In 1998, Chappelle developed a midseason sitcom alongside producer Peter Tolan based on his life as a stand-up comic in New York. Both parties ultimately walked away from the project before any of the six ordered episodes were filmed. Why? Chappelle charged Fox Broadcasting Co. with racism after a group of execs allegedly asked for the female lead to be changed from a black woman to white, and to have another white character added to the story.
Shortly after ending plans for Dave Chappelle on Fox, the comic's father died. Chappelle quickly traveled back to Ohio and reportedly considered quitting showbiz.
Chappelle famously walked off stage in 2004 after berating a Sacramento audience for repeatedly screaming "I'm Rick James, bitch," a tagline from his Comedy Central sketch series Chappelle's Show. Before abandoning his post, Chappelle told the audience: "The show is ruining my life."
Chappelle famously — and abruptly — abandoned production on season three of Chappelle's Show to travel to Africa. While his whereabouts remained a mystery for some time, the comedian has gone on to say that he needed time to properly mourn the loss of his father.
Appearing on Oprah, Chappelle called some of his Chappelle's Show sketches "socially irresponsible." In particular, he referenced the "pixie sketch," about a pixie (played by Chappelle) who appeared in black face.
"There was a good-spirited intention behind it," he said. "So then when I'm on the set, and we're finally taping the sketch, somebody on the set [who] was white laughed in such a way — I know the difference of people laughing with me and people laughing at me — and it was the first time I had ever gotten a laugh that I was uncomfortable with. Not just uncomfortable, but like, should I fire this person?"
Chappelle has once broken Dane Cook's record for longest set at the iconic Hollywood comedy club The Laugh Factory, performing for a whopping six hours and seven minutes. But after Cook regained his title, Chappelle tried once more.
He was disqualified for leaving the stage to use the restroom. C'est la vie.
Chappelle made headlines for walking off stage during a set at Funny or Die's Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival in Hartford, Conn.
According to reports, he stopped telling jokes and began reading passages from a book, smoking, and expounding on a number of subjects. Members of the audience said there were some hecklers who occasionally screamed, causing Chappelle to stop. The cheers eventually gave way to boos as Chappelle stood onstage to run the clock out on his required 25-minute set before making his exit.
Chappelle addressed his Hartford walk-off days later while performing in Chicago. He called the Hartford crowd a bunch of "young, white alcoholics."
"I don't want anything bad to happen to the United States," Chappelle said, "but if North Korea ever drops a nuclear bomb on this country, I swear to God I hope it lands in Hartford, Connecticut."