Netflix Axes ‘Chappelle’s Show’ After Dave Chappelle Requests The Series Be Removed

Netflix is no longer offering the groundbreaking Chappelle’s Show via its service. This decision came after Dave Chappelle personally requested his classic sketch-comedy series is taken off the platform.

During his November 7 monologue on Saturday Night Live, Chappelle expressed irritation that his show was streaming on Netflix without him being properly compensated for the content. The four-time Primetime Emmy Award winner also addressed the situation in a stand-up clip titled Unforgiven which was posted to his Instagram page.

“When I left that show I never got paid. [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 because I signed the contract. But is that right? I didn’t think so either,” said Chappelle in the IG video. “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.”

He continued, “When I found out they were streaming Chappelle’s Show, I was furious. 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. That’s why I f### 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. I think that if you are f###### streaming that show you’re fencing stolen goods.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dave Chappelle (@davechappelle)

Dave Chappelle has a long working relationship with Netflix. The standup specials The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Deep in the Heart of Texas: Dave Chappelle Live at Austin City Limits, Dave Chappelle: Equanimity, Dave Chappelle: The Bird Revelation, and Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones are all exclusively available on the streamer.

While Chappelle’s Show was pulled from Netflix, it is still part of the respective Comedy Central and HBO Max libraries. The program originally ran on the ViacomCBS-owned Comedy Central network from 2003 to 2006. Chappelle walked away from the show after three seasons. He reportedly signed a $60 million deal with Netflix in 2016.