This study aims to investigate the impact of affiliative leader humor on team deviant behavior based on the theory of affective events, incorporating insights from prior empirical research. Specifically, the study examines the mediating role of workgroup positive affective tone and the moderating effect of aggressive leader humor. Various analyses were conducted on valid questionnaire data from 671 employees of 101 teams, including tests for common method bias, confirmatory factor analysis, regression analysis, and moderated mediation analysis, to validate the research hypotheses. Affiliative leader humor is significantly and positively influenced on workgroup positive affective tone; Workgroup positive affective tone is significantly and negatively influenced on team deviant behavior; Workgroup positive affective tone mediates the negative impact of affiliative leader humor on team deviant behavior. Aggressive leader humor positively moderates the relationship between affiliative leader humor and workgroup positive affective tone, as well as positively moderates the mediating effect of workgroup positive affective tone. This implies that as aggressive leader humor increases, the relationship between affiliative leader humor and workgroup positive affective tone strengthened, and the mediating effect of workgroup positive affective tone strengthens. Affiliative leader humor negatively influences team deviant behavior by positively affecting workgroup positive affective tone. The strength of this mediating mechanism is strengthened as aggressive leader humor increases.