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Bowen Yang Downplays Awkward Dave Chappelle ‘SNL’ Moment

“I was just confused, that was it,” Yang told Variety.

In a new interview, Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang disputed the narrative that he created physical distance between himself and Dave Chappelle when the comedian made an unexpected appearance on the show’s Jan. 27 episode. During the cast’s good-night segment, Chappelle, who neither hosted that evening nor appeared in any sketches, suddenly popped up onstage alongside Jimmy Fallon. Viewers spotted Yang standing with his arms crossed, apart from the rest of the cast and directly opposite the stage from Chappelle, who has repeatedly leaned on transphobic jokes in his most recent string of comedy specials. “I stand where I always stand on good nights,” Yang told Variety. “It was not a physical distance that anyone was creating. It had to do with so many things that were completely internal.” Yang, who is gay, was also a scant presence during Chappelle’s 2022 SNL host episode. When asked whether he was unhappy with Chappelle’s appearance, Yang told Variety that “it was about other people’s response in the show. I was just confused, that was it.”