Bowen Yang and Dave Chappelle embrace following last year’s ‘awkward’ SNL appearance

Comedians Bowen Yang and Dave Chappelle have seemingly rubbished any rumours of bad blood between them, as they embraced for a hug in the final moments of Saturday’s Saturday Night Live (18 January).

Controversial comedian Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday’s show, his fourth time hosting in total, with the star gathering on the stage at the end of the episode alongside SNL regulars to wave goodnight to the audience.

As the credits rolled, Chappelle and Yang went in for a brief hug, putting paid to suggestions that Yang actively avoids Chappelle during their time on the show together. That said, Yang didn’t appear alongside Chappelle in any of his sketches.

The internet rumour mill was set off last January during an SNL episode hosted by Madame Web star Dakota Johnson, in which Chappelle made a surprise appearance.

Fans noticed that as the host and cast members gathered on stage to say goodbye, Yang and Chappelle were standing at the complete opposite ends of the stage, with Yang appearing a little uncomfortable.

Online, fans of the show theorised that Yang, who is queer, wasn’t keen to appear alongside the Chappelle’s Show star, considering his numerous jibes aimed at the transgender community in recent years.

Throughout his string of Netflix comedy specials, including 2021’s The Closer and 2024’s The Dreamer, Chappelle has joked about being “Team TERF” while defending JK Rowling’s remarks about trans people. 

During his 2021 stand-up special, he made explicit jokes about trans women’s vaginas.

His quips have drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ comics including Mae Martin, Trace Lysette and Michelle Buteau, while Netflix staff staged a walk out against Chappelle in late 2021.

In June, Bowen Yang denied distancing himself from Chappelle intentionally, telling Variety: “I stand where I always stand on [goodnights]… It was not a physical distance that anyone was creating. It had to do with so many things that were completely internal.”

Dave Chappelle refrained from making any jokes about trans people during his recent SNL hosting stint, but did opt to poke fun at the recent wildfires in Los Angeles.

“The other day on the news, they said these fires were the most expensive tragedy that ever happened in the United States’ history. I think that’s because people in L.A. have nice stuff. I could burn 40,000 acres in Mississippi for like six or seven dollars,” Chappelle stated during his opening monologue – the longest opening monologue in SNL history. 

“If you were a rational, thinking person, you’d have to at least consider the possibility that God hates these people,” he continued.

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