“I wouldn’t hang with Dave if he was full of hate,” Marlon Wayans said of the controversial comedian.

Marlon Wayans defends Dave Chappelle friendship while supporting trans son: ‘I know Dave’s heart’

"I wouldn't hang with Dave if he was full of hate," Marlon Wayans said of the controversial comedian.

By Sharareh Drury

May 25, 2026 7:43 p.m. ET

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Marlon Wayans and Dave Chappelle. Credit:

Leon Bennett/Getty; Arturo Holmes/Getty

- Marlon Wayans explains how he is able to remain friends with comedian Dave Chappelle while also supporting his trans son, Kai.

- "His intention isn't to punch down," Wayans said of Chappelle, who has been criticized for using anti-trans material in his comedy sets.

- Wayans announced in November 2023 that his son Kai is trans and uses they/them pronouns.

Marlon Wayans says he has no qualms over supporting his trans son while also being a friend to Dave Chappelle.

In an interview with *Variety*, the *Scary Movie** *star said despite criticism Chappelle has received over transphobic material in his comedy shows, which even led to a walkout by Netflix employees, the two remain close. Wayans had announced in a November 2023 episode of *The Breakfast Club** *that his child, Kai, is trans and uses they/them pronouns.

"I wouldn't hang with Dave if he was full of hate. I don’t hang with people like that," Wayans told *Variety*. "I know Dave's heart, and his intention isn't to punch down. Dave wants to freely tell his jokes, and if you're going to be anti-comedy, then he's going to keep attacking you until you learn to have a sense of humor. He's just standing there and defending his front line as a comedian."**

Marlon Wayans with Dave Chappelle in 2019.

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Chappelle's material about trans people has included mocking the use of new pronouns and comparing trans women's anatomy to plant-based meat substitutes, and proclaiming he's "team TERF," referencing the trans-exclusionary radical feminist movement that had recently made headlines after *Harry Potter *author J.K. Rowling was accused of subscribing to the ideology in a controversial essay.

His anti-trans routines have also crossed over into usage by far-right extremists as well as by President Donald Trump, who referenced Chappelle's remark about LeBron James becoming a woman and dominating the WNBA. In an interview with NPR's *Newsmakers* podcast, Chappelle said he resents Republicans for using transphobic content to push political agendas, saying, "I felt like they were doing a weaponized version of what I was doing. That's not what I was doing."

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"You have to be a comedian to understand that," Wayans said of Chappelle defending such material.

"As a comedian, I respect his journey. And as a friend, I respect his journey. And for my child, I respect their journey," Wayans added. "And as the father of my child, I can appropriate my feelings toward my friend and my feelings toward my child, and how we can put those two things together and I can explain both sides. I’m between them, so I can explain both sides to each other."**

Dave Chappelle in Netflix's 'The Unstoppable'.

While Wayans has supported Chappelle amid his controversial commentary on the trans community, he has fired back against homophobic and transphobic attacks from other artists like Soulja Boy.

"All of my kids are gifts, and our love is the wrapping paper," Wayans added. "I’m not here for hate. Transphobia is a form of hate. Homophobia is a form of hate. Racism is a form of hate. All those small-hearted, small-minded people, there's a hell for you. And if you think you're gonna bully my child, go somewhere else. It's not going to happen. I *won't* stand for it."

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