The right way to prevent your error would be a `cur.nodeType === 1` guard at https://github.com/jquery/jquery/blob/99d735ab4662f45c3b65ea1200fa0d3e2b671111/src/event.js#L435, mirroring the one in [`closest`](https://github.com/jquery/jquery/blob/99d735ab4662f45c3b65ea1200fa0d3e2b671111/src/traversing.js#L78) that I mentioned earlier.

But @dmethvin is right, and note that the [`jQuery.event.fix`](https://github.com/jquery/jquery/blob/99d735ab4662f45c3b65ea1200fa0d3e2b671111/src/event.js#L533) code he mentioned actually _breaks_ what you're trying to do here when the removed node is text: http://jsfiddle.net/L8W7H/1/