During a recent stand-up set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Christian Englander threw a banana peel at headlining act Dave Chappelle. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Englander is now suing the comedian after he alleges that his bodyguard had hit him twice while he was restrained following the incident.
During the first few minutes of the 2017 comedy special Deep in the Heart of Texas: Dave Chappelle Live at Austin City Limits, the former television star reminisced on the experience he has now coined "Bananagate." Chappelle alleges that the episode was racially charged and deliberately planned, according to how brown the peel was when it hit him.
Shortly afterwards, Englander was charged with battery and disturbing the peace, but the case was eventually dropped after Chappelle decided to opt out of participating in the prosecution.
The alleged assault was not mentioned in the police reports detailing the incident. Englander denies any racial motivation behind throwing the used fruit remnants at the comedian. He claims that the impetus for his actions was a result of some crude jokes Chappelle made about Englander's friend; however, this does not explain why he would have had a banana peel in a public venue in the first place.