Dave Chappelle to screen new documentary in Toronto next month amid Netflix controversy
Dave Chappelle is set to screen his new documentary “Untitled” at Scotiabank Arena next month amid rising controversy about the star’s recent Netflix special.
The event, now listed on Scotiabank Arena’s website, is scheduled for Nov. 15. Tickets will go on sale on Oct. 27.
Chappelle drew criticism after releasing his most recent Netflix special, “The Closer,” in which he declared himself on “team TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).
He then went on to make explicit jokes about bodies of trans women.
"Gender is a fact," Chappelle said in the special. "Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on earth. That is a fact."
The special spurred a walkout by transgender Netflix employees and allies, claiming that Netflix was “forcing their employees to participate in their own oppression.”
Netflix revealed that it fired one employee in the aftermath, who they say revealed confidential financial information about what the streaming platform paid for Chappelle’s special, stating that “maintaining a culture of trust and transparency is core to [the] company.”
In a video on Instagram, Chappelle said that interest in the film has declined since the controversy.
“This film that I made was invited to every film festival in the United States and some of those invitations I accepted and when this controversy came out about “The Closer,” they began disinviting me from these film festivals,” he said.
The documentary is centred around a series of live comedy shows Chappelle hosted in the early days of the pandemic from a stage set up in his neighbours backyard, he explained in the video posted to his Instagram.
The Toronto screening will feature a live appearance from Chappelle “and friends.”
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) told CTV News Toronto that they understood that certain aspects of public events may be offensive or harmful, and "will not reflect the views of values of the organization."
"MLSE remains steadfast in our commitment to providing a safe environment for all fans and employees who choose to attend an event, supporting those groups who choose not to attend an event due to content that might offend or be harmful, and the ongoing work to create a more inclusive community and positive and enduring social change," the spokesperson said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
What Michael Cohen said on the stand in Trump hush money case
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
Behind the barricades: How protesters spend their first days in a new encampment
Students in Montreal describe life in a newly erected encampment in Montreal as a whirlwind of preparations, from facing rain and a potential police crackdown to setting up a space for the exchange of ideas.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Next 48 hours will be 'extremely challenging' for B.C. wildfire crews near Fort Nelson: officials
A wildfire burning dangerously close to Fort Nelson, B.C., has grown to more than 50 square kilometres, and officials are warning that the blaze's behaviour is expected to become more volatile over the next 48 hours.
Southern Ont. man charged with attempted murder in Timmins shooting
One of two men wanted for attempted murder in Timmins has been arrested, while a warrant has been issued for a second suspect, who fled police on foot.