Dave Chappelle is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for his comedy series Chappelle's Show, which ran from 2003 until 2006. He is considered one of the most influential and popular comedians in the American comedy scene. He lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio with his wife and three children.
When he's not on tour or filming his latest comedy special, Chappelle has appeared in several different comedy and drama films, including "A Star Is Born," "The Nutty Professor," "Con Air," "Chi-Raq," "Dave Chappelle's Block Party," "Blue Streak" and "You've Got Mail." He has performed at some of the most famous comedy clubs in the United States, such as the Comedy Store in Los Angeles and Comedy Cellar in New York City.
In 2016, Chappelle signed a multi-year deal with Netflix that pays him at least $20 million for every special released on the streaming giant. As of 2022, he has performed seven stand-up specials. In recent years LGBTQ+ activists have attempted to boycott Chapelle's shows and lobby Netflix to remove his content due to jokes about transgender people. The comedian faced the most backlash after the 2021 release of "The Closer," in which he stated, "gender is a fact" and defended "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling. Recently, a Minneapolis venue canceled his appearance hours before he was due on stage after facing backlash from progressive activists on social media.
Employees for Netflix have also condemned Chappelle's comments on the transgender community and staged a walkout at the company's headquarters in Los Angeles. Another employee reportedly leaked confidential information regarding how much the streaming service paid Chappelle for the special. Netflix responded by terminating the employee who allegedly leaked the information and released a statement reaffirming their support for Chappelle despite his controversial opinions. Moreover, the company's CEO told news outlets at the time said Chapelle was the "comedian of our generation."
