American stand-up comedian Dave Chapelle’s show was canceled despite it being sold out.
The 48-year-old’s Minnesota show was canceled “just hours” before it was set to take place…
It was reported that activists would be planning on protesting in relation to the “problematic things” the comedian had said in the past.
But recently, Rolling Stone reported the protest would be “moved to outside the new venue.”
Since then Chappelle has faced severe backlash for his jokes about the transgender community.
And they have been “labeling his puns as transphobic,” according to LADbible.
Chapelle’s Netflix standup special The Closer also sparked outrage because the comedian “used derogatory language about trans peoples’ genitalia” and even sided with Harry Potter author J.K Rowling.
And it didn’t end well, as people called for Netflix to pull The Closer from its streaming service.
But the company stood by Chapelle and said he was “Free to push the boundaries in the name of comedy,” LADbible reports.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said that “Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him.”
“We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe The Closer crosses that line,” he said.
This response was enough to cause a mass employee walk-out — aggravating hundreds to continuously protest against comedian.
First Venue in Minnesota recently released a statement and told fans they would be canceling Chapelle’s show.
And would “not allow the comedian on stage” as they feared it “would upset people.”
The statement read: “To staff, artists, and our community, we hear you, and we are sorry. We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down.
“We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls.”
“The First Avenue team and you have worked hard to make our venues the safest spaces in the country, and we will continue with that mission.
“We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have,” it continued.
And finally, it acknowledged that some may not be happy with their decision…
“We know there are some who would not agree with this decision; you are welcome to send feedback,” it finished.
But Chapelle’s supporters could rest assured as according to Fox9 the comedian’s show was moved to the Varsity Theater where he had already booked 4 other shows.