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Dave Chappelle Addresses Controversy Over Netflix Special In New Standup Video, Says He’ll Meet With Trans Community

October 25, 2021 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
Dave Chappelle The Closer Netflix Image Credit: Mathieu Bitton/Netflix

Dave Chappelle is willing to meet with transgender community members over his controversial Netflix special but won’t be “bending to anybody’s demands.” As has been reported, Chappelle’s Netflix special “The Closer” has been met with anger by the trans community for comments he made in which he said he’s “Team TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) and told anecdotes about hitting a trans woman while also telling a story about how he became friends with a trans comedian, who died by suicide after outrage over her defense of Chappelle over previous jokes accused of being transphobic.

In a new video of Chappelle performing stand-up, the comedian said that “I said what I said” in the special. He noted (per Variety):

“It’s been said in the press that I was invited to speak to the transgender employees of Netflix and I refused. That is not true — if they had invited me I would have accepted it, although I am confused about what we would be speaking about. I said what I said, and boy, I heard what you said. My God, how could I not? You said you want a safe working environment at Netflix. It seems like I’m the only one that can’t go to the office anymore.”

Chappelle asked those in the audience not to blame the LGBTQ community, saying,

“I want everyone in this audience to know that even though the media frames it that it’s me versus that community, that is not what it is. Do not blame the LBGTQ [sic] community for any of this shit. This has nothing to do with them. It’s about corporate interests and what I can say and what I cannot say. For the record, and I need you to know this, everyone I know from that community has been loving and supporting, so I don’t know what all this nonsense is about.”

Chappelle thanked Netflix and the company’s co-CEO Ted Serandos for backing him, noting that his upcoming documentary about his 2020 comedy tour has been excluded from film festivals in the wake of the controversy and that “today, not a film company, not a movie studio, not a film festival, nobody will touch this film. Thank God for Ted Sarandos and Netflix, he’s the only one that didn’t cancel me yet.”

Chappelle noted that he is willing to meet with members of the trans community, taking a humorous tone on it and saying that among his conditions was “admit[ting]” that Hannah Gadsby, who has called Chappelle out over the special, “is not funny”:

“To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me. I am not bending to anybody’s demands. And if you want to meet with me, I’d be more than willing to, but I have some conditions. First of all, you cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end. You must come to a place of my choosing at a time of my choosing, and thirdly, you must admit that Hannah Gadsby is not funny.”

The special led to a walkout from many of Netflix’s trans employees and allies in protest. Ashlee Marie Preston, who organized the walkout, said that Chapelle was invited to speak to the organizers but refused the opportunity.

You can see the full video below:

article topics :

Dave Chappelle, Netflix, Jeremy Thomas