Dave Chappelle Says ‘SNL’ Barred Him From Talking Gaza, Transgender People in Opening Monologue

Dave Chappelle told an audience in San Francisco last week that Saturday Night Live producers told him to avoid talking about Gaza or transgender people during his opening monologue when he hosted the show Jan. 18, the first new episode of the year.

Chappelle performed a stand-up show in San Francisco on Thursday, which was reviewed by SFGATE’s Dan Gentile, who wrote: “SNL producers told him he couldn’t speak about two topics: transgender people and Gaza, a shocking stroke of censorship, given the political nature of the monologue.”

A rep for NBCUniversal did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.

Despite the apparent SNL directive, Chappelle made reference to Palestine in his monologue. After wishing Donald Trump good luck two days before he was inaugurated as president, advising him to “Please do better next time,” he told the audience, “Do not forget your humanity and please have empathy for displaced people whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.” He also referenced Palestine in a tribute to Jimmy Carter, saying, “I will never forget the images of a former American president walking with little to no security while thousands of Palestinians were cheering him on. When I saw that picture, it brought tears to my eyes.”

During his set in San Francisco, “he didn’t go on to elaborate much more on Gaza except to close with ‘Give the Jews a break, free Palestine’ before literally dropping the mic,” SFGATE‘s Gentile wrote.

Chappelle is set to appear in the star-studded SNL50: The Anniversary Special, which airs live tonight, Feb. 16.

From Rolling Stone US.