HBO Max will follow Netflix’s lead in taking down “Chappelle’s Show” at the request of Chappelle himself.
“We had a conversation with Dave. I won’t get into it, but it’s very clear that it’s a very unique and specific and emotional issue he’s got,” Casey Bloys, chief content officer for HBO and HBO Max, said Tuesday during a Variety event. “So at the end of the year, at the end of this year, December 31st, we’re going to honor his request and take the show down.”
HBO Max’s decision follows a similar move made by Netflix last month, which took down the Comedy Central series after less than a month.
Chappelle has complained multiple times, and at times pointed the finger partially at himself, for the licensing deal with ViacomCBS for his popular, but short-lived series, which ran for two seasons between 2003-2006.
“People think I made a lot of money from ‘Chappelle’s Show,’” Chappelle said in a November video titled “Unforgiven” that was posted to his Instagram. “When I left that show I never got paid. They (ViacomCBS) didn’t have to pay me because I signed the contract. But is that right? I found out that these people were streaming my work and they never had to ask me or they never have to tell me. Perfectly legal ’cause I signed the contract. But is that right? I didn’t think so either.”
The show still remains on ViacomCBS’ streaming service, CBS All Access.