Jerrod Carmichael opened up to Esquire magazine about his relationship with fellow comedian Dave Chappelle, shedding light on a June 2022 incident where he criticized Chappelle for including anti-trans jokes in his comedy special The Closer.
According to Variety, Carmichael, 36, initially touched on the topic with GQ magazine, raising doubts about the “legacy” Chappelle purportedly sought to safeguard.
“Chappelle, do you know what comes up when you Google your name, bro?” Carmichael asked about Chappelle’s stance on trans people during a profile with the outlet. “That’s the legacy? Your legacy is a bunch of opinions on trans s**t? 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?'”
He continued, “Childish jokes aside, who the f**k are you?” Carmichael added. “It’s just kind of played. But he’s choosing to die on the hill. So, alright, let him.”
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Carmichael came out as gay during his April 2022 HBO special, Rothanial, and shared his thoughts on Chappelle, who he said called it “the bravest special for 1996.”
“And it’s like, that’s a funny enough line, whatever, but I wonder if he gets the irony that the fact that you are mocking it even then is why it was hard,” he said.
Chappelle responded unfavorably to the criticism, insisting that Carmichael withdraw his initial statements about him.
“He took it as ‘F**k Dave Chappelle,’ because he’s an egomaniac,” Carmichael added. “He wanted me to apologize to him publicly or some s**t.”
Carmichael debuts his latest comedy series, Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, offering viewers a glimpse into his life as he engages in candid conversations with family, friends and strangers, all while on a journey for love, intimacy and connection, according to a plot summary from IMDb. The show currently airs on HBO and Max.
