“Chappelle’s Show” is returning to Netflix today (Feb. 12) with Dave Chappelle’s blessing. In an Instagram clip, the comedian explained that fans’ boycott of the show was successful, resulting in Comedy Central finally paying him “millions of dollars.”
“I asked you to stop watching the show and thank God almighty for you, you did,” Chappelle said in a 10-minute clip captioned “Redemption Song.” “You made that show worthless because without your eyes it’s nothing.”
“And when you stopped watching it, they called me,” he continued. “And I got my name back and I got my license back and I got my show back and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much.”
Back in November, Chappelle asked Netflix to remove “Chappelle’s Show” from the platform because ViacomCBS, its original rights owner and Comedy Central’s parent company, had been licensing it without his permission.
In a stand-up explaining the situation, Chappelle revealed to fans, “People think I made a lot of money from ‘Chappelle’s Show.’ When I left that show I never got paid. They didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract.”
“I found out that these people were streaming my work and they never had to ask me or they never have to tell me. Perfectly legal because I signed the contract,” he added, asking fans, “But is that right? I didn’t think so, either.”
Chappelle asked fans to boycott the series to show their support, which paid off.
“After all these years, I can finally say to Comedy Central, ‘It’s been a pleasure doing business with you,’” he said in his newest clip.
Chappelle also thanked Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos for having “the courage to take the show off its platform at a financial detriment to his company just because I asked him to.” He also thanked ViacomCBS’s Chris McCarthy for “making the past right” by paying him.
See Chappelle’s announcement in his “Redemption Song” video below.