Comedian Dave Chappelle said he is not backing down in the face of backlash over jokes he made in his new Netflix special concerning the transgender community.
“I say what I said, and, boy, I heard what you said. Oh my God. How could I not?” Chappelle said in an Instagram video of him speaking to a crowd from a stage. “For the record, and I need you to know this, everyone I know from that community has been nothing but loving and supportive. So I don’t know what this nonsense is about.”
“They 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 added.
BLACK TRANSGENDER COMEDIAN DEFENDS DAVE CHAPPELLE’S JOKES: ‘NO TOPIC IS OFF LIMITS’
Chappelle’s latest comedy special, The Closer, has not only sparked social media criticism but also prompted heated protests at Netflix’s Los Angeles headquarters.
Chappelle denied claims that he is refusing to meet with members of the LGBTQ community to discuss the controversy.
“If they had invited me, I would have accepted it, although I’m confused about what we’re speaking about. … To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me,” Chappelle said. “I am not bending to anybody’s demands.”
“If you want to meet with me, I’d be more than willing to, but I have some conditions,” he continued.
Chappelle said anyone he would be willing to meet with would need to have watched his special from beginning to end and be willing to meet at a place and time of his choosing.
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“I want everyone in this audience to know that even though the media frames it that it’s me vs. that community that it’s not what it is. Do not blame the LBGTQ community for any of this s***. This has nothing to do with them. It’s about corporate interest and what I can say and what I cannot say,” he explained.
Chappelle also promoted his documentary film Untitled that will be shown in 10 U.S. cities through November and will also include a live performance by Chappelle.
