Dave Chapelle may have pulled a fast one over staff at “Saturday Night Live” after reports say the comedian performed an alternative monologue during dress rehearsal. The news comes amid reports there was a strained relationship between “The Closer” star and several “SNL” writers.
According to Page Six, a source told the outlet that “Dave does a fake monologue during the dress rehearsal because he doesn’t want [‘SNL’ creator] Lorne Michaels, or anyone else, to know what his real monologue is.”
Tensions were already high after several staff writers of the show threatened to boycott the longstanding comedy skit series after Chapelle was announced as the guest host for the Nov. 12 episode. The 49-year-old star found himself in a storm of controversy following transphobic and homophobic comments he made about members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The insider also told reporters that Chappelle’s joke about an objecting writer during the rehearsal “caused tensions to flare.” The veteran funnyman would later switch up his monologue for the actual NBC live show.
As previously reported, the “8:46” star performed a 15-minute monologue addressing Kanye West’s rant about the Jewish community. The Grammy Award-winning rapper lost several critical partnerships, including Balenciaga and Adidas, that tanked his billionaire status after threatening to go “Death-con 3” on Jewish people and other anti-Semitic remarks.
After denouncing “anti-Semitism in all its forms,” Chappelle joked, “And that, Kanye, is how you buy yourself some time.” He went on to address the “Donda” emcee’s antics, stating that Kanye, who legally changed his name to Ye, had seemingly broken “the show business rules,” which are “the rules of perception.”
“If they’re Black, then it’s a gang. If they’re Italian, it’s a mob,” he said. “But if they’re Jewish, it’s a coincidence, and you should never speak about it.” Chappelle quipped, “Kanye got in so much trouble, Kyrie got in trouble,” referencing the NBA star suspended by the Brooklyn Nets after sharing a link to an anti-Semitic film on social media.
The performance divided viewers, who later took to social media to voice their opinion. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt criticized the NBC network, accusing the iconic show of “popularizing anti-Semitism.” “We shouldn’t expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society’s moral compass, but disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalize but popularize #antisemitism.”
He added, “Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?”
