Minnesota Venue Cancels Chappelle Show Hours Before Gig Amid Backlash

A Dave Chappelle stand-up comedy show in Minnesota was canceled hours before the comedian was set to take to the stage due to public outcry.

Chappelle, who has faced widespread backlash over jokes he had made about the transgender community in his controversial 2021 special "The Closer," was scheduled to appear at the iconic First Avenue in Minneapolis on Wednesday. However, shortly before the sold-out performance, the venue announced the show would not be taking place at its theater and was instead moving to Varsity Theater in Dinkytown.

The decision came after First Avenue's social media was flooded with comments slamming the venue for hosting Chappelle, TMZ reported.

In a statement announcing the show's cancellation, First Avenue also apologized to the community for letting them down.

"To staff, artists and our community, we hear you, and we are sorry," the statement read. "We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls."

The venue went on to explain that it had "worked hard" to make itself one of "the safest spaces in the country," adding that it will "continue with that mission."

"We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have," the statement concluded.

Chappelle has defended his jokes by touting artistic expression. He doubled down on his remarks in a speech at his alma mater, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., which was quietly released on Netflix earlier this month.

In his speech, "What's in a Name?" the comedian revealed that he had decided against having a theater named after him at the school. Instead, the theater would be named the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression. The decision came amid criticism Chappelle said he faced for his remarks in "The Closer."

"When I heard those talking points coming out of these children's faces, that really, sincerely, hurt me. Because I know those kids didn't come up with those words. I've heard those words before. The more you say I can't say something, the more urgent it is for me to say it," Chappelle said, according to the New York Post.

"And it has nothing to do with what you're saying I can't say. It has everything to do with my right, my freedom, of artistic expression," he continued. "That is valuable to me. That is not severed from me. It's worth protecting for me, and it's worth protecting for everyone else who endeavors in our noble, noble professions."