Dave Chappelle made his return to Saturday Night Live, and his opening monologue had people talking all over social media. Check it out below.
On Saturday, Jan. 18, Chappelle hosted SNL once again and delivered a monologue pleading for people to have empathy in light of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the fires throughout Los Angeles, with a pointed message for President Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration.
“To Donald Trump, I know you watch the show. Man, remember: whether people voted for you or not, they’re all counting on you. Whether they like you or not, they’re all counting on you. The whole world is counting on you. Know this when I say this, good luck. Please do better next time.”
He also pleaded for everyone to have “empathy,” saying, “Don't forget your humanity, & have empathy for displaced people, whether they're in the Palisades or Palestine.”
He also touched on Diddy’s sexual assault lawsuits, saying:
“I’ve been in a lot of trouble in my day but this guy Puffy, oh buddy, this guy is in an enormous amount of trouble; I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this…They’d be like, ‘Well how were all these people you know at the freak-off and you were the only one who wasn’t at the freak-off?’ And I thought about it for a minute and I said oh my God — I’m ugly. That was a tough way to find that out. Can you imagine if you were me reading the newspaper and found out everyone in Hollywood had an orgy behind your back? None of y’all called me?”
Fans roasted the legendary comedian's outfit when he appeared in a series of promos for the episode alongside cast member Marcello Hernández and musical guest GloRilla. Chappelle wore a sleeveless suit jacket that had fans comparing him to WWE wrestler Virgil, bodybuilder Tony Atlas, a Las Vegas male stripper, and more.
Chappelle made his SNL hosting debut in 2016 after taking some time out of the public eye. His performance in 2016 won him an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He hosted again in November 2020 and again in 2022. His last appearance was controversial, as he made several jokes about the Jewish community, antisemitism, and Black America.