By: Katina Rice-Davis,Staff Writer | katina@thewoodrufftimes.com
With fearless storytelling and unmistakable Southern flavor, Khristle Floyd-Hughes, better known by her stage name “Gigi LeFlair,” has quickly become a standout voice in stand-up comedy nationwide. Gigi LeFlair doesn’t just tell jokes. She tells stories, stories rooted in red dirt roads, flea markets at sunrise, boiled peanuts, and the kind of Southern upbringing that doesn’t always make it into history books. Through comedy, she has found a way to honor her roots while carving out a national platform that continues to grow.
Gigi LeFlair describes herself as an entertainer who highlights “beautiful, rich Southern culture through the lens of a Black Millennial,” using laughter as the vehicle. Long before comedy became her career, humor was her shield.
“I’ve always been a character, a class clown to say the least,” she said. “Comedy kept me from getting bullied.” Born with cerebral palsy, LeFlair stood out as a child and was often targeted. Wearing a leg brace similar to the one made famous by Forrest Gump, she learned early that she had to protect herself in other ways.
“I realized at a young age, ‘Be funny, be a fighter, or be food,’” she said. “I wasn’t a fighter, and my mama doesn’t like for us to get unnecessarily dirty, so, funny it is.” That instinct carried her through childhood and eventually into a professional comedy career, which officially began in 2021.
While comedians once relied heavily on clubs and word of mouth, social media played a pivotal role in LeFlair’s rise. Platforms allowed her to find her audience—her “tribe”—without ever leaving home.
“Social media has allowed me to be visible in ways that weren’t possible years before,” she explained. “It gave me the opportunity to send my skits directly to the consumers.” The turning point came unexpectedly, when a celebrity headliner recognized her in the audience at a comedy show.
“That was my sign to keep going,” she said.
Since then, LeFlair has gone from posting skits online to sharing stages with some of the biggest names in comedy. She has performed alongside Karlous Miller, Luenell, Bruce Bruce, DC YoungFly, Tony Baker, KevOnStage, Shucky Ducky, Melanie Comarcho, Lewis Belt, and more. Her resume even includes sharing the stage with rapper and entertainer T.I. She has taken her comedy as far as California, her farthest tour destination to date.
“To grow up watching shows like Def Comedy Jam and Wild ’N Out and then share the stage with those same people is surreal,” LeFlair said. “I’m from Woodruff. I never would’ve dreamed in a million years this would be possible.” Despite the bright lights and packed venues, LeFlair is quick to credit the small rooms for shaping her as a comedian. “The bones are earned on the small stages,” she said. “Those rooms where you can see every single face, that’s where character is built. You want to know fear? Try making three to five strangers laugh when you can see every facial expression.”
What keeps audiences connected to her comedy is relatability. LeFlair pulls heavily from her upbringing in the rural South, weekends with her grandparents, trips to the jockey lot (flea market), fish fries in the woods, RC Cola and Cheerwine, and card parties where she was the designated “go fetch” kid. “It’s culture,” she said. “People want to feel seen. I tell jokes for the country kid who has a grandma with a two-part name like Dorothy Jean.”
As her platform grows, staying true to herself remains non-negotiable. “Trends come and go,” she said. “But you can’t lose when you be yourself. Being you is the only job nobody else can do better than you; that’s what my grandparents always told me.” Behind the scenes, however, the journey hasn’t been without challenges. Balancing motherhood, marriage, and a demanding career weighs heavily on her.
There’s guilt on both sides,” she admitted. “Chasing my dreams means time away from home. But I want my children to see that what’s in your head can be real if you want it bad enough.” She credits her husband, Nick, and her village for making it possible.
“I truly don’t know where I’d be without them,” she said. “I’m a Woodruff Floyd—I was raised to be built Floyd tough.”
Representing her hometown and small Southern communities is central to her mission. LeFlair proudly announces where she’s from in every room she enters. “Being from a small town is what most of the South is made of,” she said. “We get to be just as proud as people from big cities. Nothing can be finer than being from South Carolina in my eyes.” Looking ahead, LeFlair shows no signs of slowing down. She is preparing for her third tour in 2026 and has her sights set on short films, collaborations with fellow creators, and brand partnerships. “If you want something, you’ve got to tell God what you want,” she said. “Then you prepare yourself for when it comes.” At the heart of it all is her desire to give people a break from life’s weight, even if only for a couple of hours.
“Leave it at the door,” she said. “No bills, no kids, no issues. Let’s just have a good time together like I’m your favorite cousin on your mama’s side.”
For Gigi LeFlair, comedy is more than laughter. It’s culture, healing, pride, and proof that even the smallest towns can produce voices big enough to be heard everywhere.
Author: Katina Davis
