Louis C.K.'s sluggish comeback tour made a stop in Yellow Springs, Ohio, this week, where he made a "surprise" appearance in the comedy show Dave Chappelle & Friends: An Intimate Socially Distanced Affair.
C.K.'s participation was confirmed several days ago when photographer Mathieu Bitton posted an Instagram photo of the embattled comedian on stage with Chappelle and fellow comedians Michelle Wolf, Mo Amer, and DJ Trauma. Bitton captured the Aug. 4 post: "Tonight’s surprise guest in the cornfield: Louis CK."
The event marked C.K.'s biggest gig since 2017, when multiple sexual misconduct allegations derailed his career. C.K. later admitted some of the accusations—masturbating in front of different women—were true, and his image has remained tarnished ever since.
Chappelle is among the high-profile comedians who have defended C.K.'s name. In his 2019 Netflix comedy special Sticks & Stones, Chappelle referred to C.K. as a "good friend" and questioned the motives of his critics.
"Louis C.K. was a very good friend of mine before he died in that terrible masturbation accident," Chappelle said. "... He didn’t do anything you can call the police for. I dare you to try. They ruined this n***a's life, and now he’s coming back playing comedy clubs and they’re acting like if he’s able to do that that’s going to hurt women. What the fuck is your agenda, ladies?"
The details of C.K.'s recent comedy set have not been revealed, but fans are hoping Chappelle will release installments of the socially distant series at a later date. Other celebrities who have participated in Dave Chappelle & Friends, aka "Chappelle's Summer Camp," include David Letterman, Tiffany Haddish, Jon Stewart, Erykah Badu, Jon Hamm, and Saturday Night Live's Michael Che.
