December 21, 2025
Dave Chappelle surprised fans Friday night with a new Netflix stand-up special, Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…, filmed in Washington, D.C., and released without warning following the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight.
Taking the stage in a camo jacket featuring Colin Kaepernick’s name and number, Chappelle told the crowd, “We’ve got a lot to talk about,” explaining he returned home after Trump deployed the National Guard to the city.
“They’re trying to take the chocolate out of Chocolate City… I’ve got to go home while it’s still a city I remember,” he said.
Chappelle also addressed backlash over his appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival, saying, “I’ve been getting a lot of grief,” before singling out Bill Maher: “I’ve never said this publicly but fuck that guy. I’m so fucking tired of his little smug, cracker-ass commentary.”
“I don’t feel guilty at all,” Chappelle said, adding that critics accused him of betraying his principles. He reiterated, “it’s easier to talk in Saudi Arabia for me than it is in America,” and joked, “transgender jokes went over very well in Saudi Arabia.”
The comedian later discussed reports surrounding Charlie Kirk, saying, “if you talk for a living and see Charlie Kirk get murdered that way, I’m gonna be honest, I was shook,” adding, “I was at home like, ‘Oh no! I’m dead as fried chicken.’”
Chappelle also reflected on Sean Combs’ sentencing, noting, “He saved my life,” and said of Cassie, “God bless her… what she went through was terrible.”
He closed by telling the crowd, “we are a community and we will stay sane together.”