What Did Dave Chappelle Do in Africa? His 2005 Disappearance

May 2024 · 4 minute read

Remember when comedian Dave Chappelle went MIA in 2005? He visited South Africa at that time, however what did he do there? Details forward.

Melissa Willets - Author

The Gist:

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In 2004, the Chappelle Show used to be considered to be the most successful program on Comedy Central.

But through 2005, the comic story was once on viewers, with Dave Chappelle just strolling clear of his show, for reasons that weren't transparent. So what took place? And what did a go back and forth to Africa need to do with the unexpected end of the comic's late-night reign? Read on to determine.

Dave Chappelle headed to Africa. What did he do there?

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Sure, Dave is acting once more (now not without controversy), but there used to be a time when he used to be completely out of the spotlight. Fans did not understand it, but the former Comedy Central staple purposely stepped away from the general public eye by way of touring underneath the radar to South Africa.

As stories, Dave talked about his choice all through a 2014 appearance on David Letterman's show. Not handiest did he admit to short of to dodge the media, but he also opened up about his semi-regret losing out on making the huge amount of money he could have earned all the way through his self-imposed work hiatus.

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Although Dave notes he were given to spend time with his family throughout his time clear of Hollywood, he added, "It makes no sense at all. There’s nothing anyone can say. It’s just you do what you feel like you need to do. It’s a very complicated answer, because I felt a variety of ways over the last years."

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Addressing his financial loses, Dave stated, "Whenever there’s something I’d like to have that I could have afforded but I can’t now afford, then I’m upset about it. But then when I see a guy who goes to a job that’s time consuming and he doesn’t have free time to do things I get to do, then I feel good about it."

But Dave confessed that there is a currency as opposed to cash that makes him tick, and it kind of feels that is what he was once exploring in Africa.

Meanwhile, there's much more to the tale!

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Dave Chappelle talked to Oprah about why going to South Africa used to be what he wanted.

In addition to opening up to David, Oprah was once every other host who managed to get Dave to talk about his sabbatical to Africa. As hypothesis fastened that the comic was mentally ill or hooked on medication, he informed the real story to the famous communicate show megastar.

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"One, I needed a break," Dave explained to Oprah, despite the fact that he also shared that even his wife didn't know he was going to Africa, a choice he later called a "crazy mistake."

He then detailed, "Two, we have family and friends down there. I felt like it was a place where I could really reflect... And here's the other thing: I was only gone for two weeks! They made it sound like it was so mysterious."

Dave also stated that he didn't really feel as in control over the increasingly more "socially irresponsible" content material as Chappelle Show went into subsequent seasons. "I knew I was going to leave. The only reason I didn't leave sooner was because I knew they were going to say, 'He couldn't finish his show.' So I got ahead of schedule, and I bounced," he stated.

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