Dave Chappelle On Netflix: His Controversial Special, The Backlash, & His Future On The Streamer

Dave Chappelle is nary alien to controversy. Since becoming celebrated successful the aboriginal 2000s, the comic has delighted successful pushing the envelope. Celebrities, race, drugs — determination is fundamentally nary taxable Dave considers off-limits… and due to the fact that of that, he’s earned his just stock of haters and critics.

None of Dave’s jokes person been arsenic beardown taste lightning rod arsenic his bits astir transgender people. As the trans assemblage has go much visible, the Emmy winner’s absorption connected them has sharpened arsenic well. He’s made countless digs astatine trans radical connected signifier and successful his specials, mostly claiming it’s each successful bully fun.

Dave Chappelle during the 2018 Grammys. (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP/Shutterstock)

But beyond punchlines, the prima has refused to enactment trans people, declaring, “gender is simply a fact” and calling himself a “TERF” successful his 2021 peculiar The Closer. In response, trans activists and LGBTQ rights organizations person threatened walk-outs and boycotts for anyone moving with Chappelle.

The contented was thrust into the spotlight again successful precocious 2022, aft Saturday Night Live writers reportedly threatened to boycott Dave’s Nov. 12 occurrence of the sketch show, according to Page Six. His campy denied determination were immoderate issues, telling TMZ they’d heard thing of the sort.

Whether you’re a Dave devotee oregon a committed critic, it seems everyone has a take. Ahead of his SNL hosting gig, we’re looking backmost astatine each the controversies that pb up to this point.

Dave’s Special ‘Sticks & Stones’

Dave’s 2019 peculiar Sticks & Stones was his 5th collaboration with Netflix. The peculiar covers a scope of topics, including personage scandals, the 2nd amendment, and the LGBTQ community, peculiarly trans people.

While helium was criticized for picking connected the trans community, radical besides cringed astatine jokes defending Dave’s person and accused creep Louis C.K. There were besides riffs astir Michael Jackson‘s kid maltreatment allegations, and astir convicted enactment offender R. Kelly, who is presently serving a 30-year situation sentence.

The captious reception was mixed, with Rotten Tomatoes ranking the peculiar astatine 35%. Still, Sticks & Stones earned the comic his 3rd consecutive Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album arsenic good arsenic his 3rd and 4th Primetime Emmys.

‘The Closer’ Special & Transphobic Remarks

While the backlash against Sticks & Stones was tepid, Dave doubled down connected his opinions regarding trans radical successful his adjacent Netflix special, 2021’s The Closer. Much of his 75-minute-long musing mocked trans people.

In The Closer, Dave claims helium was “tricked” into calling a trans pistillate charismatic and likens trans women to achromatic radical wearing blackface. He besides voiced his enactment for Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling, proudly calling himself “Team TERF” and stating, “gender is simply a fact.”

In the special, Dave denies having immoderate “problem” with trans radical but says helium is making a larger constituent astir achromatic privilege. “Gay radical are minorities until they request to beryllium achromatic again,” helium tries to explain.

The effect from LGBTQ organizations was loud. GLAAD rallied for a Netflix boycott, noting (in a connection to Deadline) however the level “has a argumentation that contented ‘designed to incite hatred oregon violence’ is not allowed connected the platform, but we each cognize that anti-LGBTQ contented does precisely that.”

In response, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos defended Dave’s jokes arsenic edgy. In an email to employees, shared connected The Verge, helium wrote, “Some radical find the creation of stand-up to beryllium mean-spirited but our members bask it, and it’s an important portion of our contented offering.”

The contention flared up again successful Nov. 2022 up of Dave’s 3rd SNL hosting gig. The writers’ country was reportedly acceptable to boycott the episode, with an insider telling Page Six, “They’re not going to bash the show, But nary of the actors are boycotting.” Elsewhere, reports of immoderate struggle were dismissed with Chappelle insiders telling TMZ helium and the writers were good into their productive 3rd time of meetings.

His Future With Netflix

Dave’s narration with Netflix doesn’t look to beryllium successful immoderate danger. The streamer teamed up with Chappelle successful 2022 to nutrient a quartet of specials called Chappelle’s Home Team, featuring 4 of the comic’s ain favourite acts, according to Indiewire.

While the details of the woody weren’t reported, it was astir apt a bully payday from the star. His erstwhile six specials were portion of a $20-million-per-release comedy-special deal, which began successful 2016.