(AllHipHop News) Racism? No. Pressures of stardom? Not quite. Dave Chappelle apparently ended one of the most promising TV shows of all time in its prime for familial reasons.
Chappelle has stated on numerous occasions that he left The Chappelle Show in 2005 due to creative differences with Comedy Central. However, in a recent interview with People Magazine backstage at the 20th Annual Essence Festival he reveals that the pressure of fame was the most conducive to his departure:
I never stopped being on stage. What I did was step off of the main stage, Because those lights were hot, and I was trying to do other things with my life.
Adding to that Chappelle stated “that kind of attention wouldn’t have been conducive to raising a family”. Chappelle has three sons Sulayman and Ibrahim, and daughter Sonal with his wife Elaine. While he loves his family, Chappelle explains that his comedic relationship with the audience is a “healing process” and kept him coming back to the stage for stand-up gigs:
The audience-comedian relationship is one of the more consistent relationships in my life