes.

Chia responded that the clips had lacked the necessary context, with the segment being condensed into a short clip for social media, and that it was performed at the comedy club for more than a year and half without issues. A few days later, the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) stated that they would be making an application with Interpol to seek for Chia's full identity and whereabouts, without providing further details. During her interview with the BBC, Chia added that Malaysia's reactions to her jokes as being "ridiculous" and that it's only making her more famous.

Personal life Chia is American. She previously held Singaporean citizenship by descent but had to renounce it in adulthood as Singaporean nationality law does not permit multiple citizenships.