Dave Chappelle has hit back at Bill Maher in his new Netflix special, 'The Unstoppable,' over Maher's criticism of his performance at Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Comedy Festival. In the special, which premiered on December 19, Chappelle said, 'I've known Bill since I was like 18, 19 years old, and I've never said this publicly, but fuck that guy. I'm so fucking tired of his little smug, cracker-ass commentary.'
The controversy stems from Chappelle's claim at the festival that it is 'easier to talk in Saudi Arabia for me than it is in America.' Maher, on his show 'Real Time,' challenged this, saying, 'It's not true. Do your hunk on Mohammed, Dave.' In his special, Chappelle stood by his statement, referencing his own experience of backlash over transgender jokes in the US, which he said went over well in Saudi Arabia.
The Riyadh Comedy Festival, held earlier this year, featured a lineup including Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings, and Aziz Ansari. While some comedians like Burr and C.K. praised the event, others including Jimmy Kimmel, David Cross, Marc Maron, and Shane Gillis spoke out against it.
