Chappelle's Story

Dave explains that when Chappelle's Show first started, he had creative control. Money was never an issue, Dave says, because the show did not appear to be lucrative. "It wasn't like Comedy Central was a hot place to be when I showed up there," Dave says.

Dave says his troubles began in the middle of the first season, during a contract renegotiation. "Through a series of events and a little pressure, I ended up settling for way less than what I wanted. Then in season two, the DVD is released and it sets all these incredible records. Now suddenly this is a bigger moneymaker than they thought. It's already making money and it's a whole new revenue stream. And [now], my contract's up."