Dave Chappelle refuses to bend to demands from a group of transgender Netflix employees.
The comedian’s representatives announced he would meet with the employees after refusing to meet with them for weeks.
Chappelle joked he will meet with the Netflix employees – if they admit lesbian comedienne Hannah Gadsby isn’t funny.
Hannah is a male-identified lesbian who criticized Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos after he defended Chappelle’s Netflix special, The Closer.
The controversial comic, who is currently on a 10-city comedy tour, shared a video to Instagram from his Nashville show, in which he addressed the Netflix employees directly.
“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 anybody’s demands,” the Emmy winner says in the five-minute Instagram clip. Comments on the post appear to have been turned off.
He added:
“And if you want to meet with me, I’d be 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.”
In the Instagram video, Chappelle said he was disinvited from film festivals following The Closer backlash.
“Thank God for Ted Sarandos and Netflix, he’s the only one that didn’t cancel me yet.”
According to a source who was at the Nashville show, Dave started his set with a “statement” to those he’d offended, jokingly pulling out a piece of paper and reading “F**k y’all, n**gas!” TMZ reported.
Chappelle will air a documentary, “Untitled,” during his tour stops in 10 cities, including Atlanta on Nov. 21.
