Bill Maher has unsurprisingly thrown his support behind comedian Dave Chappelle amid the controversy surrounding his latest Netflix special, The Closer.
In his latest stand-up release, the 48-year-old comedian defended JK Rowling after weighing in on the writer's comments about the transgender community.
Chappelle said he "agrees" that "gender is a fact", as he discussed how the Harry Potter author had been branded a "TERF" (Trans-exclusionary radical feminist).
His special sparked mass outrage on social media, with many viewers putting pressure on Netflix to remove The Closer from the streaming giant immediately.
Now, Maher has spoken out in defense of Chappelle during his opening monologue of Real Time.
Per The Hill, the comic began by acknowledging that Chappelle was in "hot water," drawing some grumbling from his audience.
"What the f**k was that reaction?" Maher asked. "Everyone needs to Netflix and chill the f**k out on this one."
"Really? Dave's special is offensive but not the show where the Koreans murder each other for money?" Maher quipped, referring to the hit Netflix series Squid Game.
He went on: "I think people jump to conclusions, people haven't seen it. Just because people call Dave ‘transphobic’ doesn't mean that he is. Also, Larry? Not a real cable guy."
Maher's audience still seemed timid to react to his remarks on the subject.
He warned them, per The Hill: "Well, get used to this because we're going to be talking about it a lot here. We can't be afraid to speak in America."
Later in the panel discussion, Maher railed against what he described was the "one true opinion" pushed by the "woke" mob, something he insisted doesn't exist.
"I'm a free-speech guy. Now, I'm Team Dave but that doesn't mean I'm anti-trans. We can have two thoughts in our head at the same time," he added.
It comes as Chappelle's representative says he's ready to extend an olive branch to the LGBTQ community.
The five-time Emmy Award winner's rep has told People he is open to a dialogue with the streaming platform's employees.
"Dave stands by his Art. Both sides of the street are talking and Dave is listening. At some point, when everyone is open, I'm sure our communities will come together," his rep told the outlet.
Hundreds of Netflix employees and supporters took to the streets on Wednesday, October 20, as they gathered in the shadow of the streaming giant’s Los Angeles headquarters.