Dave Chappelle

Village Scraps Plan With Affordable Housing After Dave Chappelle Threatens to Pull Businesses

The plan did not pass after the comedian called the Yellow Springs council 'clowns' and said a proposed restaurant and comedy club in his hometown would be 'off the table'

Comedian Dave Chappelle kicks off "Saturday Night Live" with an opening monologue as host, November 7, 2020.

An Ohio village on Monday failed to approve a zoning ordinance that included dozens of affordable housing units after opposition from comedian Dave Chappelle, who called the village council "clowns" and threatened that his business ventures would be "off the table."

Yellow Springs, Chappelle's hometown, is the planned site of the entertainer's restaurant, Firehouse Eatery, and comedy club, Live from YS, that are currently under development in an old village firehouse, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported last year.

Chappelle has previously threatened to pull his business investments from the town if the development were approved as proposed, although has not publicly specified exactly what he opposes in the plan.

At that meeting, according to video posted to the Yellow Springs Community Access YouTube page, Chapelle wondered why the council would pursue the housing plan "while it kicks out a $65 million-a-year company.”

“I cannot believe you would make me audition for you, you look like clowns,” Chappelle said Monday. “I am not bluffing. I will take it all off the table.”

Read the full story at NBCNews.com.

Contact Us