Chappelle’s Show is back on Netflix and this time, Dave Chappelle is totally okay with that. As of February 12th, all three seasons of Chappelle’s iconic Comedy Central series are streaming on the platform. Chappelle talked about its removal and return in a video posted on his Instagram page.
“A few weeks ago I put a special out called Unforgiven,” Chappelle said, “I told people what my beef was with Comedy Central.” He continued:
I demanded that the network pay me, and many of my peers laughed at me because that’s a ridiculous thing to demand. They said, ‘Well you signed the contract so what are you mad about?’ Here’s the thing, I’m very good at minding my own business, and the trick to minding your own business is knowing what’s your business.
Chappelle thanked Netflix’s Ted Sarandos, whom the comedian said “had the courage to take my show off its platform to the financial detriment of his company, just because I asked.”
“And I want to thank Chris McCarthy of CBS/Viacom,” he said, “who has an interest in making the past right. And finally, after all these years, I can finally say to Comedy Central, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”
So yeah, it was a bit of a low-key victory lap. In the same video, Chappelle also talked about the January 6, 2021 riots at the Capitol, saying, “White people felt what Black people have been feeling for 400 years for 30 minutes, and they stormed the Capitol and rubbed their shit on the walls.”
Chappelle discussed catching the coronavirus as well. He stated that he kept doing shows because he couldn’t wait till 2022 to work again. And he noticed the criticism he received once the news came out that he had caught the virus.
“When I said I had the coronavirus, the overwhelming majority of people wished me well,” he said, “But there was a faction of people, the cowards, who said, ‘You see that, Dave Chappelle? That’s why we stay inside where it’s safe, and we never try anything.’ Well, enjoy yourselves motherfuckers, because I’m better now.”
You can watch his new clip, Redemption Song, above, or go here. All three seasons of Chappelle’s Show are now available here.
