Daphne Dorman’s relatives have spoken out in support of comedian Dave Chappelle, who mentions her in his new Netflix special, The Closer.
Chappelle has been chastised for statements he made against the transgender population in the film The Closer.
Chappelle discussed his acquaintance with Daphne Dorman, a trans woman and fellow performer from the San Francisco area, in the program. In the year 2019, she committed suicide.
Daphne Dorman’s sister, Becky, said to the Daily Beast in a text message: “Daphne was in awe of Dave’s graciousness. She did not find his jokes rude, crude, off-coloring, off-putting, anything. She thought his jokes were funny. Daphne understood humor and comedy—she was not offended. Why would her family be offended?”
Brandy Dorman, Daphne Dorman’s younger sister, concurred, calling Chappelle an “LGBTQ ally.
Chappelle has spoken on several sensitive issues with the trans community in the program and in past statements. He singled out the cancellation of JK Rowling, the writer of Harry Potter, as an example of unfairness. Rowling’s ideas on gender have earned her the moniker “TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).
“They canceled JK Rowling – my God,” said in The Closer. “Effectually she said gender was fact, the trans community got mad as shit, they started calling her a Terf…I’m Team TERF.”
Chappelle added that “gender is a fact” and that “every human being in this room, every human being on Earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on Earth.”
Daphne Dorman, a comic buddy of Chappelle’s who opened for him, has a lot of screen time in The Closer. Chappelle ends the narrative by stating that he established a trust fund for Dorman’s daughter and that he intended to meet with her eventually and tell her that he knew her father. Chappelle said, “And he was a hell of a woman.”
Dave Chappelle family history:
Dave Chappelle was born in Washington, D.C., to Yvonne and William David Chappelle. His father worked as a government clerk while his mother was a professor at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The family lived in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C., where Dave was raised. He attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1979.
Chappelle lived for several years in Los Angeles, California; he first went to Hollywood when he was twenty years old to work as a screenwriter for television programs such as “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “A Different World. He also made an appearance as a stand-up comedian on Star Search (1993), but later quit before appearing on the air. In Los Angeles, Chappelle worked briefly as an actor and comedian before moving to New York City, where he established himself at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre with Amy Poehler and Ian Roberts among others before becoming famous for his own material on Comedy Central’s “Chapelle’s Show”, which ran from 2003 until 2006.
In 2015 it was reported that Chappelle had been living in Yellow Springs since late 2014.
When did Daphne Dorman pass away?
- October 11, 2019
- Daphne Dorman / Date of death
Is Dave Chappelle married?
- Elaine Chappelle
- Dave Chappelle / Spouse (married 2001)
How many specials does Dave Chappelle have?
Dave Chappelle has 3 Netflix specials, 4 Hulu specials, and 1 HBO special.
How did Dave Chappelle make his money?
Dave Chappelle has a net worth of $50 million. He earned his net worth through his comedy shows and movies. He has had many TV specials on Comedy Central, HBO and Netflix, including Dave Chappelle: For What It’s Worth and Dave Chappelle: Equanimity. He also had a big role in the movie Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) as Robin’s “black” sidekick.
Awards & Achievements
Dave Chappelle won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly (2005). In 2005 he was awarded the prestigious Peabody Award for The Dave Chappelle Show. He was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2005, received the 2006 American Black Achievement Award for Entertainer of the Year, and received an honorary Doctorate from Duke University in 2016.
