For the past few years, I’ve always hoped that we weren’t hearing much about Dave Chappelle because he was just living a quiet life, away from the trappings of fame and success, and that he was mentally healthy and sober. Well, my hopes have been dashed. TMZ reports that Dave “freaked out” on a private jet on a flight from New Jersey, bound for Ohio. Dave kept walking into the cockpit and bothering the pilot, and apparently he freaked the pilot out so much, they made an emergency stop in Pittsburgh. This sh-t is not good.
A private jet carrying comedian Dave Chappelle made an emergency landing in Pittsburgh last night because the pilot couldn’t handle Chappelle’s erratic behavior, TMZ has learned.
A source extremely familiar with the incident tells TMZ Chappelle boarded a private jet in New Jersey last night bound for Ohio — where the actor lives.
During the flight, we’re told Dave “freaked out” and refused to put his seat belt on. Then — according to sources — Dave repeatedly walked into the cockpit, asking how much longer the flight would be, and started grabbing the pilot’s arms.
Sources say the pilot determined Chappelle was a safety risk and diverted the plane to Pittsburgh.
We’re told Chappelle then checked into a nearby hotel for the night. Sources at the hotel tell us Dave has been telling hotel employees he wanted to rent a car to drive back to Ohio … only he couldn’t remember where he lived.
Chappelle was spotted wandering out of the hotel early this morning.
A rep for Chappelle explains the incident to TMZ by saying Dave really needed to use the restroom — he ate something that didn’t sit well — and the bathroom on the plane was “not the kind he needed.”
[From TMZ]
So, straight up mental illness, some kind of nervous breakdown, or drugs? Or am I bitch for asking that? If this was the first time Dave had ever done something strange and self-defeating, I would say nervous breakdown. But after his seeming meltdown a few years ago (when he went to South Africa to check himself into a mental health facility), I’m angling more towards mental illness or drugs. More to mental illness, honestly. I think Dave is crazy – for part of his career, he was able to channel his crazy into comedy with great success, but now – I just feel bad for the guy, I do. Still, do not walk into the cockpit, even if it’s a private plane. Pilots are extra jumpy these days, for good reason.
Agree – Mental Illness. I’ve heard from people who know him that he’s straight-up sick. It’s sad because he should be taking medication.
I’m seriously wondering if he has early-onset Alzheimers. It happens.
I vote Mental illness which is sad but the good news is that there is a possiblity of finding the right medication to help control it if he is willing.
I think he’s possibly got panic disorder or some anxiety disorder – who walks away from $50M unless they’re totally freaking out at all times? He may attempt to self-medicate by taking drugs; a lot of people will mental illness are dual diagnosis: so they’ve got a mental illness and are substance abusers.
just a reminder that many of our geniuses suffer from serious mental illness. I think he’s one of the best we’ve seen. God bless him.
Maybe he stopped smoking pot, which seemed to medicate him in the past.
I second the panic attack. When you are in full-on panic mode, you cannot rationalize anything. Someone could tell you “oh, look, the sky is so pretty” and all you can think is “oh my god, I’m going to die!”
He is a comedic genius, and genius does often leverage itself into mental issues.
He’s been crazy for some time.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/51205-ent-chapelle.html]http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/51205-ent-chapelle.html
Comedian Found in S. Africa Mental Facility
NEW YORK (AP) – May 12, 2005 –Comedy Central star Dave Chappelle has checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa, the magazine Entertainment Weekly reported on Wednesday.
The comedian’s whereabouts and condition have been unknown since Comedy Central abruptly announced last week that the planned May 31 launch of the third season of “Chappelle’s Show” had been postponed and production halted.
Chappelle flew from Newark, N.J., to South Africa on April 28 for treatment, said the magazine, quoting a source close to the show it would not identify. Entertainment Weekly said it had corroborating sources for its story.
