Jon Stewart is the latest comedian to come to the defense of Dave Chappelle in the wake of the controversy surrounding The Closer, his new set for Netflix.

In a recent run-in with TMZ outside of Capitol Hill, Stewart stood by his friend and colleague, acting as yet another character witness in the ongoing litigation of the motives behind some of the transphobic material in Chappelle’s latest special. “He’s one of my favorite people on the planet,” Stewart tells the publication when asked how he felt about the response to The Closer, holding off from sharing his thoughts on the content of the special. Stewart goes on to address the stand-off between Netflix and its own employees, who staged a walkout earlier this week in solidarity with LGBTQ groups. “I’m sure that communication is probably, hopefully, the way through. But like, I love that dude as a person. He’s just warm and wise and all those things,” Stewart noted.

Addressing a potential sitdown between Chappelle and the protesting Netflix employees, Stewart thinks that could be a step in the right direction. “If this spurs a conversation where people get more on the same page in terms of understanding, that’d be great. But I know his intention is never hurtful. Like, he’s just not that type of person,” the former Daily Show host adds.

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