A Netflix employee has been fired after they were caught leaking the financial details of Dave Chappelle’s comedy special The Closer. Variety reported that the employee shared financial information with Bloomberg.
A spokesperson from Netflix said that although they understood the employee’s motive for being upset with the company, they had shared private information and were no longer employed as a result.
“We have let go an employee for sharing confidential, commercially sensitive information outside the company,” they said. “We understand this employee may have been motivated by disappointment and hurt with Netflix, but maintaining a culture of trust and transparency is core to our company.”
Netflix spent $24.1 million on the stand-up comedy special The Closer. The company was able to trace the leak back to the employee because of who’d accessed the financial data.
The Closer special has received negative feedback from some in the LGBTQ community since it began streaming. Hundreds of Netflix employees are planning a strike on Oct. 20 and will walk out to protest The Closer.
The comedian talks at length about DaBaby, cancel culture, race and the LGBTQ community in the special, and some members of the community demanded that Netflix ban the special for what they felt is transphobic content. He also noted that many people criticize his specials without bothering to watch them or listen to what he is really saying.
#DaveChappelle on Dababy. #DaveChappelleTheCloser #BlackTwitter #BlackLivesMatter #comedy #TheCloser pic.twitter.com/kSnMSpaJUP
— Fierce 𝕏 𐦐 (@FierceIndepend1) October 10, 2021
GLAAD tweeted a response to the special seemingly based on negative reviews.
“Dave Chappelle’s brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities. Negative reviews and viewers loudly condemning his latest special is a message to the industry that audiences don’t support platforming anti-LGBTQ diatribes. We agree.”
Dave Chappelle's brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities. Negative reviews and viewers loudly condemning his latest special is a message to the industry that audiences don't support platforming anti-LGBTQ diatribes. We agree. https://t.co/yOIyT54819
— GLAAD (@glaad) October 6, 2021
Fans on Twitter were generally against those who wanted to cancel Chappelle.
https://twitter.com/Hill22S/status/1450248402357440514?s=20
Watched #DaveChappelleTheCloser over the weekend. Masterpiece & the fact idiots are trying to cancel him shows their stupidity. They obviously didn't get the message.
I love his response to their attempts to cancel him…. pic.twitter.com/LJtfL5QrS1— OG Thor
(@ThorSpirit) October 18, 2021
#DaveChappelleTheCloser just watched this special. Everything he said was true, if it hurts it means its true. The truth hurts. If you were that offended by him go die. Seriously you are what is wrong with this world. This country was founded on freedom of speech.
— Imagine (@bandImagine) October 18, 2021
Finished #DaveChappelleTheCloser on @netflix and didn't see the problem pic.twitter.com/gNRNSSl2lu
— Lafáette (@NutsoMusic) October 17, 2021
Chappelle’s Netflix special Sticks & Stones also did well on the platform. Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos noted that Sticks & Stones is the company’s “most-watched, stickiest and most award-winning stand-up special to date.” The platform spent $23.6 million on Sticks & Stones.
The Closer premiered on Oct. 5 and has been on the top-ten most-watched list on Netflix ever since.
