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Bill Maher pushes back on criticism of Chappelle: ‘What the f— was that reaction?’

HBO’s Bill Maher pushed back against criticism aimed at comedian Dave Chappelle, whose Netflix special has come under fire for being transphobic.

“What the f— was that reaction?” Maher said during his Friday show, according to Fox News. “Everyone needs to Netflix and chill the f— out on this one.”

Chappelle has been in hot water for his special, “The Closer,” in which he makes several remarks, claiming that “Gender is a fact” and proclaiming that “I’m Team TERF!” — referring to trans-exclusionary radical feminists. Earlier this week Netflix employees staged a walkout to show their solidarity with the trans community and protest the Netflix special. 

“Really? Dave’s special is offensive but not the show where the Koreans murder each other for money?” Maher cheekily claimed, referring to “Squid Game,” which is also streamed on Netflix, according to Fox News.

Maher continued to further defend Chappelle’s right to free speech saying, “We can’t be afraid to speak in America.”

Later on during a panel with “Woke Racism” author John McWhorter and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, Maher said that “there isn’t just one true opinion.”

“I’m a free speech guy. Now, I’m Team Dave, but that doesn’t mean I’m anti-trans. We can have two thoughts in our head at the same time,” Maher continued, who said that he supported trans rights.

However, those who participated in the Netflix employee walkout, which included several high-profile guests such as “Transparent” creator Joey Soloway, signaled a different tone from Maher.

“Trans people are in the middle of a holocaust,” Soloway reportedly said during the walkout on Wednesday. “Apartheid, murder, a state of emergency, human rights crisis, there’s a mental health crisis. There’s a suicide crisis, a bullying crisis, an anxiety, depression, self-hatred state of emergency crisis.”

Tags Andrew Yang Bill Maher Bill Maher Dave Chappelle Netflix The Closer

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