Comedian Rosie O’Donnell took a swipe at Dave Chappelle, who she said has an “obsessive-compulsive disorder” to focus on trans people even after being attacked on stage, and disputed the claim that there’s a “so-called war on comedy.”
During the 60-year-old actress‘ interview for Outspoken magazine, O’Donnell was asked about the “controversy” these days surrounding comedians and if she believed “there is a so-called war on comedy.” Rosie tweeted out the article on Monday in a piece that was recently published.
“I think the comedy world is divided just like the nation is divided,” the “A League of their Own” star shared. “I’m all for freedom of speech, yet Dave Chappelle’s outbursts and focus on trans men seems to be an obsessive-compulsive disorder of his because he can’t stop talking about it.”
In Conversation with the Legendary Rosie O'Donnell – OUT FRONT https://t.co/PhUDY8DL4l
— ROSIE (@Rosie) June 13, 2022
“Even when that guy ran on stage and knocked him down, and he did have a weapon by the way, when he got up, he said, ‘Oh, that was a trans man,’” she added. “Everyone’s like, ‘He didn’t say that,’ and I’m like, ‘How come I have the video right here where he did?’”
“Once you start censoring comics, it’s a slippery slope,” O’Donnell continued. “Sometimes, comics do provide the courage for a society to be able to look at difficult issues, and they can sort of change how the nation views who they are. Take a look throughout time. Lenny Bruce pushed it, and then George Carlin had his seven words you can’t say on TV. There are so many comics who talk about the silencing of comics. It’s a real thing, but I think it’s more of this oppressive political stalemate that infects every other part of our lives.”
At the time, Chappelle had joked after that the person who tackled him was “a trans man.” The video was posted by TMZ on social media.
WATCH:
Someone rushed the stage and attacked Dave Chappelle during his Hollywood Bowl performance … and the surreal moment was caught on video. https://t.co/kFf1BvJDvt pic.twitter.com/tQzrt6tMLj
— TMZ (@TMZ) May 4, 2022
“I am going to kill that n*****. … It was a trans man,” Chappelle joked in the clip.
The comedian was smiling at the time, making it pretty clear it was a joke. And the audience appeared to take it the same way as his comments drew laughter from the audience.
Related: Soros-Backed Prosecutor Seeks ‘Slap On The Wrist’ For Alleged Dave Chappelle Attacker