SINGAPORE, May 21 -- In 2023, a Singapore-raised US comedian found herself at the centre of an international storm over a controversial joke about the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Jocelyn Chia, once a lawyer and now a stand-up comic known for her high-energy, bold routines, was branded "comedy's bad girl" by Fox News and made headlines worldwide, including in The New York Times, CNN and the BBC.

The incident began when Comedy Cellar, a famous New York comedy club, posted an 89-second clip of Chia's April 7, 2023, set to TikTok and Instagram on June 5. The clip included a joke referencing the mysterious 2014 disappearance of MH370.

Although the joke was part of a routine she had performed for over a year, playing on the nua...