"That's the legacy?" Jerrod Carmichael calls out Dave Chappelle over trans controversy 

Jerrod Carmichael revealed that when he came out, his 15-year-old niece was the only one who acknowledged him. (Image via Getty Images/Tim P. Whitby/Lester Cohen)
Jerrod Carmichael revealed that when he came out, his 15-year-old niece was the only one who acknowledged him. (Image via Getty Images/Tim P. Whitby/Lester Cohen)

American comedian Jerrod Carmichael is calling out Dave Chappelle over his critical remarks towards the LGBTQIA+ community, which sparked controversy after his Netflix special was released.

In a recent interview with GQ Hype, the 35-year-old comic revealed that his 15-year-old niece was the only person who acknowledged him when he came out as homosexual in his HBO stand-up special in April.

"She hit me with a quick text, 'I see you. I hear you.' I love this generation. I actually f**k with them, and f**k all those comedians that are going so hard against them."

Jerrod Carmichael went on to argue that for some reason, certain comedians feel the need to "create a boogeyman to sell tickets." He sneered at the notion, adding that it is precisely these comedians who,

"offer nothing truthful or meaningful about themselves, then complain about society at large, and create this boogeyman."

Jerrod Carmichael then brought up Chappelle. Asking rhetorically, he said:

"Chappelle, do you know what comes up when you Google your name, bro? That's the legacy? Your legacy is a bunch of opinions on trans s**t?"

He further added:

"It's an odd hill to die on. And it's like, hey, bro. Who the f**k are you? Who do you f**k? What do you like to do? Childish jokes aside, who the f**k are you? It's just kind of played. But he's choosing to die on the hill. So, alright, let him."

What did Dave Chappele say that provoked Jerrod Carmichael to comment?

Dave Chappelle came under scrutiny after his Netflix special, The Closer, was released. In the special, Chappelle stated that "gender is a fact," adding:

"Every human being in this room, every human being on Earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on Earth."

Chappelle then claimed himself to be a member of "Team TERF," short for trans-exclusionary radical feminist, a group of feminists who reject the belief that trans women are women. During the set, he said:

“They cancelled JK Rowling. My god. Effectually she said gender was a fact, the trans community got mad as s***, they started calling her a Terf… I’m Team Terf. I agree. I agree, man. Gender is a fact.”

The special caused criticism, rallies, and even employee walkouts at the streaming company. Chappelle would eventually state that he is prepared to meet with the trans community, but only under specific conditions.

In his most recent HBO special, Rothaniel, Jerrod Carmichael came out as homosexual. He made the statement after describing how he discovered his father had been cheating on his mother for years.

"After that was out in the open, I was left alone feeling like a liar, because I had a secret. One that I kept from my father, my mother, my family, my friends, and you. Professionally, personally. And the secret is that I'm gay."

Meanwhile, in the new GQ story, Jerrod Carmichael offered a detailed depiction of what he termed "one of the greatest moments" of his life: a party at Leonardo DiCaprio's house during which the Oscar-winning actor passed him a joint as he and Quentin Tarantino both lauded Jerrod's art.

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