Dave Chappelle says he ‘won’t be bending to anyone’s demands’ and slams Hannah Gadsby in trans row

Dave Chappelle has responded to the backlash from his latest Netflix special, The Closer.

In the comedy special, Chappelle declares himself “team TERF” (which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist) and makes a number of jokes many have considered “transphobic”.

In a video posted to Instagram, Chappelle addressed the criticism and doubled down on his stance: “To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me. I am not bending to anyone’s demands.”

He went on to say: “And if you want to meet with me, I am more than willing to, but I have some conditions. First of all, you cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end. You must come to a place of my choosing at a time of my choosing, and thirdly, you must admit that Hannah Gadsby is not funny.”

The remark directed at Gadsby is a reply to the comedian’s recent criticism of Chappelle and Netflix for airing the special which she labelled “hate speech”.

In the video, Chappelle also thanks Netflix boss, Ted Sarandos, for his support: “Thank God for Ted Sarandos and Netflix, he’s the only one that didn’t cancel me yet.”

Sarandos’ support of Chappelle has brought much criticism from Netflix staff who staged a walkout from the company last week in protest.

The CEO later apologised for not considering the feelings of trans people: “I feel I should’ve made sure to recognise that a group of our employees was hurting very badly from the decision made, and I should’ve recognised upfront before going into a rationalization of anything the pain they were going through. I say that because I respect them deeply, and I love the contribution they have at Netflix. They were hurting, and I should’ve recognised that first.”

Chappelle’s special has also been criticised by other notable figures such as Dan Levy and Jill Soloway.