Fans are comparing the response that Dave Chappelle has gotten amidst his “Chappelle’s Show” Viacom licensing issues and the support — or lack thereof — that Mo’Nique received when she sued Netflix for discrimination.
On Tuesday (Nov. 24), Chappelle revealed that he had asked Netflix to remove “Chappelle’s Show” from the streaming service because the series’ original rights holder, ViacomCBS, had been licensing it without his permission. In a lengthy stand-up clip, he explained that he “never got paid” by Viacom after departing from the show.
“They didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract,” he said. “… I found out that these people were streaming my work and they never had to ask me or they never have to tell me… But is that right? I didn’t think so either.”
The comedian also praised Netflix for swiftly removing the popular series upon his request.
“That’s why I like working for Netflix,” he said. “… When I found out they were streaming ‘Chappelle’s Show,’ I was furious… I called them and I told them that this makes me feel bad. And you want to know what they did? They agreed that they would take it off their platform just so I could feel better.”
Chappelle also asked his fans to boycott the show until Viacom agrees to pay him for streaming it. While Chappelle’s licensing dispute is with Viacom, Twitter users were quick to point out that Netflix immediately solved his issue on their end, whereas Mo’Nique’s legal battle with the streaming giant has been going on for two years.
“Netflix never thought to pay Mo’Nique what she deserved. So even if Dave Chappelle never asked anyone to boycott Netflix, they worked a lot quicker to solve his situation than they gave Mo’Nique time,” one person tweeted.
Others also noticed the difference in fans’ support for Chappelle’s claims, as opposed to the criticism that Mo’Nique faced when she called for her own boycott in 2018.
“It really is wild to see all these people immediately back up Dave Chappelle after they gaslit & dismissed Mo’Nique for the exact same shit,” one fan wrote.
“This shit with Dave Chappelle is weird. Not him. But y’all,” another tweeted. “Because y’all giving Dave the support that Mo’Nique needed too. And that’s so fucking sad.”
Mo’Nique sued Netflix for race and sex discrimination after the company allegedly low-balled her on an offer for her comedy special. The Academy Award-winning actress said the streaming platform offered to pay her significantly less than her white and male comedy counterparts and refused to negotiate the deal any further. According to her lawsuit, Netflix also offered Amy Schumer, a white female comedian, as much as 26 times more for her comedy special than Mo’Nique’s.
This July, Mo’Nique celebrated a win in her legal fight against Netflix, as a judge ruled that the lawsuit could proceed.
See some tweets comparing the two situations below.