Dave Chappelle and Comedy Central have made amends.
The comedian released a 10-minute Instagram video titled “Redemption Song” Friday revealing he and Comedy Central are now in good standing and comedy sketch series “Chappelle’s Show” has returned to Netflix. He thanked what he called his “real boss” for allowing this to happen: his fans.
“I asked you to stop watching the show and thank God almighty for you, you did,” Chappelle said. “You made that show worthless, because without your eyes, it’s nothing.”
Chappelle continued to share after people stopped watching re-run episodes of “Chappelle’s Show,” he got a call.
“I got my name back and I got my license back and I got my show back and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much.” Chappelle said.
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Viacom CBS’ MTV Entertainment Group, which owns Comedy Central, provided a statement to USA TODAY from president Chris McCarthy.
“Dave Chappelle is one of the greatest comedians of our time and a defining voice of the Comedy Central brand,” said McCarthy in the statement. “After speaking with Dave, I am happy we were able to make things right.”
“Chappelle’s Show,” originally premiered on Comedy Central in 2003 and began streaming on Netflix in November 2020. Netflix took the comedy sketch show down after Chapelle asked CEO Ted Sarandos to take it off the streaming platform. The show was still available to stream on competition platform HBO Max.
The comedian famously walked away from “Chappelle’s Show,” and its $50 million payday, at the height of the program’s success in 2005. He didn’t make a return to the screen until signing a deal with Netflix to produce stand-up specials after a 12-year break from TV.
In the Instagram post where Chappelle pleaded with his fans to Boycott “Chappelle’s Show” in November 2020, the comedian said he never got paid by the network
“People think I made a lot of money from ‘Chappelle’s Show.’ When I left that show, I never got paid. (ViacomCBS) didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract,” he said.
In Friday’s Instagram post Chappelle said, “I can finally say to Comedy Central ‘It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.'”
In “Redemption Song” Chappelle also confirmed he had COVID-19 in January which caused him to cancel a show in Austin. He says he is “better now.”
