Media

‘I’m Team Dave’: Bill Maher Defends Free Speech And Dave Chapelle After Netflix Protest

(Screenshot/YouTube/Real Time with Bill Maher)

Font Size:

HBO host Bill Maher said Friday that “everyone needs to Netflix and chill the f*ck out” on Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix special “The Closer” that has been targeted for its supposed transphobic nature.

Maher claimed during a Friday evening segment of “Real Time with Bill Maher” that people jumped into conclusions about the comedy special by relying on what the vocal few thought about it and without seeing and judging Chappelle’s work for themselves.

“Just because people called Dave ‘transphobic’ doesn’t mean that he is,” the host said in his monologue.

Maher then was joined on a panel discussion by “Woke Racism” author John McWhorter and former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang.

The HBO star pushed back against a “woke” notion of there being only “one true opinion.” (RELATED: Dave Chappelle Reportedly Planning To Do US Cities Tour If Netflix Takes Down ‘Closer’ Special)

“I’m a free-speech guy,” the host said. “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.”

“You know, you’re not automatically right if you’re trans,” Maher added. “You’re completely equal, you’re just not automatically right and it doesn’t behoove everybody to get their mind around very new changes, I mean, we were boys and girls for a very long time.”

The show’s guests appeared to agree with Maher’s take on the issue.