For the past few years, I’ve always hoped that we weren’t hearing much about Dave Chappelle because he was just living a quiet life, away from the trappings of fame and success, and that he was mentally healthy and sober. Well, my hopes have been dashed. TMZ reports that Dave “freaked out” on a private jet on a flight from New Jersey, bound for Ohio. Dave kept walking into the cockpit and bothering the pilot, and apparently he freaked the pilot out so much, they made an emergency stop in Pittsburgh. This sh-t is not good.

A private jet carrying comedian Dave Chappelle made an emergency landing in Pittsburgh last night because the pilot couldn’t handle Chappelle’s erratic behavior, TMZ has learned.

A source extremely familiar with the incident tells TMZ Chappelle boarded a private jet in New Jersey last night bound for Ohio — where the actor lives.

During the flight, we’re told Dave “freaked out” and refused to put his seat belt on. Then — according to sources — Dave repeatedly walked into the cockpit, asking how much longer the flight would be, and started grabbing the pilot’s arms.

Sources say the pilot determined Chappelle was a safety risk and diverted the plane to Pittsburgh.

We’re told Chappelle then checked into a nearby hotel for the night. Sources at the hotel tell us Dave has been telling hotel employees he wanted to rent a car to drive back to Ohio … only he couldn’t remember where he lived.

Chappelle was spotted wandering out of the hotel early this morning.

A rep for Chappelle explains the incident to TMZ by saying Dave really needed to use the restroom — he ate something that didn’t sit well — and the bathroom on the plane was “not the kind he needed.”

[From TMZ]

So, straight up mental illness, some kind of nervous breakdown, or drugs? Or am I bitch for asking that? If this was the first time Dave had ever done something strange and self-defeating, I would say nervous breakdown. But after his seeming meltdown a few years ago (when he went to South Africa to check himself into a mental health facility), I’m angling more towards mental illness or drugs. More to mental illness, honestly. I think Dave is crazy – for part of his career, he was able to channel his crazy into comedy with great success, but now – I just feel bad for the guy, I do. Still, do not walk into the cockpit, even if it’s a private plane. Pilots are extra jumpy these days, for good reason.

Anyone who is still in mourning over the premature demise of Dave “Rick James, Bitch!” Chappelle’s hilarious show on Comedy Central might be wondering what happened to the lanky comic after his highly publicized meltdown and subsequent trip to Africa. Chappelle made a few bizarre appearances on Oprah and Inside the Actors Studio, then went into hiding. Now, Dave seems to be making a comeback, on his own terms, by doing some stand-up performances and appearing in a retrospective special for Inside the Actors Studio, spoofing its venerable host James Lipton.

We might not find out where the heck Dave Chappelle’s been for the past year, but maybe we’ll learn what he’d like to hear God tell him when he arrives at the pearly gates.
If heaven exists, that is.

The at-times reclusive comedian is slated to help mark the 200th episode of Inside the Actors Studio by stepping into James Lipton’s pensive shoes and guiding the ever-so-spoofable host through reminiscences of the Bravo series’ 14 seasons.

But while we know what the subjects of the two-hour Nov. 10 special have been up to—luminaries such as Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Will Smith and Angelina Jolie—Chappelle was last notably heard from breaking his own stand-up record at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory on Dec. 2, 2007.

The former Chappelle’s Show frontman performed a six-hour, 12-minute set before again peacing out from the public arena.

[From E!Online]

I would love to see Dave come back to TV. I haven’t seen another sketch comedy show that even comes close to his since he left Comedy Central two years ago. For now, I am still clinging to my DVDs of the first two seasons, hoping that he’ll return. And I’ll be watching Inside the Actors Studio too. My favorite episode of that show was the one with the cast of The Simpsons – if you haven’t seen it, make a point of checking it out.

Dave Chappelle is shown eating at Fred Segal on 6/27/08. Credit: Fame

Dave Chappelle claims that he probably won’t return to Comedy Central if they show the new material that he shot before his abrupt departure in May:

For his part, Chappelle is non-committal. Comedy Central of course wants him to return to his wildly successful show:

According to this website, Chappelle wasn’t crazy at all, but was pressured by a cabal of powerful African-Americans, including Jesse Jackson, Oprah, and Bill Cosby, to step down. The site was later dismissed as a viral marketing campaign for a Chappelle show writer. I totally believed that shit, though, until I actually did the research for this post.

Update: “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” is supposed to be hilarious.