Dave Chappelle Responds To Being Uninvited From High School Fundraiser

Dave Chappelle is an open book, especially when it comes to talking about his recent “cancellation.”

Source: Stacy Revere / Getty

The comedian performed a 15-minute standup set in Indianapolis on Friday night following the screening of his Untitled documentary. During the event, Chappelle cracked a joke about being uninvited from a fundraiser that is being held at his old high school.

“They’re canceling stuff I didn’t even want to do,” Dave said, according to IndyStar. “If you think you’re mad at me — remember, I didn’t disinvite you from anything.”

He continued, addressing the reason the event was cancelled:

“If anyone says trans people are angry at me, they are wrong,” Dave said. “And if you see (a trans person), buy them a coffee or lipstick or whatever they want and tell them Dave Chappelle sent you.”

This comes following news last week from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., from which Chappelle graduated. The school called off a planned fundraiser over the widely criticized comments the comedian made in his latest Netflix special, The Closer.

Initially, the school announced a November 23 fundraiser for a new theater that was set to be named after Chappelle.

According to reports from Politico, many students were “uncomfortable” with supporting Dave Chappelle following his comments about trans and other LGBTQ+ people during his special. Some students reportedly even talked about staging a walkout, but instead, the school decided to cancel the fundraiser completely.

“As a learning institution that champions inclusivity, diversity, equity and belonging, we care deeply about protecting the well-being and dignity of every member of our student body, faculty and community,” the school said in a statement. “We also believe moving forward with the event, originally scheduled for November 23, 2021, without first addressing questions and concerns from members of the Ellington community, would be a missed opportunity for a teachable moment.”