Netflix removes ‘Chappelle Show’ at Dave Chappelle’s request
The comedian says he 'never got paid' for his work after leaving ViacomCBS
Netflix has removed Dave Chappelle’s comedy sketch series, Chappelle’s Show, at the comedian’s request.
Chappelle has revealed that he “never got paid” for his work after leaving ViacomCBS, the parent company that owns Comedy Central, on which the series originally aired.
In a teaser posted on his Instagram page for an upcoming Netflix special, Chappelle explains that he asked the company to pull the show because ViacomCBS did not have his permission to stream his work, Variety reports. Chappelle famously walked away from the popular series due to creative differences with the studio.
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“They (ViacomCBS) didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract,” Chappelle says in the clip. “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.”
The Chappelle Show premiered on Jan. 22, 2003, and ran for three seasons until its 28th and final episode aired on July 23, 2006.
The series debuted on Netlix earlier this month and is currently available on HBO Max. Chappelle’s Show is also streaming on the Comedy Central website and app as well as CBS All Access. There’s no official word on whether HBO Max will also yank the beloved comedy series from its platform.
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“That’s why I like working for Netflix,” Chappelle adds. “I like working for Netflix because when all those bad things happened to me, that company didn’t even exist. And when I found out they were streaming ‘Chappelle’s Show,’ I was furious. How could they not– how could they not know? 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.”
Chappelle inked a major deal with Netflix in 2016, and his since released several stand-up specials exclusively on the platform.
“That’s why I f— with Netflix,” he continues. “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. They did something just because they thought that I might think that they were wrong. I do, I think if you are f—ing streaming that show you’re fencing stolen goods. They stole that from me. They just took it. 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 f—ing industry is a monster.”
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