“We don’t know where he is,” Comedy Central spokesman Tony Fox said. “We’ve heard about South Africa. We don’t know. We haven’t talked to Dave.”
Chappelle’s spokesman, Matt Labov, would not comment on the magazine’s story.
“It seems like the issues he’s contending with are really quite serious,” said Dade Hayes, a senior editor at Entertainment Weekly. “It isn’t a case of him spending a weekend someplace recuperating from exhaustion.”
The magazine’s sources say Chappelle is still in the facility, which was not named, Hayes said. Chappelle’s representatives have denied that the comedian was abusing drugs.
Chappelle reportedly signed a $50 million deal with Comedy Central for two more seasons of his show, a payday made possible because of the explosive sales of the show’s first season DVD.
The magazine said Chappelle had shot four to five episodes’ worth of sketches for the new season, but none of its onstage introductions.
Mental illness-look at his eyes. Hope he has loved ones who can get him help and injectible meds if he doesn’t take his prescriptions regularly. Poor pilot-he probably had a panic attack too.
That wasn’t a panic attack. Someone having a panic attack would have just stayed in their seat while quietly freaking the hell out. I know, I’ve been there. And you don’t check yourself into a mental hospital just for panic attacks – in fact, they wouldn’t even take you. A xanax prescription to be carried with you is all that is needed to control them.
He’s got something far more serious I’m afraid.
Why are the good ones always the nutty ones? Twenty years from now, he is going to be regarded as one of the greatest comedians of our era. His show was so rare – there was never a single sketch in an episode that wasn’t dead-on, both super funny and brilliant social commentary.
I think it’s sad. Where was his wife when this went down?
Our computer chair (as opposed to armchair) diagnoses of what’s wrong with Dave Chapelle seem to range the gamut.
I assumed he might have had a flashback to “Joe ‘Pinball’ Parker,” his character from ‘Con Air.’
Snark aside, Happy Independence Day.
I was surprised to see new posts today, thanks, Kaiser.
Also, I disagree with the “do not walk into a cockpit” comment Kaiser said in this context. It was a private jet – I’m sure plenty of celebs walk into the cockpit on private jets to say “what’s up” and chit-chat with the pilots.
Chappelle must have done something SUPER EFFED UP to make them land. When they said “grabbed the pilots’ arms,” it must have been a pretty serious grab.
Also: if DC is battling mental illness, I’d prefer commenters & writers try not refer to him as “crazy” for now. Sometimes that stigma (and imagine what he’ll be facing as someone in the public eye) can influence people toward NOT taking their meds.
I doubt Dave Chapelle reads this site but the least we can do is not promote the stereotype that people suffering with mental illness are “crazy.” Especially when we don’t know the dynamics.
There’s a lot of good info at NAMI.org if anyone’s interested.
Thanks, @kellogg. You’re right on the mark; too many people throw ‘crazy’ in the mix when it’s really ‘illness’.
Dave Chappelle told Oprah he was NOT in a mental hospital in Africa. He was on vacation. Are you saying he LIED to OPRAH??? And I cannot help but wonder if the pilot would’ve felt threatened by a white celebrity acting erratic. Yes, I played the race card.
I always liked Dave. I loved his show. He has problems, but I think it is mental, not drugs and I wish him well.
Panic disorder, not just one panic attack.
I’m not judging him for it, it’s an illness. I hope he gets help.
@ Mrs Odie, he wouldn’t be the first to lie to Oprah now would he? The race card playing was unnecessary, if a white person was being a safety risk (and physically interferring with a pilot would definitely qualify), I’m betting they would make a landing also.
DC sounds a little out of it. In a mental illness type of way. I hope he gets whatever help he needs.
