SMEAR: Media Link Dave Chappelle To Trans Comedian’s Suicide

The tragic suicide of transgender comedian Daphne Dorman has been linked in a misleading way by some in the media to comedian Dave Chappelle and his “transphobic” standup.

Dorman, a transgender comedian and activist, posted a goodbye note to Facebook on Friday before committing suicide. Dorman was friendly with Chappelle, who mentioned their friendship in a “hidden extra” from his latest standup special “Sticks & Stones.” 

Some in the media, however, reported on the tragedy by deceptively tying Chappelle to Dorman’s death. The smear began with a misleading headline from The New York Daily News: “Transgender actress, activist and comedienne Daphne Dorman, referenced in Dave Chappelle’s ‘transphobic’ Netflix special, commits suicide.”

“Dorman was at the center of controversy recently after she was referenced by Dave Chappelle in a stand-up special that some people called transphobic,” the piece said. “Dorman, however, ‘was laughing the hardest’ at the trans jokes in his practice set, the comedian said.”

The NY Daily News continued, notably mentioning Chappelle’s alleged “transphobic” set: 

Dorman was cited by Dave Chappelle in his special “Sticks and Stones.”

The Netflix show, which premiered on Aug. 26, was slammed as offensive by many critics for the comedian’s “obsession with making fun of trans people.”

Its humor, however, was praised by some conservative outlets, such as Breitbart and The Federalist.

The post was quickly shared online by fellow journalists. 

Ernest Owens, writer at large for Philadelphia Magazine, was explicit in contributing blame to Chappelle for Dorman’s suicide. “‘It’s just jokes,’ they said. Dave Chappelle made a ‘joke’ about a transgender actress, activist, and comedian named Daphne Dorman in his Netflix special,” Owens wrote. “She recently died to suicide. Trans people are not a joke. Enough is enough.”

"It's just jokes," they said.

Dave Chappelle made a "joke" about a transgender actress, activist, and comedian named Daphne Dorman in his Netflix special.

She recently died to suicide.

Trans people are not a joke.

Enough is enough.
https://t.co/B1mAZdSgjR

— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) October 13, 2019

Journalist Nicki Mayo also shared the NYDN piece, merely posting the headline, “Transgender actress, activist and comedienne Daphne Dorman, referenced in Dave Chappelle’s ‘transphobic’ Netflix special, commits suicide.”

The tweet blew up, receiving over 1,200 retweets and thousands of likes by Sunday night. 

Transgender actress, activist and comedienne Daphne Dorman, referenced in Dave Chappelle’s ‘transphobic’ Netflix special, commits suicide https://t.co/GjyoAXVzSq

— Nicki Mayo (@nickimayonews) October 12, 2019

Over an hour later, and after numerous commenters criticized the “misleading headline,” Mayo added the following tweet: “In the ‘hidden extra’ of the special, Chappelle told a story about sparking an unlikely friendship with a trans woman … Dorman confirmed on social media the same day that she was the trans woman Chappelle was referring to.”

In the “hidden extra” of the special, Chappelle told a story about sparking an unlikely friendship with a trans woman …

Dorman confirmed on social media the same day that she was the trans woman Chappelle was referring to.https://t.co/Sto35Iafeu

— Nicki Mayo (@nickimayonews) October 12, 2019

As highlighted by popular YouTuber June Lapine, a.k.a. Shoe, Dorman had repeatedly praised Chappelle online. 

“Yep, I’m the Daphne that Dave Chappelle is talking about in Sticks and Stones,” Dorman’s Twitter bio reads, with an added angel emoji. 

“Punching down requires you to consider yourself superior to another group. [Dave Chappelle] doesn’t consider himself better than me in any way. He isn’t punching up or punching down. He’s punching lines. That’s his job and he’s a master of his craft. #SticksAndStones #imthatdaphne,” Dorman posted to Twitter on August 29. 

Punching down requires you to consider yourself superior to another group. @DaveChappelle doesn't consider himself better than me in any way. He isn't punching up or punching down. He's punching lines. That's his job and he's a master of his craft. #SticksAndStones #imthatdaphne

— Daphne Dorman (@DaphneDorman) August 29, 2019

In another August tweet, replying to conservative outlet Town Hall’s piece on “Sticks & Stones” “triggering” liberals, Dorman posted, “Nah, I’m a liberal and I thought it rocked. I’m literally the Daphne he talks about meeting in the Epilogue.”

Dorman, who leaves behind a young daughter, posted the following note to Facebook on Friday, hours before news of the suicide broke:

I’m sorry.

I’ve thought about this a lot before this morning. How do you say “goodbye” and “I’m sorry” and “I love you” to all the beautiful souls you know? For the last time.

There’s no good way. That’s what I got out of all that thought.

To those of you who are mad at me: please forgive me. To those of you who wonder if you failed me: you didn’t. To those of you feel like I failed you: I did and I’m sorry and I hope you’ll remember me in better times and better light.

I love you all. I’m sorry. Please help my daughter, Naia, understand that none of this is her fault. Please remind her that I loved her with every fiber of my being.