Netflix has removed sketch comedy series Chappelle’s Show from its programming at the request of Dave Chappelle himself.
In a video posted to Instagram, Chappelle opened up about his decision to ask Netflix to remove the show.
Having originally aired on the US’ Comedy Central channel from 2003 to 2006, Chappelle signed a contract with the distributor ViacomCBS to allow Chappelle’s Show to stream without additional payment.
“[ViacomCBS] didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract,” Chappelle said.
“But is that right? I found out that these people were streaming my work and they never had to ask me or they never have to tell me. Perfectly legal because I signed the contract. But is that right? I didn’t think so either… that’s why I like working with Netflix.”
Chappelle has been working with Netflix since 2016 and has had several comedy specials premiere on the service.
He went on to explain that although he was “furious” when he found out Netflix was streaming the show, they agreed to remove it from the platform so he would “feel better.”
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
“When I found out they were streaming Chappelle’s Show, I was furious. How could they not — how could they not know?” he said, seemingly referencing the fact he sensationally quit the show due to ethical and professional concerns.
He continued: “So you know what I did? I called them, and I told them that this makes me feel bad. And you want to know what they did? They agreed that they would take it off their platform just so I could feel better.”
“That’s why I fuck with Netflix… because they paid me my money, they do what they say they’re going to do and they went above and beyond what you can expect from a businessman,” he said.
“They did something just because they thought that I might think that they were wrong. I do, I think if you are fucking streaming that show you’re fencing stolen goods. They stole that from me. They just took it.”
Chappelle concluded his speech by stating that he felt Comedy Central had given him a “raw deal” with their contract terms.
“I’m not up here trying to tell you guys that I believe that Comedy Central gave me a raw deal just because I’m Black, I believe they gave me a raw deal because this fucking industry is a monster.”
Check out the full video of Dave Chappelle discussing Chappelle’s Show and Netflix:
View this post on Instagram