As much as I love Dave Chapelle & admire his genius, I recall entering a big party @ the key club back in 07, just as Mr. Chapelle was leaving (YES it was him, not a look a like) & he was most definitely “spacey” not drunk or anything, & I remember what struck me most was the group of friends he was with, certainly an odd loopy bunch, not who I would expect him to hang with. I’ve never seen him “use” therefore it would be wrong to denounce him as a “druggy” BUT I do think it is quite plausible that his deteriorating mental state could possibly be a side effect from long term drug use as recent studies have shown that there is a connection between drugs & mental ilness. Just my 2 cents…
I hope Dave is ok. And good post Kellogg.
You people are ignorant. Seriously. It was a well known fact that he went to Africa bc he felt that his life was out of control. He opted out of a $50 mln contract because he was asked to dumb down his show and the man has ethics – oh yeah right…..no one even knows what the definition of that word is these days when $ is involved.
He was the victim of a smear campaign which continues on to this day. Who knows – maybe the man hates to fly and had a panic attack. I’ve seen this happen on MANY MANY flights. It’s irresponsible reporting to paint the man crazy or drug addled with absolutely NO information.
Oh an BTW there are plenty of people who don’t respond to Xanax – people really need to read.
I loved his show. I always thought he was so funny. This makes me sad. I really hope he gets some help and returns to comedy. Good comedians are rare.
i saw dave interviewed on “inside the actor’s studio” explaining why he walked away from his show. basically he said that his father told dave early in his career that he needed to set his limits for how much of his life his career would take up. when he hit the limit he should walk away, and he did. he also said he did not regret it, that his fame was “costing him too much,” and that it was eating him alive. to walk away sounds like the healthy thing to do, and i respect him for doing what he felt was best for his sanity. having said that i love his show and wish he would come back. stay well, dave.
Whatever it is, drugs, mental illness, or just being a fucked-up, entitled celebrity who needed a particular kind of bathroom RIGHT NOW IN THE SKY, please, please keep this man away from Lindsay Lohan. Those two teaming up is the last thing they or the world needs.
yeah, we shouldn’t call him crazy because when he reads this shit it’s gonna hurt his feeling.
Whatever it is, I hope that Dave is seeking competent professional help. It’s so sad to see talented people self-destruct when they could be living a more productive life.
pot can aggravate some mental illnesses. it is not recommended afaik. I think, like Britney, this is a private matter and all you can/should do is wish them the best and leave it at that. when someone is clearly suffering, why not let’s opt for compassion, even on a site with bitchy in the name…there are plenty of other people to make fun of who deserve the derision.
@Mrs Odie 2: The race card wasn’t needed. The pilot could’ve been black too for all you know. Sit down and shut your trap.
I feel badly for Dave Chappelle. He reminds me a lot of my brother – insanely funny, but plagued with anxienty issues.
@Crash2GO2 While I agree that he seems to have something more serious than a panic disorder, I will say that it’s a little erroneous to insist that he doesn’t have one because he would have quietly freaked out on the plane.
My mother and I both have panic disorders, and I can tell you that there’s no way I would’ve ever been quiet. I probably wouldn’t have walked in the cockpit, but yeah, there’d be some loud and obnoxious devolving happening. And my mother was admitted to a facility because of a panic disorder. So both of your assertions are not quite true so much as assumptions based on (what seems like) your personal experience. Not necessarily anything wrong with that, just wanted to caution against making blanket categorical statements about complicated issues such as mental disturbance.
his concerns may be genuine.
the guy left a 50 million show and did a runner, because of the way certain people wanted the show to go and what they wanted him to promote.
because he spoke up about the evils of hollywood and the unsavoury practises, he will be targeted and made out to be the next looney. mark my words, this is an intelligent man, do not believe a word of what you read, the disinforamtion agents are out to et him!
Mental illness and talent are not mutually exclusive. I appreciate Dave and hope he gets well.
What’s “not the kind of bathroom he needed”? Did he need a bidet and a full jacuzzi? If he had stomach issues, a toilet would just about do it if it was that bad. I don’t think grabbing on a pilot’s arm would make the situation better if you were in the right place in your head.
