Dave Chappelle: New Fight with Network

The comic isn't happy Comedy Central plans to air his old material

The on-again, off-again relationship between Dave Chappelle and the Comedy Channel is off again, with the comic saying that he won’t return to the cable network should it proceed with plans to broadcast new episodes from material he filmed before leaving the series.

“I feel like it’s kind of a bully move,” Chappelle, 32, told the Dayton Daily News, which publishes near his Ohio home. “That’s just how I feel about it. I don’t know if that’s the case. But if people don’t watch it, then I’d be more than happy.”

In May, Chappelle caused jaws to drop when he turned his back on his $50 million Comedy Central contract and left Chappelle’s Show in mid-production. He spent two weeks in South Africa before returning to his farm near Yellow Springs. He has since resumed performing live standup.

Not that Chappelle is completely shutting the door on the possibility of his Comedy Central return, as he warns: “I think if they air that stuff, I can’t see how I’m going to be able to. That will damage our relationship.”

In a statement to the Associated Press, Comedy Central said: “We are still waiting patiently for Dave to return to work, but we know that our viewers are looking forward to seeing the material he produced for the third season.”