Some SNL Writers Allegedly Boycotting Over Dave Chappelle Hosting

Saturday Night Live’s decision to bring back Dave Chappelle as a host this coming weekend may have caused a bit of turmoil behind the scenes.

According to Page Six, several unnamed staff writers are sitting out this episode in protest of the variety show working with a comedian who has repeatedly come under fire for his transphobic jokes in the recent past.

“They’re not going to do the show,” a source told the publication. “But none of the actors are boycotting.”

Chappelle has continued to double down on punching down after initially being called out for making transphobic jokes in his 2021 Netflix standup special, The Closer. His fans defend him as pushing boundaries, while critics point out there isn’t anything edgy about taking swings at a marginalized group who is already constantly under attack.

But attempts to discuss the real world implications of what Chappelle seems to believe are just jokes have gone ignored, or blatantly mocked. And as much as he has tried to cry “cancel culture” in the wake of simple criticism, his upcoming appearance on SNL is the latest thing to prove he is not actually facing any consequences or being forced to reckon with his words.

So it’s no surprise that his camp also brushed off the claim that several SNL writers were skipping out on the show, telling Page Six that “there was no evidence of a boycott” and “the room was full of writers.”

“They all pitched ideas and they seemed very excited about it,” they said.

It's also worth noting that SNL added its first nonbinary cast member this year, Molly Kearney.

Whether Chappelle acts predictably and either makes more trans jokes, or makes a big deal out of having to avoid telling them on the program remains to be seen, but considering he pulled an AIDS joke out for no reason when he last hosted in 2020 — before his anti-trans controversy had even begun — there’s no reason to hope SNL will reign him in if he starts taking swings yet again.