Posted on Jun 6, 2024

Bowen Yang Discussed His Distance From Dave Chappelle During The Latter's Surprise "SNL" Appearance

"It had to do with so many things that were completely internal."

by Natasha Jokic

BuzzFeed Staff

Hot Topic

🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Pride 2024

Bowen Yang smiles while wearing a casual outfit, featuring a brown button-up shirt over a white shirt, in a studio setting

A group of people stand together on stage. Some wear casual clothing, others wear formal attire. Names of the individuals are unknown

Hot Topic

Let's chat about all things Pride

See our Pride Discussions

In the excerpt, cast member Sarah Sherman can be seen speaking to Bowen while looking in Chappelle's direction.

Thank you, Dakota Johnson, @jtimberlake, @jimmyfallon, @BarbaraCorcoran, @mcuban, and @TobeNwigwe! Goodnight! pic.twitter.com/hsklV8ZraU
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) January 28, 2024

NBC / Via Twitter: @nbcsnl

Dave Chappelle performs on stage wearing a leather jacket, white sneakers, and holding a red microphone

“Anytime our names are in the same sentence, at least in a journalistic way, it always feels deleterious. It feels like one person is trying to undo the other. I was just really curious about what that show would be like and if it would be an opportunity to really move past it,” Bowen said. “I think he and I have done enough things in our careers now to really not [have] that be the definitive beginning or the thing that casts a pall over everything else that we do going forward.”

Bowen Yang in a purple velvet suit jacket, light-colored shirt, and bow tie at an event for the Museum of Natural History

Hot Topic

🔥 Full coverage and conversation on Pride 2024

Browse links

Bowen Yang Discussed His Distance From Dave Chappelle During The Latter's Surprise "SNL" Appearance

Bowen Yang discussed his apparent distance from Dave Chappelle during the latter's SNL appearance earlier this year.

During the Jan. 27 episode of SNL, hosted by Dakota Johnson, Dave joined the cast during their goodbye segment — despite not appearing on the show itself.

Some noted that Bowen appeared less than thrilled as the end credits rolled, speculating that Dave's prolific anti-trans comments may have been the root of the issue.

In the excerpt, cast member Sarah Sherman can be seen speaking to Bowen while looking in Chappelle's direction.

Indeed, Bowen appeared markedly subdued from his end credits appearances in the SNL episodes before and after Dave's appearance.

In a new interview with Variety, Bowen was asked about the moment. "I stand where I always stand on good nights. It was not a physical distance that anyone was creating," he replied. "It had to do with so many things that were completely internal."

Bowen was further asked about comedian Shane Gillis's hosting of SNL, after he was fired for racist and anti-gay comments just a few years prior. The two comedians were actually cast at the same time, though Shane never made it to the live shows.

You can read the full interview with Bowen and Kenan here.

Looking for more LGBTQ+ or Pride content? Then check out all of BuzzFeed's posts celebrating Pride 2024.

Bowen Yang Discussed His Distance From Dave Chappelle During The Latter's Surprise "SNL" Appearance

Bowen Yang discussed his apparent distance from Dave Chappelle during the latter's SNL appearance earlier this year.

During the Jan. 27 episode of SNL, hosted by Dakota Johnson, Dave joined the cast during their goodbye segment — despite not appearing on the show itself.

Some noted that Bowen appeared less than thrilled as the end credits rolled, speculating that Dave's prolific anti-trans comments may have been the root of the issue.

In the excerpt, cast member Sarah Sherman can be seen speaking to Bowen while looking in Chappelle's direction.

Indeed, Bowen appeared markedly subdued from his end credits appearances in the SNL episodes before and after Dave's appearance.

In a new interview with Variety, Bowen was asked about the moment. "I stand where I always stand on good nights. It was not a physical distance that anyone was creating," he replied. "It had to do with so many things that were completely internal."

Bowen was further asked about comedian Shane Gillis's hosting of SNL, after he was fired for racist and anti-gay comments just a few years prior. The two comedians were actually cast at the same time, though Shane never made it to the live shows.

You can read the full interview with Bowen and Kenan here.

Looking for more LGBTQ+ or Pride content? Then check out all of BuzzFeed's posts celebrating Pride 2024.

Share This Article