(JNS) Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the streaming service will not remove Dave Chappelle’s new comedy special “The Closer,” which has faced a backlash for featuring controversial comments, including an antisemitic joke. After “The Closer” premiered last week, Chappelle was criticized by the LGBTQ+ community for poking fun at trans people and gender identity. The comedian was also denounced for making an antisemitic joke about “Space Jews” seeking world domination, which plays into a common antisemitic trope. In a memo sent on Friday, Sarandos told senior staff members that “some talent may join third parties in asking us to remove the show in the coming days, which we are not going to do,”  he wrote. “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.” 

Main Photo: Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos (left) and comedian Dave Chappelle at the Netflix FYSEE Kick-Off Event at Raleigh Studios on May 6, 2018, in Los Angeles. Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock