Dave Chappelleis no stranger to controversial comedy, so fans and critics likely won't be surprised his new special tackles topics including the assassination of political activistCharlie Kirkand his own decision to perform in Saudi Arabia.
In a surprise Netflix special titled "The Unstoppable" that dropped Friday night, Dec. 20, Chappelle spoke candidly about the conservative commentator who wasfatally shot at a Utah college campusin September.
"And the whites were quick to say this. They said, 'Charlie Kirk is this generation's Martin Luther King.' No, he's not. Yeah, that's a reach. You know, they both got murdered in a terrible fashion. They both got shot in the neck, but that's about where those similarities end," he said.
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Eddie Murphy's friends and family helped celebratethe debut of Netflix's "Being Eddie"during the premiere on Nov. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles.The new documentaryfilm on the comedy legend's life is available to stream on Netflix.
Chappelle, 52, called Kirk an "internet personality" and a "wholesome white guy" whose assassination was troubling.
"If you talk for a living and see Charlie Kirk get murdered that way. I'll be honest, I was shook," he said.
Chappelle also addressed how he and other comedians, likeBill BurrandKevin Hart, were slammed for performing at Saudi Arabia'sRiyadh Comedy Festival. The 14-day event overlapped with the seventh anniversary of the murder of Washington Post columnistJamal Khashoggi, a Saudi national and U.S. resident who was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018.
Chappelle echoed previous sentiments, saying it's easier to perform in the Middle East than it is in the U.S., adding, "But I've gotta tell you something — transgender jokes went over very well in Saudi Arabia."
In the United States,Chappelle has faced backlash for jokes about transgender people in previous specials.
"I'll take money from Saudi Arabia any day just so I can say no over here. It feels good to be free," he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dave Chappelle's surprise special 'Unstoppable,' mentions Charlie Kirk
