Dave Chappelle Addresses “The Closer” Backlash During Nashville, TN Show

After weeks of silence since the release of his final Netflix comedy special entitled The Closer, Dave Chappelle finally addressed the controversy surrounding his transgender jokes from special during a special stand-up comedy show Sunday night.

Chappelle told the audience he would meet with the transgender community at Netflix, but he would not be removing any material from his latest special.

A five-minute clip of his remarks during a comedy show in Nashville was posted to his Instagram page on Monday. 

“I said what I said, and boy, I heard what you said. My God, how could I not?” Mr. Chappelle said. “I want everyone in this audience to know that even though the media frames it that it’s me versus that community, it is not what it is.” 

Last Wednesday, a group of protesters that included employees gathered outside of Netflix’s Los Angeles office to express their anger over the show and the streaming giant’s response to criticism. 

Even with major backlash from the LGBTQ community, Dave said he has received some support since the special aired. 

“For the record, and I need you to know this, everyone I know from that community has been nothing but loving and supporting. So I don’t know what all this nonsense is about,” he said.

Netflix Co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos, who continued to support the special’s airing, said he “screwed up” in his communications with staff over the controversy, and his remarks about content on screen not translating to real-world harm was an oversimplification and lacking in humanity. He said he stood by the decision to keep “The Closer” on Netflix, citing a commitment to creative freedom. 

Chappelle said the controversy around the special led film festivals and studios to withdraw support of an untitled documentary centered on outdoor shows he performed in the summer of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. He said the documentary will be available to view at screenings in 10 cities next month, including New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Minneapolis and Cleveland.