Dave Chappelle wasted no time sparking controversy during his recent performance at a comedy festival.
The comedian made a remark suggesting it might be easier to speak freely elsewhere than in the U.S., a statement that immediately sparked debate and raised questions. With the Riyadh Comedy Festival still underway, Chappelle’s unexpected take has everyone wondering what he meant — and what he’ll say next.
According to The New York Times, Chappelle believes it’s less complicated to speak in Saudi Arabia, which shocked some fans due to the country’s human rights violations.
Chappelle addressed the controversy surrounding the recent passing of a prominent right-wing activist, a topic that fellow comedian Jimmy Kimmel had referenced during his September 15 monologue. Kimmel faced a brief suspension from ABC after joking about the activist and Donald Trump, and Chappelle used the moment to comment on the culture of “canceling” in the wake of such remarks.
“Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, you’ll get canceled,” said Chappelle. “I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m gonna find out.”
“It’s easier to talk here than it is in America,” the 52-year-old joked, adding, “They’re going to do something to me so that I can’t say what I want to say.”
The host of “The Chappelle Show” was one of 50 comedians performing at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, and the performers were criticized for agreeing to perform in the show. Human Rights Watch wrote a statement on Sept. 19 asking the comedians to use their platform to call for the release of Waleed Abu al-Khair, a human rights defender serving 15 years for activism.
The talent was also encouraged to bring up the disappearance of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who went missing after entering a consulate in Turkey back in 2018 and was never seen again, following his criticism of the government, according to the BBC.
Fans had some spicy opinions on social media after hearing Chappelle’s comments about the country’s freedom of speech.
“Be CAREFUL Dave….be very, very careful,” replied one user. “Depends on what you talk about, Dave. Try bringing up women’s rights, for example,” added another.
“He should start making jokes about Khashoggi and let’s see how long he keeps that opinion,” noted another fan. Yet another laughed, “hahhahahahaa.”
Chappelle has faced controversy before over other controversial jokes about diverse communities in his 2021 Netflix special, “The Closer.”
During the backlash, Chappelle’s live show in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the First Avenue venue was canceled at the last minute, and local organizers apologized to the community for booking him. The “Half Baked” star was forced to perform his show at another venue.
Other folks on social media thought Chappelle’s comment at the comedy fest was merely a joke.
One fan wrote, “Wait, was that the joke, maybe?”
Chappelle has been critical of the gray area between comedy and politics for quite a few years. He believes the climate of what’s considered crossing the line changed after Trump’s 2016 presidential win.
Four days after Trump’s first win, the “Bluestreak” actor hosted “Saturday Night Live,” where he said, “America’s done it. We’ve actually elected an internet troll as our president,” during his monologue.
He was offered the opportunity to work with “SNL” creator and producer Lorne Michaels to host another post-election show that he ended up not taking. Instead, fellow comedian Bill Burr took his place.
Chappelle returned to kick off “SNL” Season 50 in January with a record-breaking 17-minute monologue just two days before the Republican took office, one fans are still talking about today.