He’s always seemed a little mentally fragile to me. Whether he’s actually been formally diagnosed with anything or not, I have no idea, he seems to lead a pretty low-key life until he pops up with these really strange episodes. He’s more self-destructive than anything else, I feel badly for him. He did “have it all” in the HW career sense for a little bit, his show was brilliant.
ive always been interested in the story that he basically was asked to dance for white people by comedy central, and he told them to shove it and walked away from a big pile of money. what I dont get, if that is true and rumors of mental healh issues are all a smear campaign, why hasnt he done anything since? why didnt he just take his act to another network? i mean, you saw how long it took Conan to find another network to do a show on his terms. so it didnt work out with comedy central…..he could have kept doing whatever he wanted on other channels….it does not add up for me.
Whatever is going on with him, I hope he’s able to get help if he needs it.
Why don’t private planes have doors to the cockpit just like commercial planes? With all of the safety concerns, you’d think that would be a requirement.
@Mrs Odie: Puhlease. This was a security issue, not a racial one. Why go there?
I am sorry to hear he is suffering. I am a big fan of his and think he is WONDERFUL and i wish him the very, very best. I just hope he doesn’t call Jim Carrey for advice.
I saw the Oprah interview after he walked away from 50 million. What stuck with me was his account of why he felt he had to leave the show. He said he heard some folks, a white male colleague or two, laughing back stage. And he was convinced, by something he saw in their eyes and heard in their voices, that their laughter was racially charged. He said that he felt he couldn’t ethically remain attached to a project that advocated that kind of behavior. Only he knows the whole story of course. Whatever the case now, I wish him godspeed. He’s a genius and we need artists like him.
No, Cletus, you should not call him or anyone else “crazy” because like he said himself, it is really a dismissive thing to call someone. Calling someone “crazy” strips away all of their credibility and disregards them as a person.
Dave Chappelle grew up and lives in a village about 7 miles from the city where I live. It is very much a hippie type of village. A few weeks ago, he bought a restaurant and a group of store buildings that were for sale in the village. He seems like he’s trying to be “normal” and not rely on his celebrity.
@bros
He didn’t take his act to another network because he doesn’t like doing sketches, he prefers stand-up. Being famous was ruining his stand-up act because people would start shouting lines at him from the Chappelle Show while he was trying to tell jokes. He also stated that he hated going to the studio and doing whatever the network executives told him to do because he felt like a “prostitute”.
Watch Inside the Actor’s w/ Dave.
disregard what you saw on Oprah, she is the crap that he complains about, she is exactly the puppet that he does not want to be. they wanted him to dress like a woman, lots of gay inuendo etc, etc. he started thinking back and said he doesn’t remember a black male that the networks haven’t at some stage or other put into a dress. nothing against the gay community, but he is a proud hetero and felt no need to blur the lines, nor do that type of comedy, it wasn’t him at all. you can find an interview on vigilant citizen of his, which goes into real detail about why, what, when, who.
like i said before don’t believe a word of what you read.
if it comes out of his mouth, then believe it, hear say is just that. and a mouse grows into an elephant through the media. this man is clever and intelligent, all the cvrazy talk, is just a smear cos he won’t play the game!
i wish dave the best….
He is my, hands down, FAVORITE comedian. I wish I had been able to go to one of his stand up shows, maybe I still will. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. 🙂
He came to Portland, OR one night, to do an impromptu outdoor show downtown, somewhere. SO many people showed up that he was shocked. That’s what I heard, anyway. I had gotten a text telling me to come to it, but thought it was just a rumor. DAMN IT!!!
Portland loves you, Dave Chappelle! (Although you probably won’t read this. It had to be said, though.)
Whether he’s sick or just sick and tired, I hope things work out well for him. Maybe he is just a shy, nervous person, and is tired of “being on” wherever he has to go. I can understand that.
i bet he has some sort of panic disorder. he quut the chappelle show and that could be a reason for it.