4 weeks ago
Headlining three shows this week astatine nan Hollywood Palladium, Dave Chappelle is continuing to downplay his history of anti-trans jokes.
The 5x Emmy-winning comedian precocious claimed nan media has gotten his “jokes wrong” and not allowed for nuance successful its sum of nan backlash to his erstwhile stand-up specials, urging viewers to let “a separator of error.”
“People would deliberation it’s maine versus nan cheery community. I ne'er looked astatine it for illustration that,” he explained connected nan IMO podcast pinch Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. “I ever thought it was firm liking and civilization negotiating itself. So, you know, astir of those group who were captious of what I was doing didn’t look for illustration they were of it. They had, it’s for illustration they had their faces pressed against nan glass, commenting connected what we were doing successful there, but they weren’t successful location doing it.”
Chappelle continued, “Every sentiment you tin deliberation of is represented successful a drama club. Every type of personification you tin ideate does stand-up comedy—transgender stand-up comics, Black, white, Asian, each benignant of perspective. And we each champion immoderate sentiment we champion. We would ne'er deliberation to soundlessness 1 another.”
The Chappelle’s Show alum explained that erstwhile performing successful a drama club, these kinds of differences are talked done pinch chap comedians aft nan set. But he claimed having his jokes published by media outlets took retired nan context.
“Nothing makes a comedian madder than reference his joke incorrect successful nan paper,” said Chappelle. “You know, and reference a joke is thing for illustration proceeding 1 aliases being one, and nan volition of a drama show is simply a very unsocial intention. We are playing pinch immoderate nan civilization is made of, and we break it down and we get it correct aliases we get it wrong. But successful each art, if it’s going to beryllium bully aliases moreover hopefully great, you gotta person a separator of error.”
Since inking a woody pinch Netflix successful 2016, Chappelle has released 8 stand-up specials via nan streamer, having since faced backlash for his trans jokes successful Sticks & Stones (2019), The Closer (2021), The Dreamer (2023) and The Unstoppable (2025).
Chappelle performs May 7-9 astatine nan Hollywood Palladium arsenic portion of Netflix Is a Joke Fest.
