DAVE CHAPPELLE RESPONDS TO BACKLASH RECEIVED FROM HIS NETFLIX SPECIAL

Dave Chappelle finally responds to the backlash he received for his Netflix stand up special ‘The closer’, he spoke for the first time since his comments in the special brought out a lot of backlash with the LGBTQ community, when he made a statement saying “gender is a fact”.

Dave posted a video on Instagram saying that he was willing to discuss his show with members of the transgender community but added that he is “not bending to anybody’s demands, If they had invited me I would have accepted it, although I am confused about what we are 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. Well, it seems like I’m the only one that can’t go to the office anymore.” he continued.”

He further addressed the issue at the Hollywood Bowl Thursday in front of a cheering crowd that included Brad Pitt, Tiffany Haddish, and Donnell Rawlings. He went on to talk about his new documentary which was shot over the course of last summer, the film premiered earlier this year but he is now questioning the future of the documentary after the backlash his Netflix special received, he further said that the film was invited to major film festival but it has since been disinvited ever since the controversy started and now no film company or studio wants to touch the film. He applauded Netflix CEO Sarandos for his loyalty and support saying he is the only one who has not cancelled him.

In closing Chappelle told the transgender community that he is more than willing to give them an audience but he refuses to be summoned because he is not willing to bend to anybody’s demands. “If you want to meet with me, I am 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,” Dave said.

Calls for him to be cancelled have intensified but his celebrity friends and many others have stuck by his side and shown the comedian their support, many feel that if comedy is diluted it will begin to lose its core essence and in turn become boring, artists will now be afraid to put out material due to the sensitive nature of the audience and fear of being cancelled.