Chappelle Freaks Out After 10 Minutes Onstage

Smoked, read audience member's book for remaining 25 minutes, witnesses say
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 30, 2013 10:55 AM CDT

Dave Chappelle is no stranger to meltdowns, and his behavior last night apparently drove that point home. Some 10 minutes into his act in Hartford, the comedian stopped telling jokes and scolded the audience for being too loud ... then spent the next 25 minutes smoking and reading an audience member's book onstage, the Laugh Button reports. Those in attendance were far from entertained. One tweeted, "Dave Chapelle [sic] just had a crazy heckle filled meltdown on stage"; others said it was a big waste of $50.

Not everyone lays the blame on Chappelle, though. One attendee tweeted, "People in Hartford suck," noting Chappelle just couldn't get a word out over the noisy crowd. And according to Vulture.com, it wasn't just ambient noise—Chappelle was being heckled and booed, perhaps for his new "laid-back" comedic style. When he finally left the stage after his contract-specified minimum amount of time, he told the audience, "I forgive some of you, but I don’t forgive all of you." (Click for another Chappelle meltdown, this one involving a toilet.)

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