“I do not believe these (expletive)," Chappelle said to a cheering crowd in Netflix's "Sticks & Stones."
"Even if he did it... I mean, it’s Michael Jackson. I know more than half of the people in this room have been molested in their lives, but it wasn’t no (expletive) Michael Jackson, was it? … I know it seems harsh, but man, someone’s got to teach these kids there’s no such thing as a free trip to Hawaii," he said, before making another explicit joke.
TMZ reported that Robson and Safechuck responded to Chappelle's jokes in the special.
"I'm heartbroken for all those children who look to see how they will be received when they finally find the courage to speak out about their sexual abuse," Safechuck said. "I just want to reach out to other survivors and let them know that we can't let this type of behavior silence us. Together we are strong."
"He can say whatever he wants," Robson said. "It reveals him, not us."
Robson's lawyer was more direct in his statement, telling TMZ, "Although Mr. Chappelle is entitled to his opinions, however misinformed they may be, it's unfortunate that he has chosen to use his platform to shame sexual abuse victims, and spread his ignorance of sexual abuse and the way it is perpetrated upon children, in an attempt to resurrect his career.
"Mr. Chappelle should look to fellow comedian Hannibal Buress, who instead used his platform as a mode of social change, by addressing the injustice of Bill Cosby’s alleged sexual abuse of many women head on when no other comedian would, as an example of positive work done from a place of intestinal fortitude."
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