Friday 11 November 2022 07:44 PM Dave Chappelle jokes he will STILL be hosting SNL this weekend despite boycott ... trends now
Dave Chappelle has made light of the backlash against him for hosting Saturday Night Live as he appeared in an advert ahead of the show this weekend.
The comedian riffed with cast member Ego Nwodim and awkwardly said 'yep' when she asked if he was making an appearance 'in this news cycle'.
The 49-year-old also joked the episode - featuring singers Black Star - was 'so black it'll be on BET'.
It comes after Chappelle faced fury from some staff members who threatened to boycott the program if he hosted it.
One even took to Instagram to argue 'transphobia is murder and it should be condemned' after his slot was announced.
Dave Chappelle has made light of the backlash at him hosting Saturday Night Live as he appeared in an advert ahead of the show this weekend
The comedian riffed with cast member Ego Nwodim and awkwardly said 'yep' when she asked if he was appearing on the show 'in this news cycle'
SNL's Twitter page shared the clip of the comedian smoking what appeared to be a cigarette as he geared up for his third time hosting the show.
Nwodim asks him: 'Wait, we're doing it live?' Chappelle replies: 'Of course.' She says: 'With you?' He hits back: 'Obviously.' She asks: 'In this news cycle?' He adds: 'Yep.'
Earlier in the advert, Chappelle jokes he will be hosting 'in an episode that's so Black, it's gonna be on BET.'
It will be the third time the funnyman has hosted the show, with the previous tw both airing less than a week after a national election.
But this most recent one appears to be the most controversial, with staff writers threatening a boycott over his gig.
They were said to be furious the showrunners chose the controversial comedian due to his history of making trans and gay jokes.
The SNL writers are so angry, they are boycotting the episode, an insider has told Page Six. The show's actors will not be taking a stand, the insider noted.
'They're not going to do the show,' the unnamed insider was quoted as saying by the news site. 'But none of the actors are boycotting.'
After Saturday's announcement that Chappelle would be hosting, non-binary SNL writer Celeste Yim posted this to their Instagram stories
A representative for Chappelle said there had been no signs of a boycott when they had attended meetings with the writers during the week.
Chapelle was at 30 Rock in New York City on Tuesday where he met with both writers and producers to hear ideas.
The comedian's rep said: 'The room was full of writers. They all pitched ideas
