Life is riddled with setbacks, challenges and the like. If we’re being honest, life is a living hell on Earth. Despite the curveballs the world throws at us, it can sometimes change our lives for the better.
Comedian Dave Chappelle is regarded as one of the biggest game-changing acts in the world of stand-up comedy. During his famous Comedy Central series The Dave Chappelle Show, the comedian discussed everything from racism, racial stereotypes and drug addiction. At the time, such topics were considered controversial. Chappelle tore down barriers and took the plunge in addressing hardships the black community faced. Many of those issues still exist till this day.
Though, there came the dark era of his career when Chappelle walked away from his series in the early 2000s. The comedian veteran, fortunately, spent that time focusing on his family and himself. After what seemed like a decade, the comedian finally returned to the spotlight again back in 2014. Chappelle’s comeback revealed a new man, with a surprising muscular bod. Change clearly worked wonders for the comedian.
Dave Chappelle Is Jacked
After enduring a traumatic event, celebrities are prone to take a vacation or a year’s long hiatus from the entertainment world. After Dave Chappelle quit his show back in May of 2005, the comedian took a trip out to South Africa to escape the flashing lights and the press. The comedian returned from his trip soon after. Chappelle got his feet wet again doing a few gigs here and there during the years 2005-2013. Though it wasn’t until 2014, that Chappelle’s return to the spotlight was met with utter surprise.
Paparazzi first spotted the comedian walking the streets of Los Angeles in early April of 2014. The media took note of Chappelle’s loaded guns, clearly having ditched his lanky physique. People really made a spectacle about Chappelle’s new muscles in the summer of 2016 when the comedian attended the NBA finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. Twitter tweeted non-stop about the comedian’s massive arms. Of course, fans and internet trolls dragged Chappelle with cheeky jokes and even made comparisons between him and Terrell Owens.
As far as we’re concerned, Dave Chappelle looked pretty good. Taking time for himself, while working a steady schedule, really whipped him into shape. Leaving The Dave Chappelle Show was a good change of pace for the comedian.
The Mystery Behind Why Dave Chapelle Left His Show
Despite making some healthy changes in his life, Dave Chappelle couldn’t seem to escape questions surrounding his abrupt departure from his late Comedy Central series. Sources note that the comedian walked away from a $50 million deal in 2005 to renew the show for a third season. The 47-year-old admitted to wishing he’d stay for the money. Unfortunately, due to poor “working conditions” the comedian couldn’t go through the series renewal.
While speaking with Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, and news outlets, Chappelle finally admitted the real reason behind why he left the show. The 47-year-old felt that many of the audiences and even his team “missed the point” of his jokes about racism. He even described one point in which a crew member actually made fun of him during a satirical skit about Blackfacing. The comedian was accustomed to people “laughing with him, not at him.” Chapelle even encountered other instances during The Dave Chappelle Show where audiences laughed “at the wrong things.” Some even maliciously used his catchphrases like “White Power” against him. During one stand-up skit, the comedian reportedly called the audience “stupid” for laughing at the wrong time. Additionally, the star admitted to performing skits that weren’t in line with his message and ultimately “felt like the show ruined his life.”
His escape to South Africa gave the comedian a sense of clarity on his life. However, he admitted to having frustrations over only his inability to afford certain pleasures with only $10 million in the bank. Standing up for what he believed in was one of the hardest things he had to do in his career. In the end, the trip allowed Chappelle to reconnect with his family. It even gave him time to properly grieve over his father, who died seven years ago. Chappelle clearly had a lot of unloading to do during his trip to South Africa. Not to mention, it gave him time to work on his next plan of attack. In the coming years, the comedian would come back stronger than ever.
What He’s Up To Now
Taking a break from the spotlight gave Dave Chappelle the peace he needed. In addition to flaunting his new ripped bod, Chappelle also went back to doing stand-up comedy. Over the last few years, the comedian has released a few stand-up specials on Netflix. Chappelle noted that he’s in a healthier working relationship with the streaming service. He now affectionally calls Netflix his “comedy home.” Chappelle especially appreciated the moment Netflix agreed to remove his former comedy show The Dave Chappelle Show from their catalog. Since Chappelle’s specials make Netflix plenty of money, they didn’t want to risk disappointing their biggest client.
All in all, Dave Chappelle is in better hands now. He’s especially in a better place than he was years ago when he performed on The Dave Chappelle Show. The comedian’s ripped bod is a clear sign that the star is living his best life in Hollywood.