Dave Chappelle Seemingly Addresses His ‘SNL’ Hosting Controversy in Promo

Dave Chappelle knows what you’re saying about him. The comedian, who’s repeatedly come under fire for making what many consider transphobic jokes, made light of the recent controversy surrounding him in a promo for his upcoming stint hosting Saturday Night Live this weekend.

With musical guest Black Star and cast member Ego Nwodim, Chappelle lightly poked fun at Saturday Night Live’s decision to have the comedian host. A confused Nwodim asks a smoking Chapelle, “Wait, we’re doing it live?” and Chappelle responds, “Of course.” She then asks, “With you?,” to which the comedian replies, “Obviously.” Nwodim then asks the question on everybody’s minds: “In this news cycle?” After a short pause, a slightly concerned-looking Chappelle confirms, and Nwodim pointedly responds, “Interesting.”

Chappelle has repeatedly fielded criticism for what many perceive as a confusing pivot to including transphobic material in his stand-up. Last year, Chappelle incited a walkout at Netflix due to his comments about the trans community in his 2021 Netflix special, The Closer. In the special, Chappelle joked that he was “team TERF,” the abbreviated term for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” and said, “Gender is a fact. Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on earth. That is a fact.”

It’s been reported that Chappelle’s hosting stint has caused some problems at the long-running comedy show. Page Six has reported that some SNL staff writers may have boycotted this week’s episode due to Chappelle’s presence, however, no boycott has been confirmed. SNL writer Celeste Yim, who uses they/them pronouns, reportedly posted an Instagram Story that seemingly referenced Chappelle’s hosting stint. “I’m trans and non-binary. I use they/them pronouns. Transphobia is murder and it should be condemned,” reportedly read Yim’s message, per a screenshot that was posted on Reddit. The thread has since been locked by moderators of the site. This year, Saturday Night Live hired its first nonbinary cast member, Molly Kearney. Kearney has not yet publicly addressed the controversy.

Chappelle’s representatives told CNN that there’s no boycott and things have been going smoothly at Studio 8H. “We’ve seen nothing to support media reports of a writer’s boycott,” said Chappelle’s rep. “In fact, the writers delivered over 40 sketches for Dave’s consideration and collaboration. Just as during Dave’s past ‘SNL’ appearances, you won’t want to miss it!” 

Representatives for NBC and Dave Chappelle did not immediately respond to Vanity Fair’s request for comment.