Dave Chappelle Says He's Willing to Talk with Netflix's Trans Employees, But Says He's 'Not Bending to Anybody's Demands'
Dave Chappelle is speaking out about the controversy surrounding his latest comedy special.
Early this month, the comedian faced backlash for the transphobic comments he made during his new special, The Closer.
Variety writes that he addressed the controversy over his comments in a new stand-up video, where he said that while he’s willing to meet with transgender Netflix employees, he won’t bend “to anybody’s demands.”
Click inside to find out what else he said…
“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,” he said in the video. “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.”
He went on to say that the controversy was about “corporate interests,” adding that some members of the LGBTQ+ community have been supportive of him.
“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 s–t. This has nothing to do with them. It’s about corporate interests and what I can say and what I cannot say,” he said. “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.”
Dave also discussed his upcoming documentary, which centers on his summer 2020 comedy tour, claiming that it had been excluded from film festivals in the wake of the backlash.
“This film that I made was invited to every film festival in the United States and some of those invitations I accepted. When this controversy came out about The Closer, they began disinviting me from these film festivals,” he said. “And now, 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.”
“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,” he continued. “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.”
Hannah, who previously worked with Netflix for her special Nanette, called out Ted Sarandos in an Instagram post last week.
Dave concluded his video by saying he plans to make his film available in 10 cities and asked the audience, “Am I canceled or not?”
An unnamed Netflix employee was fired earlier this month after leaking information about how much the streamer paid for Dave‘s special. Find out how much they paid…