In his latest Netflix comedy special, Dave Chappelle addressed the recent sexual harassment allegations against fellow comedian Louis C.K., while also criticizing C.K.’s accusers.
“One lady said, ‘Louis C.K. masturbated in front of me, ruined my comedy dreams,’” Chappelle said. “Word? Well, then I dare say, madam, you may have never had a dream. Come on man, that’s a brittle spirit.”
In the second part of the comedian’s duo Netflix special “Dave Chappelle: Equanimity & The Bird Revelation,”Chappelle called the five women who accused C.K. of harassment “weak,” singling out one accuser’s story who alleged that the comic masturbated while on the phone with her.
“Bitch, you don’t know how to hang up the phone? How the hell are you going to survive in show business if this is an actual obstacle to your dreams? I know Louis is wrong, I’m just saying, I’m held to a higher standard of accountability than these women are,” Chappelle said.
Chappelle then pondered what would have happened if C.K. masturbated in front of civil rights legend Dr. Martin Luther King, doubtful that such an act would detour the leader from his “dream.” “Show business is just harder than that,” he added.
Throughout his almost 10-minute set on C.K., Chappelle said that “Louis was like a turning point” because the allegations against him, among the wave of Hollywood harassment allegations, were the only ones that made him laugh.
“When you think about it, he’s jerking off — he’s surprising people. … I picture all the comics in comedy reading it like, ‘Word!’ It’s terrible, I’m sorry ladies, you’re right,” he said in the special, which was recorded in late November. “At the same time, Jesus Christ, they took everything from Louis. It might be disproportionate, I can’t tell. This is where it’s hard to be [a] man.”
Since the allegations, which C.K. both acknowledged and apologized for, C.K. has been dropped from his deals with FX, HBO and Netflix, and his film “I Love You, Daddy” was canned right before it was set to be released.
Chappelle took on additional Hollywood men accused of harassment during the special, including Harvey Weinstein, who he said was “probably the first person that I’ve ever looked at a photograph of and said, ‘Yeah, he rapes.'”
