Michelle Buteau Criticizes Dave Chappelle's Jokes About Transgender People, Calls Them 'Dangerous'

Comedian and actress Michelle Buteau, known for her role in "Babes," used her latest comedy special, "A Buteau-ful Mind," to address Dave Chappelle's controversial remarks about transgender people.

During her historic performance at New York’s iconic Radio City Music Hall, Buteau took the opportunity to criticize Chappelle's past comments, describing them as "dangerous."

Buteau began by demonstrating how comedians can craft jokes about marginalized communities in a way that is both harmless and genuinely funny.

She recounted an NSFW joke about her "beautiful, Black lesbian friend," emphasizing the importance of humor that doesn’t alienate or harm others.

“For the most part, we laughed,” Buteau told the audience. “What I’m saying is it can be done. It can be done. We can tell jokes and stories and not disparage a whole community.”

Her remarks were met with enthusiastic applause and cheers from the crowd.

Buteau went on to directly address Chappelle, encouraging her audience to pass along her message.

“We can do that, we can make it funny. You just have to work at it, right? So if you guys ever run into Dave Chappelle, can you let him know that s–?” she said, drawing laughter from the audience.

Although Buteau acknowledged Chappelle’s status as a legendary comedian, she expressed disappointment with his approach to comedy about transgender people.

“And he is the GOAT, if that means going off about trans people. Dave, it’s not funny. It’s dangerous,” she said. “I can’t believe somebody would make millions and millions of dollars for making people feel unsafe. That is so wild to me.”

With support from the raucous crowd, Buteau added that her goal is to use comedy to uplift and empower. “I want to make millions and millions of dollars for making people feel safe, seen, secure, heard, and entertained!” she declared, sparking another round of applause.

Dave Chappelle has faced significant backlash for his remarks about the transgender community in recent years. His 2021 Netflix special, "The Closer," was widely criticized for comments many deemed transphobic.

Following the backlash, Chappelle addressed the controversy during a comedy show in Nashville, defending his work.

The comedian’s contentious history with jokes about transgender people dates back even further. In his 2019 special "Equanimity," Chappelle faced criticism for comments about Caitlyn Jenner.

A year later, his "Sticks and Stones" special also included material that angered members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.

Buteau’s "A Buteau-ful Mind" is her second Netflix special, following her 2020 debut, "Welcome to Buteaupia."

The New Year’s Eve release marked a historic moment, as Buteau became the first female comedian to record a Netflix special at Radio City Music Hall.

Her performance blended humor and advocacy, using comedy as a platform to address pressing social issues while entertaining her audience.

News has reached out to Chappelle’s representatives for comment on Buteau’s remarks.