Dave Chappelle checked into a mental institution
Chappelle: Time out
By César G. Soriano, USA TODAY
Comedian Dave Chappelle, who vanished in the middle of filming his hit Comedy Central show last month, says he flew to South Africa for a "spiritual retreat" but denies reports that he checked into a mental institution and speculation that he might have had a drug problem.
Comedian Dave Chappelle is currently staying with friends in Durban, South Africa.
Comedy Central
"I'm not crazy," Chappelle tells Time magazine (May 23 issue, on newsstands today). "I'm not smoking crack. I'm definitely stressed out." Chappelle, who is staying with friends in the port town of Durban, says he did consult with a psychiatrist for one 40-minute session.
On April 28, Chappelle walked away from the set of Chappelle's Show and a deal worth up to $50 million, without word to his business associates. The already delayed third season of the sketch show was to have premiered May 31. It was postponed indefinitely after his disappearance.
Chappelle says he wasn't happy with the direction of the show. "So I figured, let me just cut myself off from everybody, take a minute and pull a Flintstone - stop a speeding car by using my bare feet as brakes."
This was not the first time Comedy Central has halted production for Chappelle, Comedy Central president Doug Herzog tells Time. In December, Chappelle, who converted to Islam in 1998, took a break to try a pilgrimage to Mecca. He got only as far as Turkey because he didn't have a visa for Saudi Arabia.
His colleagues are none too pleased. "There were 1,000 ways to deal with this. ... This was the worst way to have done it," Neal Brennan, Chappelle's writing partner, tells Time. Brennan says Chappelle's problem is he's indecisive, even scrapping skits at the last second because he said they were racist.
Herzog has told staff and advertisers that he believes Chappelle's Show will not return this year, but he leaves the option open for the comedian's return. "I don't know what the guy's thinking. This is a guy who walked off his own show and kind of left everybody bewildered," he says.
Chappelle's wife and two children live on a farm in Ohio. He says he wants to come back to work but did not say when that might happen. Chappelle says he has been getting advice from other black entertainers such as singer Lauryn Hill.
Chappelle partly blames his inner circle for his problems. "If you don't have the right people around you and you're moving at a million miles an hour, you can lose yourself," he tells Time. "Everyone around me says, 'You're a genius, you're great, that's your voice.' But I'm not sure that they're right."
At the same time, he shares the blame. "I'm admittedly a human being. I'm a difficult kind of dude."
By César G. Soriano, USA TODAY
Comedian Dave Chappelle, who vanished in the middle of filming his hit Comedy Central show last month, says he flew to South Africa for a "spiritual retreat" but denies reports that he checked into a mental institution and speculation that he might have had a drug problem.
Comedian Dave Chappelle is currently staying with friends in Durban, South Africa.
Comedy Central
"I'm not crazy," Chappelle tells Time magazine (May 23 issue, on newsstands today). "I'm not smoking crack. I'm definitely stressed out." Chappelle, who is staying with friends in the port town of Durban, says he did consult with a psychiatrist for one 40-minute session.
On April 28, Chappelle walked away from the set of Chappelle's Show and a deal worth up to $50 million, without word to his business associates. The already delayed third season of the sketch show was to have premiered May 31. It was postponed indefinitely after his disappearance.
Chappelle says he wasn't happy with the direction of the show. "So I figured, let me just cut myself off from everybody, take a minute and pull a Flintstone - stop a speeding car by using my bare feet as brakes."
This was not the first time Comedy Central has halted production for Chappelle, Comedy Central president Doug Herzog tells Time. In December, Chappelle, who converted to Islam in 1998, took a break to try a pilgrimage to Mecca. He got only as far as Turkey because he didn't have a visa for Saudi Arabia.
His colleagues are none too pleased. "There were 1,000 ways to deal with this. ... This was the worst way to have done it," Neal Brennan, Chappelle's writing partner, tells Time. Brennan says Chappelle's problem is he's indecisive, even scrapping skits at the last second because he said they were racist.
Herzog has told staff and advertisers that he believes Chappelle's Show will not return this year, but he leaves the option open for the comedian's return. "I don't know what the guy's thinking. This is a guy who walked off his own show and kind of left everybody bewildered," he says.
Chappelle's wife and two children live on a farm in Ohio. He says he wants to come back to work but did not say when that might happen. Chappelle says he has been getting advice from other black entertainers such as singer Lauryn Hill.
Chappelle partly blames his inner circle for his problems. "If you don't have the right people around you and you're moving at a million miles an hour, you can lose yourself," he tells Time. "Everyone around me says, 'You're a genius, you're great, that's your voice.' But I'm not sure that they're right."
At the same time, he shares the blame. "I'm admittedly a human being. I'm a difficult kind of dude."