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Caitlyn Jenner has thrown her support behind comedian Dave Chappelle as he continues to face backlash for making derogatory comments about the trans community in his new Netflix special, The Closer.
“Dave Chappelle is 100% right,” Jenner tweeted Tuesday. “This isn’t about the LGBTQ movement. It’s about woke cancel culture run amok, trying to silence free speech. We must never yield or bow to those who wish to stop us from speaking our minds.”
Chappelle has been embroiled in controversy since The Closer debuted on Netflix earlier this month. Company co-CEO Ted Sarandos has defended Chappelle and his “creative freedom,” leading to an employee walkout last week. Organizations like GLAAD and the National Black Justice Coalition have spoken out against The Closer, as well as prominent Netflix talent like The Umbrella Academy star Elliot Page and Dear White People executive producer Jaclyn Moore.
The comedian recently addressed the public backlash in a new stand-up video posted to Instagram. Chappelle doubled down on his comments, claiming he was never invited to speak to trans Netflix employees and blaming the controversy on “corporate interests.”
“Even though the media frames it that it’s me versus that community, this is not what it is. Do not blame the LGBTQ [sic] community for any of this shit. This has nothing to do with them. It’s about corporate interests and what I can say and what I cannot say,” he said, adding that everyone he knows from the LGBTQ community “has been loving and supporting.”
Chappelle added that he was willing to speak to members of the trans community, jokingly listing a handful of conditions they’d have to abide by first.
“To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me. I am not bending to anybody’s demands. And if you want to meet with me, I’d be more than willing to, but I have some conditions,” he added. “First of all, you cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end. You must come to a place of my choosing at a time of my choosing.”
