Netflix Issues Statement On Employee Walkout Over Dave Chappelle Controversy

Netflix has finally made a statement about the ongoing transphobia controversy surrounding a recent Dave Chappelle comedy special. After supportive statements on Chappelle’s behalf from Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, the company has now said they support the cause.

Trans Netflix employees organized a walkout on October 20 to protest the company’s reaction to the controversial content. According to Deadline, the group will present “firm tasks” for the company to save face. Netflix reacted with their own statement.

“We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that’s been caused. We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content.”

The company has noted that they need to start doing more, but what about Sarandos himself? Sarandos became a target of ire for fans online who felt his statements in support of Dave Chappelle were tone deaf.

Sarandos issued his own statement. The executive expressed regret at the way he tried to rationalize the situation.

“I screwed up the internal communication — and I don’t mean just mechanically. I feel I should’ve made sure to recognize that a group of our employees was hurting very badly from the decision made, and I should’ve recognized upfront before going into a rationalization of anything the pain they were going through. I say that because I respect them deeply, and I love the contribution they have at Netflix. They were hurting, and I should’ve recognized that first.”

Recently, celebrities such as Joe Rogan and Andrew Yang have come to Chappelle’s defense. Such celebrity efforts have thus far proven ineffective against the backlash.

Is Netflix doing enough to protect trans people from harm? Let us know in the comments.