Dave Chappelle slammed over jokes during surprise appearance at John Mulaney show
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Comedian Dave Chappelle made a surprise appearance Friday at fellow comedian John Mulaney’s show in Columbus, Ohio, drawing criticism on social media for what some in attendance said were jokes targeting the LGBTQ community.
According to attendees, Chappelle, who lives in Yellow Springs, around 40 miles southwest of Columbus, was a surprise opener for Mulaney’s “From Scratch” tour stop at Value City Arena at Ohio State on Friday. There is no footage from the event, as attendees were required to lock their phones up before the show, Variety reported.
Afterward, many attendees took to social media to express concern and criticism for what they said were jokes targeting the transgender community. Some also reported that Mulaney and Chappelle shared an embrace on stage.
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Comments about Chappelle’s performance on the show, as well Mulaney, were trending on Twitter over the weekend, with more than 19,200 tweets by Sunday afternoon.
Pretty disappointed in John Mulaney, saw him tonight and yeah, he was funny, but he gave Dave Chapelle the platform to make some transphobic jokes. Also very disheartening to hear a crowd of 12,000 around you (a trans person) laughing at transphobic jokes. Thanks Columbus.
— Libby (@libbeefy) May 21, 2022
my favorite part of tonight was when dave chappelle ambushed us at the john mulaney show, told a bunch of transphobic jokes, a massive stadium of people laughed, and then john mulaney hugged him at the end
— rylan ☻ (@testosteronejew) May 21, 2022
I will say, being a non-binary person in the Columbus crowd last night, Dave Chappelle was being distasteful with his jokes. I don’t think, however, that John Mulaney should be held accountable for another’s actions
— emma 🥀 (@iceprincessk9_) May 21, 2022
okay so tell me why I just went to the John Mulaney show and Dave Chappelle was a surprise opener and made not only a transphobic joke but a homophobic one
— maddie (@boobeoisie) May 21, 2022
The fact that John Mulaney, who has a very prevalent amount of young LGBT fans, had Dave Chapelle open for his show tonight is just deeply disappointing and upsetting.
— kendall whitmore (@kenwhitmore16) May 21, 2022
Neither comedian has publicly commented about Friday’s show. USA TODAY has reached out to Mulaney's and Chappelle's representatives for comment.
The viral incident comes on the heels of other recent controversies involving Chappelle.
On Oct. 20, hundreds of Netflix employees staged a walkout following protests over Chappelle's latest Netflix comedy special "The Closer," where the comedian made remarks many deemed as transphobic.
He has come under particular ire for his defense of "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, who has been accused of transphobia for years.
Last month, a 23-year-old man rushed on the stage and tackled the performer to the ground during the Netflix Is A Joke comedy festival in Los Angeles. Video shared online appears to show the attacker launching himself into Chappelle, knocking the comedian onto the ground. He pleaded not guilty earlier this month to four misdemeanors relating to the incident.
Follow Cole Behrens on Twitter at @Colebehr_report.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dave Chappelle criticized for surprise set at John Mulaney show