American comedian Dave Chappelle used a homophobic slur in a joke about US Vice President JD Vance

On July 17, 2026, a stand-up performance by comedian Shane Gillis took place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The event set two Guinness World Records for the number of spectators at a solo comedy show, with nearly 74,000 people in attendance. One of the invited guests was comedian Dave Chappelle.

During his appearance on stage, Chappelle played out a scene, suggesting Gillis imagine they were on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Chappelle took on the role of US Vice President JD Vance. He made a stereotypical hand gesture and shouted: “Hey, I’m a big f***ot,” which caused laughter from the audience.

An excerpt of the performance quickly spread on social media. As noted by LGBTQ Nation , the joke drew criticism from users and activists. In particular, the popular account The Serfs called the incident “the clearest lesson in punching down in comedy history.” Critics noted that using homosexuality as a reason for mockery and stereotypical movements is a manifestation of homophobia.

Previously, Dave Chappelle has already been in the spotlight due to his remarks about LGBT people. His Netflix specials The Closer (2021) and The Dreamer (2024) were accompanied by protests over jokes about transgender people and the use of similar slurs.