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In a delightful surprise for his fans, Dave Chappelle delivered an early Christmas gift on Friday night.
The acclaimed comedian, known for his sharp wit and incisive humor, quietly launched a new stand-up special titled The Unstoppable on Netflix. This release followed the conclusion of the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua boxing match, where Anthony Joshua emerged victorious.
Earlier in the day, Chappelle hinted at the upcoming release through a video on the Netflix Is a Joke Instagram account. In the video, he expressed gratitude to his supporters and gave a special shout-out to his roots.
“I wanted to shout out my hometown, Washington, D.C., and thank everybody that came out in October to support me at that show,” Chappelle shared. “I just want you to know that show will be streaming on Netflix tonight after the fight. My new special drops, and I hope you love it. Thank you very much.” He concluded with his signature sign-off, “Chicka, Chicka!”
The special spans an hour and 15 minutes, and according to Netflix’s description, Chappelle navigates a chaotic world with his trademark boldness, delivering incisive truths and powerful punchlines in this unrestrained performance.
The Unstoppable marks Chappelle’s eighth standup special for Netflix, following The Age of Spin, Deep in the Heart of Texas, Equanimity, The Bird Revelation, Sticks & Stones, The Closer, and The Dreamer.
Netflix has also previously released Chappelle projects with little advance notice. In 2022, the streamer dropped What’s in a Name?, a 40-minute video featuring Chappelle speaking at his alma mater, Washington, D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where he addressed the criticism he has faced for jokes about transgender people.
Chappelle has continued to generate headlines in recent months, including a September appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival. He and several other comedians were criticized for participating in the event after Human Rights Watch said it was being used to deflect attention from the country’s “brutal repression of free speech.”
During his set at the festival, Chappelle used his time onstage to comment on free speech in the United States. “Right now in America, they say that if you talk about Charlie Kirk, that you’ll get canceled,” the comedian told the audience, according to The New York Times. He later added, “It’s easier to talk here than it is in America.”
