On July 20, Dave Chappelle's stand-up show at a Minneapolis club was canceled just hours before the controversial comedian was set to perform, Variety reported.
First Avenuethe iconic venue that provided the setting for Prince's Purple Rainannounced the show would not be taking place at their theater. (It was moved to Varsity Theater instead, and that place will also host two more shows on July 21-22.)
In an Instagram post, the venue addressed the social-media backlash it had received after booking Chappelle, who has had his share of controversy this year after his Netflix special The Closer was criticized for transphobic jokes.
After announcing Chappelle's show earlier this week, First Avenue's social media was filled with comments in protest of the comedian, though TMZ reported that tickets quickly sold out.
Chappelle has defended his jokes by touting artistic expression, doubling down in a recent speech given at his alma mater released by Netflix.