Dave Chappelle is once again pushing back against critics, this time over his appearance at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival.
In a recent interview with NPR, the comedian defended his decision to perform in Riyadh, though he also said he initially hesitated to join the 2025 festival, which featured a lineup including Bill Burr, Pete Davidson, Aziz Ansari, Hannibal Buress, Jimmy Carr, Sam Morril, and Tom Segura.
He said his concerns faded when he looked at the broader relationship between Saudi Arabia and American entertainment. “The United States government does business with the Saudis, Netflix does business with the Saudis,” Chappelle said. “The Saudis financed tons of movies.”
He argued that outrage only surfaced once he agreed to perform there himself.
Chappelle framed the criticism as part of a larger double standard. “As soon as a Black man can make money off the plantation, they try to tell you the money is dirty,” he said during the interview.
NPR host Michel Martin pressed him on whether taking money from the festival conflicted with his public image, but Chappelle responded that nearly every modern industry is connected to something ethically complicated.
“If you wanna be that pure about money, then stop driving your car, stop eating, don’t use your cellphone,” he said. “Everything is tethered to something that’s just terrible.”
Chappelle also addressed years of backlash surrounding his comedy, particularly criticism over material in his recent Netflix specials. He said that scrutiny has never changed how he approaches his work. “The media used to talk sh*t about jokes that I did … and none of that stuff swayed my audience,” he said. “So I feel like I need to be true to something.”
That mindset appears to be influencing how he now thinks about Chappelle’s Show. The comedian, who famously walked away from the series and a reported $50 million deal in 2005, said he is more open to the idea of reviving it than he was even a year ago.
“If you'd asked me that question a year ago, I'd have told you absolutely not,” Chappelle said. “But in the last few weeks … I'm considering it.”
