Did Dave Chappelle Expose Oprah Winfrey as a 'Handler for Hollywood Elites'?

On June 9, 2023, a video was uploaded to the This Happened YouTube channel under the title, "Dave Chappelle Reveals Oprah as a CONTROLLER for Hollywood's Elite." This content was later split into two segments and reposted on TikTok, also surfacing in a well-known reaction video by another YouTuber. Collectively, these versions amassed roughly four million views.

The widely circulated video put forth several assertions. However, its central and most striking claim, as indicated by its title, was that comedian Dave Chappelle had allegedly spoken negatively about television mogul Oprah Winfrey.

To clarify, this main assertion—that Chappelle had exposed Winfrey as a controller working for powerful figures in Hollywood—was completely untrue.

At no point did the video’s creators offer proof that Chappelle had made any statements that could be interpreted as him "exposing" Winfrey. Nevertheless, a significant portion of YouTube viewers seemed to accept this claim at face value. Had they watched the entire video, they would have realized that it failed to depict Chappelle making any critical remarks about Winfrey.

Conversely, on TikTok, audiences appeared more discerning. One highly ranked comment directed at the uploader stated, "I think you're skipping the part where Dave Chappelle actually exposes her." Another individual questioned, "So, there’s no actual moment where Chappelle calls anyone out?"

On July 14, we attempted to contact the team behind the This Happened YouTube channel for clarification. The channel identified itself as being affiliated with a publishing group named Crealon. Additionally, we reached out to representatives for both Chappelle and Winfrey to see if they had any comments regarding the rumor. As of the following morning, we had not received any replies.

This report will analyze the inaccurate assertion presented in the video's title. Furthermore, we have compiled data and references that shed light on other elements of the video unrelated to Chappelle, including discussions about a controversy involving a renowned actor, allegations of trafficking, João de Deus, Harvey Weinstein, and Jeffrey Epstein. Additionally, we will revisit Winfrey’s 2006 interview with Chappelle on her talk show, which was briefly featured in the YouTube video.

Dissecting the Video

The footage began with an unidentified narrator stating, "Dave Chappelle is once again pulling back the curtain on Hollywood’s controllers. This time, he’s criticizing Oprah for profiting from the misfortune of others and collaborating with questionable elites."

Following this introduction, a clip was shown of Chappelle addressing an audience, where he remarked, "When a hero stumbles, the cowards celebrate. There is nothing more gratifying to a coward than witnessing a brave man fall."

The video seemed to imply that Chappelle was referencing Winfrey as a coward.

However, an examination of the original context of these remarks revealed that Chappelle’s comments had nothing to do with Winfrey. Instead, he had been referring to a small subset of individuals who reacted unkindly to the news of his 2021 COVID-19 diagnosis.

Winfrey, Mo’Nique, and Allegations of Trafficking

Later in the video, the narrator claimed, "Oprah has been embroiled in numerous controversies throughout her career, ranging from allegations that she suppresses and ruins the careers of her critics to more unsettling accusations linking her to human trafficking."

A significant portion of the video concentrated on the dispute between Winfrey and comedian Mo’Nique, both Academy Award winners. However, this disagreement had no connection to Chappelle.

For those less familiar with entertainment industry disputes, Mo’Nique's situation partly revolved around her decision to abstain from promotional activities for the 2009 film Precious, where Winfrey was an executive producer. Mo’Nique later claimed that her career suffered due to this choice. Readers seeking further details can refer to reports from Entertainment Tonight, Vanity Fair, and The Hollywood Reporter.

Regarding the narrator’s mention of Winfrey’s alleged ties to trafficking, a misleading claim began circulating on March 17, 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rumor suggested that law enforcement had raided one of Winfrey’s residences due to involvement in trafficking. Winfrey later denounced these allegations on Twitter, calling them "horrible" and untrue.

Winfrey and João de Deus

In the YouTube video, which frequently referenced Chappelle without substantiating its claims, the trafficking allegations against Winfrey were followed by a brief clip from TikTok. The clip featured a user stating, "Oprah Winfrey and her close associate. The individual in this photo is ‘John of God.’ Oprah once endorsed him as a miraculous healer. He was later exposed for imprisoning women to force pregnancies and selling their babies for organ trafficking."

This referred to João Teixeira de Faria, also known as João de Deus, whom Winfrey had previously highlighted on her talk show in 2012, praising his supposed spiritual healing abilities in Brazil.

João de Deus’s treatments allegedly included crystal beds, eye scrapings, tumor removals, and surgical procedures without anesthetics.

Years after Winfrey’s feature on him, João de Deus faced numerous sexual assault allegations from hundreds of women, leading to multiple convictions and a lengthy prison sentence.

In 2019, The Associated Press covered the case, reporting that João de Deus had attracted global visitors with claims of healing ailments ranging from mental illness to cancer. Hundreds of women, including his own daughter, later accused him of assault, with charges spanning from inappropriate touching to rape.

In response to the allegations, Winfrey issued a statement expressing her sympathy for the victims and her hope that justice would be served.

In 2020, João de Deus was reportedly transferred to house arrest due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as per The Sun.

Winfrey, Harvey Weinstein, and Jeffrey Epstein

Among the numerous claims made in the discussed video, one focused on Winfrey’s past association with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who was convicted of multiple sex crimes and sentenced to a total of 39 years in prison.

Before Weinstein’s convictions, Winfrey addressed the allegations against him and echoed filmmaker James Schamus, who stated, "This is not just the story of one predator and his victims; it is a systemic failure that must be fully examined to prevent similar abuses in the future."

In 2018, we investigated a separate false rumor alleging that Winfrey dismissed Weinstein’s misconduct, supposedly saying, "That’s just how things work" in Hollywood. There was no evidence supporting this claim.

Beyond Weinstein, the video also implied a connection between Winfrey and Jeffrey Epstein but failed to present any proof that the two had ever interacted.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was found deceased in his jail cell in 2019. His death was ruled a suicide, though conspiracy theories regarding his demise persist.

Alleged Chappelle Sources

Toward the video’s conclusion, the narrator stated, "Sources close to Dave Chappelle report that he isn’t shocked by the latest revelations about Oprah, as he has supposedly always believed she was a controller working on behalf of Hollywood elites. Supporters are applauding Dave for speaking out."

Despite this statement, the video offered no proof that Chappelle had ever made such claims.

The This Happened YouTube channel indicated on its "About" page that it was based in the United States. However, the Facebook page for the channel disclosed in its "Page Transparency" section that its two administrators were located in India and the United Arab Emirates.

False Claims of Winfrey Reacting to Chappelle

Additionally, two other YouTube channels, Rumoured and Just In, both seemingly linked to Crealon, published videos claiming Winfrey had responded to Chappelle’s "exposé." However, neither video actually featured any footage of Winfrey addressing the matter.

Winfrey’s 2006 Interview with Chappelle

In 2006, Chappelle appeared on Winfrey’s talk show to discuss his decision to walk away from a $50 million deal for Chappelle’s Show. Clips from this interview were included in the misleading YouTube video.

Toward the end of that discussion, Chappelle reflected on false rumors about him, much like the fabricated claim that he had exposed Winfrey.

In the interview, he remarked, "This seems like the most irresponsible journalism ever. I can’t imagine being a reporter, hearing something this absurd, and deciding to publish it."