Artists are a delicate breed of people. The only thing that matters to any artist or performer is for their work to be appreciated and get its worth. But the entertainment industry being the all-consuming monster it is time and again damages the artist’s psyche through its shrewd corporate workings.
Dave Chappelle, the beloved stand-up comedian, recently revealed that he too once fell victim to big studio’s poisonous contractual maze. Through an Instagram clip titled “Unforgiven”, the 47-year-old stand-up comedian revealed how ViacomCBS conned him through a complex contract and robbed him of rightful pay.
What is Dave Chappelle’s Net Worth?
According to CelebrityNetworth, Dave Chapelle has a whopping net worth of $50 Million as of2022.
A stand-up comedian, an actor, a writer, Dave Chappelle is a true artist in every sense. He has been in the industry for almost three decades now, during which he has earned quite a reputation and wealth.
Ever since Chappelle made his comeback in 2013, he has been doing really well. According to Forbes, when Chappelle signed a deal with Netflix in 2016, he was reportedly paid $60 million for delivering three standup specials. Chappelle went on to win Emmys for the same.
Dave Slams ViacomCBS and Praises Netflix
Chappelle revealed that after he pitched the studio his hit show “Chappelle Show’s” which aired on Comedy Central, ViacomCBS conned him into signing a very complicated contract. He also explained how a setback like that at an early stage of his career shook his morale and affect his mental health.
When Chappelle found out that the network has licensed the show to several streaming services like HBOMax and Netflix, it further infuriated him. Chapelle immediately called up Netflix executives and explained his situation and requested them to take down “Chappelle’s Show” from their platform. Out of respect to the comedian’s artistic integrity, Netflix humbly accepted Chappelle’s request and took down the show within hours.
When Netflix started streaming “Chappelle Show” in early November, David Chappelle found out that ViacomCBS is licensing “Chappelle’s Show” without his permission. Hours after Chapelle’s request to take down the show as it hurts his feelings as an artist, Netflix agreed and has taken down the show. He further praised Netflix as he went on to say,
“That’s why I like working for Netflix. I like working for Netflix because when all those bad things happened to me, that company didn’t even exist. And when I found out they were streaming ‘Chappelle’s Show,’ I was furious. How could they not know? So you know what I did? I called them and I told them that this makes me feel bad. And you want to know what they did? They agreed that they would take it off their platform just so I could feel better. That’s why I fuck with Netflix. Because they paid me my money, they do what they say they’re going to do, and they went above and beyond what you could expect from a businessman. They did something just because they thought that I might think that they were wrong.”
In his Instagram video Chapelle explains that because of a “stupid” contract that the network got him to sign at a very early and vulnerable stage of his career, grants ViacomCBS all rights to license the show to other platforms. To which Chappelle responded by saying,
“ I think that if you are fucking streaming that show you’re fencing stolen goods.”
Chappelle also told that even though the network made tons of money, he was never paid his dues. He further explained that even though the contract might allow them to stream his show but it’s not morally right to do so. He said,
“They didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract. But is that right? I found out that these people were streaming my work and they never had to ask me or they never have to tell me. Perfectly legal ‘cause I signed the contract. But is that right? I didn’t think so either.”
Disclaimer: Celebrity net worth mentioned in the post is just an estimation and not an exact amount. Information was gathered from online sources which are thought to be reliable, but the reader should not assume that such information is up to date or completely accurate or final. If you have any problem relating to its inaccuracy, mail us at contact@bugle24.com
