Dave Chappelle has requested Netflix removes Chappelle’s Show, and the streaming giant has accepted.
The comedian explained in a video his shared on Instagram yesterday (November 24) that ViacomCBS had licensed the Comedy Central series without paying him, which prompted his request to Netflix.
“People think I made a lot of money from Chappelle’s Show,” Chappelle explained in the video, titled Unforgiven, which he filmed during a recent standup show, reflecting on his career.
“When I left that show I never got paid. They [ViacomCBS] didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract. 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 ‘cause I signed the contract.”
He continued: “But is that right? I didn’t think so either. That’s why I like working for Netflix. I like working for Netflix because when all those bad things happened to me, that company didn’t even exist.”
Explaining his decision to contact Netflix, who were licensing Chappelle’s Show on a non-exclusive basis, Dave Chappelle said: “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.”
He added: “That’s why I f*ck 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 could expect from a businessman. They did something just because they thought that I might think that they were wrong. And I do — I think that if you are f*cking streaming that show you’re fencing stolen goods.”
Chappelle ended his message by urging his fans to boycott the show, saying, “Do not watch it unless they pay me.”