Jerrod Carmichael (R) is a comedian, actor, director, and producer. He’s taken aim at fellow comedian Dave Chapelle (L) (Netflix/Getty)
Comedian and filmmaker Jerrod Carmichael has blasted fellow comic Dave Chappelle, opening up about the pair’s ongoing feud and calling out Chappelle’s opinions on the LGBTQ+ community.
Controversial comedian Dave Chappelle has been criticised for his use of trans “jokes” in his Netflix specials.
Just a few minutes into Chapelle’s January 2024 show The Dreamer, he told the audience that trans people “make [him] feel” he has to go along with them, as if they’re method acting. In his 2021 Netflix special The Closer, he declared he’s “team TERF”, and made explicit jokes about trans women’s genitals.
Speaking to Esquire, Carmichael referred to a comment Chappelle made about the former’s 2022 stand-up special Rothaniel: “[Chappelle] referred to it as the bravest special for 1996. And it’s like, that’s a funny enough line, whatever, but I wonder if he gets the irony that the fact that you are mocking it even then why it was hard.”
“So much of comedy is just gay jokes. As long as people continue to laugh at it and mock it, and as long as it’s a punchline, it’s going to be scary for somebody. It’s scary for me.”
This is not the first time Carmichael has spoken out about Chappelle. He previously told The Hollywood Reporter that Chappelle’s legacy is “a bunch of opinions on trans s**t”, which he called “an odd hill to die on”.
Apparently Chappelle didn’t take that well.
“He took it as ‘F**k Dave Chappelle,’ because he’s an egomaniac. He wanted me to apologise to him publicly or some s**t,’ Carmichael said.
He clarified in his recent interview with Esquire that Chappelle’s jokes do not reveal “anything personal about himself and he’s removed from what he’s talking about, and I think he’s smarter than that and deeper than that and has more interesting thoughts”.
What else is Jerrod Carmichael known for?
Carmichael is much more than just a comedian. He had a sitcom titled The Carmichael Show on NBC from 2015 to 2017, which focused on Carmichael’s fictional family and was known for tackling issues like transgender rights, the Black Lives Matter movement, and obesity.
Carmichael made his film debut in 2014’s Neighbours with Seth Rogan and Zac Efron before going on to appear in James Franco’s The Disaster Artist, Transformers: The Last Knight, and most recently in the Oscar-nominated Poor Things with Emma Stone.
Carmichael also worked with Tyler the Creator and Jay-Z on a number of musical projects, previously directing the ‘Moonlight’ music video which reimagined an episode of the sitcom Friends with Black actors.
What’s the deal with Jerrod Carmichael and Tyler, the Creator?
During the first episode of The Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, the comedian said he had a crush on his friend and rapper Tyler, the Creator.
He reflected on the time that he opened up about those feelings to Tyler, but unfortunately those feelings weren’t mutual.
Apparently, Tyler laughed it off in a voice note and called Carmichael a “stupid bitch”.
“It’s embarrassing, a little bit. And obviously there’s the feat of it being so totally unrequited,” Carmichael said during the show.
Tyler and Carmichael appear on the show towards the end of the episode to discuss their friendship, both being vulnerable about how they felt about Carmichael’s revelation with Tyler concluding that “that man’s like family”, referring to Carmichael.
Despite the awkwardness, Carmichael told Esquire that he doesn’t regret his honest.
He said: “I think we’re okay. I’m in New York now, so I don’t see him that often but still admire him and love him, and his friendship meant so much to me, and he inspired me so much. I think every conversation in the show has made the relationship better, at least more honest.”
What is Jerrod Carmichael’s relationship with Taylor Swift?
Although Carmichael and Swift have never appeared together in one of the pop singer’s ‘squad’ photos, it turns out the pair have a close friendship.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Carmichael said: “Taylor Swift’s my best friend. Like I’m not her best friend, but she’s my best friend.”
This came after Kimmel put up a picture of Carmichael hanging out with Swift during an American football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills – Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce plays for the Chiefs.
“Can you think of a better friend to have than Taylor Swift? I called my former best friend and I was like, ‘You’re out! You never invited me on a jet to your game.’,” Carmichael joked.
How can I watch Rothaniel?
Carmichael’s stand-up comedy special Rothaniel, in which he came out publicly, is available to stream on HBO Max and it is available to purchase on Apple TV.
Previously, Rothaniel was also available on Amazon and Now TV at various points but it is unclear whether it is still streaming on those services.
The Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, a documentary series about the comedian’s quest for love and sex, is also available to watch on HBO Max.