https://movieweb.com/netflix-walkouts-ted-sarandos-screwed-up-dave-chappelleNetflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has reevaluated his initial response to employees who were offended by Dave Chappelle's comedy special, The Closer, then further outraged by the response from their employer. "First, right upfront, 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."
The memo sent to Netflix managers to help navigate the discourse included, "Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him. His last special Sticks & Stones, also controversial, is our most watched, stickiest and most award winning stand-up special to date. As with our other talent, we work hard to support their creative freedom - even though this means there will always be content on Netflix some people believe is harmful."
