Dave Chappelle’s comments in his latest Netflix comedy special ‘The Closer‘ have some comedy fans urging the streaming giant to pull the set from its platform.
In the special, which debuted on Tuesday, the comedian shared his thoughts on racism and discrimination, sexuality as well as gender identity, while also comparing the struggle for black liberation to both the LGBTQ and feminist movements.
The comedian has shown support for ‘Harry Potter’ author J.K. Rowling, weighing in on the writer’s highly controversial comments about the transgender community.
The 48-year-old said he “agrees” that “gender is a fact”, lamenting how Rowling has been labelled a “Terf” (Trans-exclusionary radical feminist) for her views.
Rowling has attracted strong criticism for her statements about the concept of biological sex, self-identification among other things.
Also during his special, he weighed in on the never-ending controversy surrounding DaBaby and the LGBT community, “A lot of the LGBT community doesn’t know DaBaby’s history. He’s a wild guy. He once shot a man and killed him. In Walmart. Oh, this is true. Google it. Nothing bad happened to his career…You can shoot and kill a man, but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings!” he said.
This isn’t the first time that Chappelle has been in hot water over his trans jokes. In his 2019 special, ‘Equanimity‘, the comedian’s jokes about Caitlyn Jenner missed the mark for some fans, while his jokes about the trans community in his ‘Sticks and Stones‘ special the following year also evoked anger.
‘The Closer’, which is expected to be Chappelle’s last special, was released on Netflix on Tuesday 5 October.