Dave Chappelle to return as SNL host Saturday; Black Star to perform

Dave Chappelle will take over hosting duties at “Saturday Night Live” Nov. 12, following next week’s midterm elections, according to NBC.

This will be the comedian’s third post-election appearance on the popular sketch comedy show, last hosting on Nov. 7, 2020 within days of Joe Biden’s presidential election win. He debuted as host on Nov. 12, 2016, following Donald Trump’s victory in that year’s presidential race, per Variety.

Iconic hip-hop duo Black Star, comprised of Yasiin Bey and Mos Def, will accompany Chappelle as the evening’s musical guest, according to NBC.

The network’s decision to book Chappelle has been met with controversy due to the acclaimed comedian’s history of transphobic and homophobic remarks. He has appeared to double down on those comments in follow-up interviews.

The criticism of Chappelle’s takes on LGBTQ+ communities amplified in the wake of his 2021 Netflix special “The Closer.” In the special, he defended transphobic comments made by “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, and self-identified as a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), as previously reported by theGrio.

In the special, he added: “Gender is a fact. Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on earth. That is a fact. Now, I am not saying that to say trans women aren’t women, I am just saying that those p–sies that they got… you know what I mean? I’m not saying it’s not p—y, but it’s ‘Beyond P—y’ or ‘Impossible P—y’. It tastes like p—y, but that’s not quite what it is, is it? That’s not blood. That’s beet juice.”

Following the special’s release and refusal from Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos to remove it from the streamer, outraged employees at Netflix staged a walkout alongside Trans Lives Matter activists and allies.

Chappelle was additionally tackled onstage in Hollywood by a man who said said he was triggered by the comedian’s jokes about the LGBTQ+ community and homelessness.

Amid ongoing controversy, Chappelle is joining forces with Chris Rock for a limited run comedy tour beginning in December in California and Arizona following the duo’s sold-out European arena tour.

theGrio’s Jared Alexander contributed to this report.

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The post Dave Chappelle to return as SNL host Saturday; Black Star to perform appeared first on TheGrio.