Dave Chappelle Addresses George Floyd’s Death in Surprise Netflix Special ‘8:46’

Dave Chappelle pulls no punches in new Netflix special 8:46, which made a surprise appearance on the Netflix is a Joke YouTube channel early Friday. In the special, taped just last week, Chappelle skewers the culture of police brutality that led to George Floyd’s death, but he saves his harshest criticism for CNN’s Don Lemon and right-wing commentator Candace Owens. “Candace Owens, that rotten bitch, she’s the worst,” he says. “She’s the most articulate idiot I’ve ever seen in my fucking life.”

Like Chappelle’s previous work, 8:46 — the length of time a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck — provides some much needed commentary on the week’s news. “It’s hard to figure out what to say about George Floyd, so I’m not going to say it yet,” he says at the top of the set. “I got to tell you, this is like the first concert in North American since all this s– happened, so like it or not, it’s history. It’s going to be in the books.”

But it doesn’t take long for Chappelle to find his place in the discussion. “When I watched that tape, I understood this man knew he was going to die. People watched it, people filmed it, and for some reason that I still don’t understand, all these fucking police had their hands in their pockets,” he says. “Who are you talking to? What are you signifying? That you can kneel on a man’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and feel like you wouldn’t get the wrath of God? That is what is happening right now. It’s not for a single cop, it’s for all of it, fucking all of it. I don’t mean to get heavy but we gotta say something.”

The comedian goes on to address his own experience with racism before turning to the media’s reaction to Floyd’s death. “Every institution that we trust lies to us,” says Chappelle, before taking down pro-Trump, Black media pundit Candace Owens, who spent much of last week tweeting about Floyd’s criminal record. “I seen Candace Owens try to convince white America, ‘Don’t worry about it. He’s a criminal anyway,'” he says. “I don’t give a fuck what this n**** did. I don’t care what this n**** did. I don’t care if he personally kicked Candace Owens in her stanky pussy. I don’t know if it stanks, but I imagine it does. If I ever find out, I’ll let you know for sure.”

Chappelle also takes a few shots at CNN’s Don Lemon for calling on celebrities to speak out about Floyd’s death. “[Lemon] says, ‘Where are all these celebrities? Why are you not talking?'” recalls the comic. “I was screaming at the TV … Has anyone ever listened to me doing comedy? Have I not ever said anything about these things before? So now all of a sudden this n**** expects me to step in front of the streets and talk over the work these people are doing as a celebrity.”

8:46 was filmed on June 6 in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with strict social distancing guidelines in place for attendees. The special opens with a behind-the-scenes look at these measures: guests have their temperature checked upon entry, are seated 10+ feet apart on the lawn, and are required to wear masks throughout the show. Netflix reveals that due to the coronavirus pandemic, Chappelle has not performed for the past 87 days, giving viewers the sense that they truly are about to see something historic.

Watch Dave Chappelle’s 8:46 above, or stream it for free on the Netflix is a Joke YouTube page.

Watch Dave Chappelle: 8:46 on YouTube