Key Takeaways

• In an NPR interview, Dave Chappelle said he resents Republicans incorporating his transgender jokes into their political messaging.
• He recalled a picture that he took with Rep. Lauren Boebert, who added a divisive caption on social media stating that there are “only two genders.”
• A separate feature with the Associated Press saw Chappelle considering a return to “Chappelle’s Show.”

In a new interview with NPR’s Michel Martin, Dave Chappelle said he resented Republicans for running on jokes about transgender people. “I felt like they were doing a weaponized version of what I was doing. That’s not what I was doing,” he explained. Additionally, he singled out Rep. Lauren Boebert over a Capitol Hill photo that they took together.

“I had already taken 40 pictures,” he recalled. “I didn’t want to say no in front of everybody, but I didn’t know the phrase, ‘I respectfully decline.’ So, I just took the picture. And then she posted the picture before I could even get from there to the show and says something to the effect of, ‘Just two people that know that it’s just two genders.’”

The A Star Is Born actor said that move instantly turned the moment political, and he said he addressed it onstage that same night. “I lit her a** up for doing that,” he made clear, “and she should never do that to a person like me.” Martin also asked if Donald Trump is funny, and Chappelle said there may be funny things about him in another context, but not when his actions carry real consequences.

Chappelle’s Netflix-backed standup special The Closer drew backlash in 2021 over jokes widely criticized as transphobic, leading to protests (including a Netflix walkout) and internal pushback at the streamer. In memos to staff, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos defended keeping The Closer on the platform, writing that the company did not believe the special crossed its line on content designed to incite hate or violence.

“We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that’s been caused,” added a Netflix spokesperson. “We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content.” Chappelle later spoke on the controversy in 2023’s The Dreamer.

Chappelle later responded by saying he was willing to speak with transgender staffers under certain conditions, but was not “bending to anyone’s demands.” The fallout reached his alma mater, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where student criticism complicated plans to rename the school’s theater in his honor. The Grammy and Emmy Award winner ultimately declined the recognition, and the venue was instead renamed the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.

Dave Chappelle is considering revisiting “Chappelle’s Show”

In a separate feature with the Associated Press, Chappelle revealed that he is now at least open to revisiting “Chappelle’s Show,” the landmark Comedy Central series he walked away from during production on its third season. “If you’d asked me that question a year ago, I’d have told you absolutely not,” he told the publication. “But in the last few weeks… I’m considering it.” The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recipient also noted that comedy has changed since the show’s original run, with digital platforms and a new generation of creators reshaping how jokes land and travel.