Dave Chappelle Takes Aim at Bill Maher in New Netflix Special ‘The Unstoppable’: “His Little Smug, Cracker-a– Commentary”

Dave Chappelle used his new Netflix stand-up special, The Unstoppable, to respond to criticism he faced after performing at Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Comedy Festival. One of his sharpest comments was aimed at fellow comedian Bill Maher.

During the special, which premiered on Netflix on Dec. 19, Chappelle talked about the backlash he received for taking part in the festival. He told the audience he had been attacked in the media for performing in Saudi Arabia and made it clear he did not feel bad about it. He also directly addressed Maher, who had questioned Chappelle’s comments about free speech.

“Recently in the news, I’ve been getting a lot of grief, again, because I did a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia,” Chappelle said to applause. “And you hear those cheers? That’s Black people. America’s whites, they’re furious. Boy, I gotta tell you something. I’ve never not felt guilty about something. I don’t feel guilty at all. And Bill Maher, the famous comedian, I’ve known Bill since I was like, 18, 19 years old, and I’ve never said this publicly, but f*** that guy. I’m so f***** tired of his little smug, cracker-a** commentary.”

Chappelle said that when he mentioned on stage that speaking freely felt easier for him in Saudi Arabia than in the United States, the reaction surprised many people. He explained that he did not expect the comment to turn into headlines. Still, he stood by it. “I said, ‘It’s easier to talk in Saudi Arabia for me than it is in America,’” he said in the special. “Oh, I stand ten toes on that.”

Maher had previously discussed the issue on his HBO show Real Time. While Maher praised comedians who performed in Riyadh for pushing boundaries, he rejected Chappelle’s claim. “It’s not true,” Maher said at the time, challenging Chappelle to test those limits openly.

In his Netflix set, Chappelle pointed to his own recent history as proof. He reminded viewers that he faced intense backlash in the U.S. over jokes about transgender people. According to Chappelle, those same jokes landed well with audiences in Saudi Arabia. “Don’t forget what I just went through,” he said, referring to past controversies.

The Riyadh Comedy Festival featured many big names in stand-up, including Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Whitney Cummings and Aziz Ansari. While some comedians spoke out against the event, others defended it after attending. Burr later said the festival was one of the best experiences of his career.

This situation shows how divided comedy has become. Chappelle is clearly pushing back against what he sees as limits on speech in the U.S., while others believe he ignores real issues tied to where he performs. Whether people agree with him or not, he knows how to keep the conversation going. What do you think about Chappelle’s comments and his response to Bill Maher? Share your thoughts in the comments.