“Surviving R. Kelly” director Dream Hampton disputes the accuracy of a joke Dave Chappelle made in his latest Netflix stand-up special “Sticks & Stones,” in which he accused her of misquoting him while promoting her documentary about the singer.
In the special, Chappelle said Hampton asked him before a performance in Detroit if he would be in the Kelly documentary. He joked that he responded, “‘Nah, b—-, I’m cool,” and then he “just forgot about this s—.”
He said he was surprised when the documentary was released two years later: “Dream’s promoting the s— and she keeps bringing me up. She said, ‘I asked Dave Chappelle to be in my documentary, and he said it was too hot for TV.’ B—-, I did not say that. That does not even sound like how I talk.” Then he pantomimed a goofy version of himself, saying the words “too hot for TV.”
The special premiered Monday. By nature, comedy specials mix truth with jokes that aren’t meant to be taken seriously. But Hampton took to Twitter on Tuesday in hopes that her followers wouldn’t take Chappelle’s account literally.
“Quick fact check: I didn’t personally (or casually) invite Chappelle to be interviewed for the doc. The producer responsible for celeb outreach officially asked him, more than once. I haven’t seen or talked to him in about 8 years. Weird he told his joke that way,” Hampton said in a tweet Tuesday.
She added in a second tweet Tuesday: “Also, obviously, didn’t need Chapelle [sic] to talk about R. Kelly personally. I wanted him to talk about the two pieces of cultural criticism he produced about R. Kelly for the Chapelle [sic] show,” she said.
Then she turned his “too hot for TV” joke around on him.
“I also have never in my life said the words ‘too hot for tv,’ because, b—-, that’s not how I sound,” she tweeted.
The six-part Lifetime documentary series “Surviving R. Kelly,” which premiered on Jan. 3, presented several accusations of sexual abuse against Kelly.
Since then, prosecutors have charged Kelly with 40 counts, including Minnesota state charges of prostitution and solicitation, according to the Associated Press. The other charges include child pornography, racketeering, kidnapping, forced labor and sexual exploitation of a child, the AP reports.
He has denied any wrongdoing.
Kelly was acquitted of child pornography charges in 2008.
A follow-up special, “Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact” hosted by Soledad O’Brien, premiered on Lifetime in April. The network has since set two new upcoming documentaries, including a third installment called “Surviving R. Kelly: The Aftermath,” and “Surviving Jeffrey Epstein.”
Quick fact check: I didn't personally (or casually) invite Chappelle to be interviewed for the doc. The producer responsible for celeb outreach officially asked him, more than once. I haven't seen or talked to him in about 8 years. Weird he told his joke that way.
— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) August 27, 2019
I also, obviously, didn't need Chapelle to talk about R. Kelly personally. I wanted him to talk about the two pieces of cultural criticism he produced about R. Kelly for the Chapelle show.
— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) August 27, 2019
I also have never in my life said the words "too hot for tv", because, Bitch, that's not how I sound.
— dream hampton (@dreamhampton) August 27, 2019