Dave Chappelle Finally Breaks Silence On Ending ‘Chappelle’s Show’ [Video]

In 2005, Dave Chappelle walked away from Comedy Central's offer of a reported $50 million to continue doing Chappelle's Show. He hasn't spoken publicly about it since...until now!

Dave Chappelle made a rare appearance on Late Show with David Letterman to promote his sold out shows at Radio City Music Hall June 18-22. During the interview he finally broke his silence about leaving Chappelle's Show in the middle of the third season.

"Listen, here it is. Technically, I never quit. I'm seven years late for work," Chappelle joked.

 

On walking away from that much money, Chappelle said this:

"It's very hard to go through something like this because no one's really done it before. There's not too many people who don't think I'm crazy," Chappelle said. "I look at it like this: I'm at a restaurant with my wife, we're at a nice restaurant, we're eating dinner. I look across the room, I say, 'You see this guy over here? He has $100 million and we're eating the same entree.' So OK, fine, I don't have $50 million or whatever it was. But say I have $10 million in the bank. The difference in lifestyle is miniscule. The only difference between having $10 million and $50 million is an astounding $40 million...Of Course I would like to have that money"

He admits that he might be a happier person if he had that extra $40 million...but we'll never know.

While, as a TV viewer, I can say I was upset that he left the show. That was me being selfish, because I wanted the laughter that it brought. Over the years I've come to realize there had to be a reason for doing it, and I accept that. Dave Chappelle is still one of the funniest people alive, imo.

Here's the majority of the interview between Dave Chappelle and David Letterman: