Dave Chappelle says he ‘won’t be bending to anyone’s demands’ and slams Hannah Gadsby in trans row
Chappelle has been heavily criticised for his remarks about trans people in his latest Netflix special
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Dave Chappelle has responded to the backlash from his latest Netflix special, The Closer.
In the comedy special, Chappelle declares himself “team TERF” (which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist) and makes a number of jokes many have considered “transphobic”.
In a video posted to Instagram, Chappelle addressed the criticism and doubled down on his stance: “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 anyone’s demands.”
He went on to say: “And 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.”
The remark directed at Gadsby is a reply to the comedian’s recent criticism of Chappelle and Netflix for airing the special which she labelled “hate speech”.
In the video, Chappelle also thanks Netflix boss, Ted Sarandos, for his support: “Thank God for Ted Sarandos and Netflix, he’s the only one that didn’t cancel me yet.”
Sarandos’ support of Chappelle has brought much criticism from Netflix staff who staged a walkout from the company last week in protest.
The CEO later apologised for not considering the feelings of trans people: “I feel I should’ve made sure to recognise that a group of our employees was hurting very badly from the decision made, and I should’ve recognised upfront before going into a rationalization of anything the pain they were going through. I say that because I respect them deeply, and I love the contribution they have at Netflix. They were hurting, and I should’ve recognised that first.”
Chappelle’s special has also been criticised by other notable figures such as Dan Levy and Jill Soloway.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments