Dave Chappelle is set to return to Netflix despite facing massive backlash over his most recent comedy special, The Closer.
The streaming giant ignored calls to cancel Chappelle over his controversial comments about transgender people.
On Monday, the company announced that the comedian will be headlining their Netflix Is A Joke festival at the Hollywood Bowl next year.
Chappelle courted controversy in The Closer, a stand-up special that featured jokes centered around the LGBTQ+ community. As well as asserting "gender is a fact," the 48-year-old comedian also criticized the community for being overly sensitive.
The Closer was met with huge controversy and led to many calling for Chappelle to be canceled. Transgender employees at Netflix staged a walkout in protest against the special, and CEO Ted Sarandos was forced to apologize to staff.
However, it clearly wasn't enough for the streaming giant to cut ties with Chappelle forever, as he has been announced as part of the lineup for their upcoming comedy festival.
Netflix Is A Joke was originally scheduled to launch in 2020, but had to be delayed due to Covid restrictions. The 11-day festival will take place in 25 venues across Los Angeles from April 28 to May 8, 2022. Chappelle will be performing alongside over 130 artists including the likes of Amy Schumer, Tina Fey, Wanda Sykes, Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman, Chris Rock, and Ali Wong.
Chappelle responded to criticism of The Closer in a video shared to Instagram in October. In the clip, he said he would gladly meet with Netflix employees who wanted his special removed from the site - but only under certain conditions.
"You will not summon me," he said. "First of all, you cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end. You must come to a place of my choosing, at a time of my choosing. And thirdly, you must admit that Hannah Gadsby is not funny."
Gadsby - a comedian who has also appeared on Netflix - is an outspoken critic of both Chappelle and the streaming giant. In an Instagram post, she accused Chappelle of unleashing "hate and anger" on the LGBTQ+ community. She is not listed among the comedians appearing at Netflix's comedy festival.
