Although there has been ongoing controversy regarding Dave Chappelle and his The Closer Netflix special, Channing Tatum continues to support the comedy icon. We have all witnessed the discussion regarding Chappelle and transphobia that have resulted in the reported firing of at least one Netflix employee and scheduled walkouts from others.
The streaming platform has doubled down on not only their support of Chappelle but his controversial jokes, and while his fans have rallied around him, several of Chappelle’s peers have taken issue.
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Days ago, comedian DL Hughley shared a clip of Chappelle speaking about being a “soft kid” who was “sensitive” and “[cried] easily.” His mother gave him advice, or words of wisdom, when she told him: “Son, sometimes you have to be a lion to be the lamb you really are.” Channing Tatum reshared the post to his Instagram Story and stated that this was something that helped him, while also addressing Chappelle’s recent controversy.
“I understand that Dave is a very dangerous person to talk about at the moment,” Tatum began. “I understand and hate that he has hurt so many people with things he has said.”
“Any human can hurt someone (usually cause they’re hurt) but any human can heal and heal others just the same,” the actor continued. “This little piece healed me back in the day. I can’t forget that.” Tatum did add, “This does not excuse anything hurtful tho to be clear.” Check out Chappelle’s clip as well as Tatum’s post below.