‘SNL’ Staff Writers Boycott Over Dave Chappelle’s Hosting Gig: Report
Comedian Dave Chappelle is slated to host Saturday Night Live this weekend but according to reports the staff writers are not excited about it. Page Six reports that the writers are angry with Chappelle due to his previous transphobic comments and are boycotting Saturday’s performance.
“They’re not going to do the show,” an insider told the tabloid. “But none of the actors are boycotting.”
However, Chappelle’s rep said that “there was nothing to suggest that there was a boycott when they attended writers’ meetings this week,” the outlet reports.
“The room was full of writers. They all pitched ideas and they seemed very excited about it. Dave is looking to have some fun,” Chappelle’s rep told the outlet.
SNL revealed last week that the comedian would host the show with musical guest Black Star on Nov. 12. This marks Chappelle’s third time as a host.
This week on SNL!
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) November 8, 2022
Dave Chappelle | Black Star pic.twitter.com/r6WY9u8f7r
After the sketch comedy show made the announcement that Chappelle would be joining the show this weekend, SNL writer Celeste Yim reportedly wrote on Instagram Stories: “I’m trans and non-binary. I use they/them pronouns. Transphobia is murder and it should be condemned.”
It is unclear if they are one of the writers boycotting this week’s show or if they were actually referring to Chappelle, Page Six reports. The Instagram story has since expired and no further public comment has surfaced from Yim nor have they reached back out to the publication.
The alleged frustration with Chappelle hails from the comedian’s transphobic comments from his 2021 Netflix special titled The Closer which received a lot of backlash.
“Gender is a fact. 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,” Chappelle said in The Closer per PEOPLE.
Chappelle and SNL have not responded to that or other remarks made on social media.
