Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has defended comedian Dave Chappelle following a backlash to anti-LGBTQ remarks in his latest comedy special, The Closer.
In his latest stand-up release, the 48-year-old comedian defended JK Rowling after weighing in on the writer's comments about the transgender community.
Chappelle said he "agrees" that "gender is a fact", as he discussed how the Harry Potter author had been branded a "TERF" (Trans-exclusionary radical feminist).
His special sparked mass outrage on social media, with many viewers putting pressure on Netflix to remove The Closer from the streaming giant immediately.
Despite the outcry, Netflix boss Sarandos offered guidance to senior members of management on how they should handle upset employees in a memo sent to the staff of the streamer, which has been obtained by Variety.
In the memo, Sarandos cited Chappelle’s success for the company: "Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long-standing deal with him. His last special Sticks & Stones, also controversial, is our most-watched, stickiest, and most award-winning stand-up special to date."
"As with our other talent, we work hard to support their creative freedom - even though this means there will always be content on Netflix some people believe is harmful," he added.
Sarandos also insisted that there is a difference between workplace behavior and art, saying: "Particularly in stand-up comedy, artistic freedom is obviously a very different standard of speech than we allow internally as the goals are different: entertaining people versus maintaining a respectful, productive workplace."
What's more, he said Netflix will not be removing The Closer from its platform: "It never feels good when people are hurting, especially our colleagues, so I wanted to give you some additional context. You should also be aware that some talent may join third parties in asking us to remove the show in the coming days, which we are not going to do."
"These are hard and uncomfortable issues. We all bring different values and perspectives so thank you for being part of the conversation as it’s important we’re clear about our operating principles," the statement concluded.
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