Trans comedian referenced in Dave Chappelle’s Netflix dead by suicide

By Blue Telusma

·October 14, 2019

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 19: Comedian/actor Dave Chappelle performs at Radio City Music Hall (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

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This weekend it was confirmed that Daphne Dorman, the trans comedian who gained national attention after being extensively referenced in Dave Chappelle‘s Netflix special, has died by suicide.

According to Pink News, on Friday, Dorman, who lived in the San Francisco area, wrote a final “goodbye” note on Facebook in the early hours of the morning.

“I’m sorry,” she wrote in the post. “I’ve thought about this a lot before this morning. How do you say ‘goodbye’ and ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I love you’ to all the beautiful souls you know? For the last time.”

A few hours later her sister, Becky Kugler confirmed she had passed away.

“It is with great sadness and despair to hand out this information,” Kugler said. “Sweet, sweet Daphne. I so wish we could all have helped you through your darkness. We’ll always love you, fly high sweet angel.”

The 44 year-old’s death comes just weeks after she received a lengthy shoutout from Dave Chappelle in his Netflix special Sticks and Stones. In the segment the comedian talked about meeting her and recalled her hopes to continue doing stand-up comedy. Her picture was even featured in the credits of the special along with other celebrities, politicians and notable people Chappelle wanted to acknowledge.

“Yeah, you know, it’s just that moment when you realize that after Dave Chappelle talks about meeting you in the secret ending of his new Netflix special, you see your photo appears immediately after Barack Obama‘s photo in the credits,” she wrote in an Instagram post following the release of Sticks and Stones.

Dorman is survived by her daughter Naia and in her note asked that friends and family help her “understand that none of this is her fault. Please remind her that I loved her with every fiber of my being.”