Dave Chappelle claims SNL producers BANNED him from discussing Gaza and trans issues

Comedian Dave Chappelle has alleged that Saturday Night Live (SNL) producers had barred him from addressing the ongoing Gaza crisis and transgender issues during his appearance on the show.

According to SFGATES’s senior culture editor, Dan Gentile, who was in the audience, said that the comedian made "big interesting revelation" during the gig. "'SNL' producers told him he couldn’t speak about two topics: transgender people and Gaza, a shocking stroke of censorship, given the political nature of the monologue," Gentile wrote.

The restriction on discussing Gaza follows the outline several other Hollywood events and award shows that have been barred from making political remarks. Notably, Chappelle has remarked on the crisis in the past when he previously referred to the situation as a "genocide".

Despite the warnings against referring to the subject, Chappelle did manage to reference Palestine during his closing monologue, calling for greater empathy, including from US President Donald Trump.

"Do not forget your humanity and please have empathy for displaced people, whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine," Chappelle said in his speech.

During his San Francisco set, he reportedly concluded his performance by saying, "Give the Jews a break, free Palestine," before dramatically ending his act with a mic drop.

Chappelle’s past comments on transgender individuals have been widely criticized, particularly in his Netflix special The Closer, where he used slurs and aligned himself with JK Rowling’s anti-trans rhetoric, declaring himself "Team TERF [trans-exclusionary radical feminist]." Given this history, it has been speculated that SNL executives may have sought to avoid further backlash, especially with the show celebrating its landmark 50th season.

The show's 50th anniversary celebration went on to become NBC's most-watched prime-time entertainment telecast in five years, reaching nearly 15 million viewers.

Sunday night's 3½ hour extravaganza packed with comedy sketches, superstar musical performances and unexpected cameos, delivered the biggest audience for the network for a night-time entertainment show since the 2020 Golden Globes.

Only the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a bigger viewership draw in recent years, NBC said Monday.