Dave Chappelle & Netflix Dropping New Stand Up On New Year’s Eve, Three Years After Controversial Comedy Special [Video]

Dave Chappelle is ending 2023 on a good foot with a new Netflix special. 

This week, the streaming giant released the trailer for the new standup, which will debut on December 31st. The company is putting big bucks behind the project, with legendary actor Morgan Freeman acting as the announcer in the trailer, declaring, “He’s back, folks.” 

Dave Chappelle's latest comedy special will launch globally on Netflix, December 31st pic.twitter.com/zucnnpKPVV

— Netflix Is A Joke (@NetflixIsAJoke) December 6, 2023

This latest flick will serve as Chappelle’s sixth on Netflix. It also arrives three years after “The Closer” was released, which drew widespread criticism. In the special, he made jokes and comments about the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender individuals. Some criticized the jokes for being insensitive and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. The drama led to a brief Netflix walkout as employees protested the film. Two transgender employees even sued the company for alleged retaliation against them after they spoke out against the comedian.

However, his fans rallied around Chappelle during the fallout from “The Closer,” arguing that he should be allowed to exercise his free speech within the comedy realm. Even Netflix stood by Chappelle despite the staff’s outrage and threats of customers leaving. Nevertheless, he doubled down on his performance, and now viewers should prepare for similar quips this time around. 

Some of the comments on the Netflix announcement have expressed concerns over what Chappelle has in store. We’ll just have to wait and see what the funny man delivers on New Year’s Eve.