Comedian and Ohio resident Dave Chappelle made a stop in Cincinnati on Wednesday evening to showcase his new documentary "Untitled."
His stop in Cincinnati was part of the 11-city tour of the documentary, which debuted to critical acclaim at the Tribeca Film Festival. It follows Chappelle during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 as he began doing socially distanced live performances in a cornfield near his hometown of Yellow Springs, a small village outside of Dayton.
Following the screening, the Cincinnati crowd at Heritage Bank Center gave Chappelle a standing ovation.
"Nothing feels better than a home game," he said, noting that unlike other shows around the country, he could go home and sleep in his own bed that night.
He took advantage of his home state connections and celebrity friends Wednesday night, with event host comedian and "RoastMaster General" Jeff Ross, a post-documentary performance by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Erykah Badu and appearances from Michelle Wolf, Donnell Rawlings and Chappelle's wife, Elaine.
The documentary focused on the effects of COVID-19 and protests following the death of Floyd in and around Yellow Springs as well as a zoning battle with Miami Township over continuing his presenting his shows at the rural property.
The screening was held at the Heritage Bank Center, which has a seating capacity of over 17,000.
No cell phones, cameras or recording devices were allowed during the show, and any phones and smart watches were secured in Yondr pouches that were unlocked at the end of the show. Proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test was also required for entry.
Comedians and celebrities who performed in Yellow Springs in the documentary included Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Ali Wong, Trevor Noah, Michelle Wolf, Jon Stewart, John Mayer and David Letterman, among others.
In total, Chappelle and an array of comedians and other artists performed 70 shows during 2020, which the documentary said brought over $9 million to Yellow Springs and the surrounding region.
On Wednesday in Cincinnati, Chappelle made no direct mention of his recent controversy and subsequent walkouts in October from some Netflix employees over comments in his Netflix comedy special "The Closer," where he commented on the transgender community.
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"I'm just a canceled guy trying to make his way through life," Chappelle said at one point after the screening.
Following the backlash and walkout, Chappelle had said he was willing to meet with the transgender community, but on his terms.
"To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me," he previously said. "I am not bending to anybody's demands. And if you want to meet with me, I'd be more than willing to, but I have some conditions."
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