Despite the controversy surrounding his latest comedy special The Closer, Netflix has announced that Dave Chappelle will play its Netflix Is a Joke 2022 comedy festival.
The fest, which was originally planned for 2020 before it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take place from April 29 to May 8, 2022 across 25 Los Angeles venues.
Other comedians featured at the stacked festival include John Mulaney, Chris Rock, Amy Schumer, David Letterman, Tina Fey, Tim Robinson, Jerry Seinfeld, Hasan Minhaj, Pete Davidson, Kevin Hart, Seth Rogen, Aziz Ansari, Ellen DeGeneres, and Conan O’Brien among countless others. The event will also include an LGBTQ+ comedy celebration, featuring Margaret Cho, Tig Notaro, Wanda Sykes, and Eddie Izzard.
“We were so disappointed to postpone the event last spring and our line-up of comedians can’t wait to bring much needed laughs to audiences in LA and around the world on Netflix,” said Netflix's stand-up and comedy formats director Robbie Praw, per Deadline. “Netflix Is A Joke Festival is going to give comedy fans the opportunity to see the greats and discover new voices in one of the greatest cities in the world.”
Tickets for the festival go on sale this Friday.
Comedian Hannah Gadsby, who notably criticized Dave Chappelle for his jokes directed at the trans community, is missing the from lineup despite her inclusion on the original 2020 poster. After she put Chappelle on blast, he called her “not funny.” Fans have since jumped to her defense.
Dave Chappelle has faced much criticism for his jokes about the LGBTQ+ community in the past, but The Closer faced more scrutiny than his previous specials for Netflix. During an appearance at his former high school in Washington, D.C. last month, multiple school students called him out and one said he was a “bigot” who handled criticism “like a child.”
Various figures have stood by Chappelle’s side, including Jon Stewart and Bill Maher. Others who defended his transphobic comments include the likes of Ben Shapiro, who isn’t exactly the type of person you want in your corner regardless of what it is you’ve said or done.
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