Azealia Banks Calls Dave Chappelle ‘Highkey Embarrassing’

"You are more than obviously attracted to transwomen," Banks wrote to Chappelle. "And that is okay!"

By Jane Starr Drinkard | October 27, 2021 | 2:10am

Celebrities Misc. Goss

Azealia Banks Calls Dave Chappelle ‘Highkey Embarrassing’

Shit-stirrer Azealia Banks has joined the chat today on the controversy surrounding comedian Dave Chapelle’s latest Netflix special The Closer, calling him “entirely too grown and entirely too black to be this concerned about other peoples sex lives.” The special has been criticized by LGBTQ groups and their allies as transphobic and homophobic. During his set, Chappelle refers to himself as “team TERF” (“trans-exclusionary radical feminist”) and defends J.K. Rowling, who he says simply pointed out that “gender was a fact.” The remarks have led to protests and employee walkouts at Netflix. Chappelle released an Instagram video responding to the backlash, and while he said he wouldn’t bend to anyone’s demands, he says he’s open to meeting with his critics.

Posting a slew of stories on her Instagram on Tuesday, Banks—known for speaking truth to power, being sometimes homophobic herself, and cooking her dead cat on Instagram—called Chappelle and rapper Boosie BadAzz “high key embarrassing” for their anti-trans jokes. (BadAzz has been criticized recently, as well, for aiming homophobic tweets and comments at rapper and chart-topper Lil Nas X.) On one slide, Banks wrote, “As far as Dave Chappelle goes…you are more than obviously attracted to transwomen. And that is okay! Life is short, Explore!”

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Banks is not the only celebrity to take a side on Chappelle’s special and its subsequent protests. Actor Eliot Page took to Instagram to support those walking out at Netflix, writing, “I stand with the trans, nonbinary, and BIPOC employees at Netflix fighting for more and better trans stories and a more inclusive workplace.” Actor Jameela Jamil and Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness also showed their support for the protests.

Banks herself has been a magnet for controversy. Before boiling her dead cat Lucifer in January, Banks has posted videos with dead chickens, saying she was practicing “three years worth of brujeria.” She was also dropped from her U.K. booking agency and got her Twitter account suspended in 2016 after sending homophobic and racist tweets to former One Direction hottie Zayn Malik, because she felt he was copying her artistically. She has since apologized, writing on Facebook, “…while i may be immune to every word and be thicker skinned than most, it doesn’t mean that i get to go around treating people with the same toughness that made my skin so thick.” Here’s to hoping people can change.