"Chapelle's Show" has returned to Netflix and Dave Chapelle approves. The comedian last year requested that the show be pulled from the streaming service. At issue was that after the show came to an end after airing on Viacom-owned Comedy Central from 2003 to 2006, he signed a contract with Viacom allowing it to stream without additional payment. Since then Chapelle claims he never received any money, but he has now given Netflix his blessings to stream the show once again after he was paid "millions of dollars."
Chapelle detailed how they reached the agreement in a video of a performance titled "Redemption Song," which he shared to Instagram Thursday.
“I asked you to stop watching the show and thank god almighty for you, you did," Chapelle said. "You made that show worthless because without your eyes, it’s nothing. And when you stopped watching it they called me. And I got my name back. And I got my license back, and I got my show back, and they paid me millions of dollars. Thank you very much."
In December Chapelle opened up about his licensing agreement with ViacomCBS in another video shared to Instagram.
"People think I made a lot of money from 'Chappelle's Show,'" he said. "When I left that show, I never got paid. They didn't have to pay me, because I signed the contract. But is that right? I found out that these people were streaming my work, and they never had to ask me or they never have to tell me. Perfectly legal 'cause I signed the contract. But is that right?"
Speaking on Thursday, Chapelle thanked Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and Chris McCarthy of ViacomCBS.
"Finally after all of these years I can finally say to Comedy Central, 'It's been a pleasure doing business with you,'" he said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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