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Instead, Chappelle famously walked away from the series and a $50 million paycheck. He abruptly left during production in 2006, effectively breaking his contract with Comedy Central. He was reportedly unhappy with the direction the show had taken and needed to step away.
But there has been one person who has been with the comedian through it all and that's his wife, Elaine.
Dave and Elaine Chappelle Prioritize Family Over Money
In an interview with Time, Chappelle spoke about moving to Ohio and walking away from his show, saying, "Coming here, I don't have the distractions of fame. It quiets the ego down. I'm interested in the kind of person I've got to become. I want to be well-rounded, and the industry is a place of extremes. I want to be well-balanced. I've got to check my intentions, man.”
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There was much speculation during this time in Chappelle’s life. Fans couldn’t fathom the idea that he’d walk away from his popular and successful show and $50 million. People thought he must have a drug or alcohol problem. Others thought it was a mental health issue that led comedian Dave Chappelle to walk away from it all. That wasn’t the case at all. Chappelle simply reprioritized his life in a way that was better for himself and his family.
Through the media circus that followed Dave Chappelle’s wife Elaine Mendoza stood by him. Dave and Elaine have been married for 21 years. They tied the knot in 2001 and have two sons, Sulayman and Ibrahim, and one daughter, Sanaa.
Who is Elaine Chappelle?
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Dave Chappelle’s wife Elaine Mendoza was born on August 31, 1974, to devout Christian Filipino parents. (Dave converted to Islam in 1991.) She grew up in Brooklyn and according to various sources, once planned to become a professional chef. Dave and Elaine Chappelle met more than 20 years ago, so she would have been in her 20s. After meeting and falling in love with Dave Chappelle, Elaine chose to devote herself to raising the couple’s three children.
How Did Dave Chappelle and Elaine Meet?
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During an interview with Howard Stern in the early 2000s, Dave Chappelle revealed that he met his then-girlfriend Elaine Mendoza in Brooklyn and at the time he said she was pregnant with his baby. He said that he was immediately interested in her, but she took some time to get to know Dave before committing to the relationship.
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He also revealed that she was Filipino, which led Stern and his co-host Robin Quivers to make some distasteful jokes about Asian stereotypes. Up until this point Dave Chappelle had been a regular guest on Stern’s show and even credited the exposure Stern gave him with helping his career. After they made those so-called jokes about the future Elaine Chappelle, he has continually refused to ever appear on Stern’s show again. Though he publicly says it’s because the show tapes too early in the morning, it feels like he's showing where his loyalties lie – with his wife Elaine Chappelle.
Elaine is Dave Chappelle’s Support System
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Dave and Elaine Chappelle have a strong marriage that has lasted more than two decades so far. Over the years, Dave Chappelle has made many comments about how his wife is his support system. In his final interview with Howard Stern, Chappelle said, “She was with me when I was poor.”
For a celebrity like Chappelle, it is especially important to have a strong support system in place. Fans and the media can be brutal to a public figure like Elaine Chappelle’s husband. She has been with Dave through some rocky parts of his career including when he walked away from Chappelle’s Show and the more recent controversy over the anti-trans content in his standup routine.
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He appreciates the perspective Elaine Chappelle brings to his life and said, "My wife, if it gets real bad, she’ll let me know, like, ‘Oh, you should look into this.’ But for the most part, I try not to pay attention to it because you don’t want to be careful as a comedian. I try to keep my business small enough so it can still be authentic enough.”
Speaking of that $50 million Chappelle walked away from when he quit Chapelle’s Show and voided his contract with Comedy Central – Chappelle did an interview with Conan O’Brien in 2006 during which he talked about it, saying, “My wife’s still a little salty… She’s not mad at me, but don’t think you’re going to walk away from $50 million and your wife’s just gonna be cool with it.”
Where the Married Couple is Today
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Dave and Elaine Chappelle and their three children live on a 65-acre farm in Yellow Springs, Ohio, which is located about 20 miles from the Dayton Metropolitan area. In 2006, Chappelle said, “I used to be cable’s hottest star and now I’m just a Yellow Springs guy. It turns out you don't need $50 million to live around these parts, just a nice smile and a kind way about you. You guys are the best neighbors ever. That's why I came back and that's why I'm staying.”
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Chappelle grew up in Yellow Springs, where his father was the dean of students at Antioch College.
By all accounts, Dave and Elaine Chappelle are living a peaceful, quiet, and normal life in Ohio with their children. She keeps out of the spotlight and doesn’t have any social media accounts. They appear to be a grounded couple with mutual love and respect for each other and that’s a beautiful thing.
How Do I Choose The Right New Year’s Resolution?
As we approach the New Year, many of us have started to think about our New Year’s resolution. During the holidays, we are excited and optimistic that this year will be a good year, so in this context, we choose a New Year’s resolution with the best of intentions. Fast forward one month and 36% of us will have already abandoned our goal. By the middle of the year, only 46% of people will still be working on their resolution.
There are many reasons for this. Some people’s motivation fades with time, some get discouraged as soon as there is a small setback, others fail to plan ahead, and most people keep their resolution to themselves. Therefore, they aren’t accountable to anyone. But, in my opinion, the main reason we fail is because we do not choose the right goal in the first place.
Lose weight, stop smoking, start a new sport, learn something new, find a soul mate... every year it’s the same thing. We either choose a goal to fit in or to impress others. Because of this social weight and tradition, we feel pressured to choose something. Most of us do not put the necessary time and reflection to choose the resolution that is right for us.
This year, to reach your resolution, follow these guidelines to choose New Year’s Resolution that is right for you.
How Do I Choose The Right New Year’s Resolution?
Make it Simple
Choose a resolution that is simple and that you think you can achieve with reasonable confidence. It can be risky to suddenly take on too much since it can often end in disappointment. Opt instead for an easy goal, so that you can get to success faster and use that confidence to achieve other things. Going step by step is more important than going fast.
Choose something you can control
Whenever possible, find a resolution whose achievement depends entirely on you. These goals are often easier to achieve, and they allow to establish a more direct link between your actions and our progress towards that objective. The best is to choose a goal that can be repeated every day, for example running every day. It is faster to incorporate into a daily habit behavior instead of a weekly or monthly habit.
Choose One Resolution At a Time
Each of us have several things we want to improve, but it’s better to choose initially only one thing to improve and make it our unique goal. We have limited energy and to choose more than one goal is to scatter our energy. It’s better to focus on one thing and then to fully dedicate ourselves to it for a time. Do not make a bucket list. There is nothing that prevents you from choosing a new resolution once you reach your first. The mistake that many of us make is to choose a goal that will take the whole year to realize. Instead, you should focus on what is more important, and then choose a second goal once the first one is complete.
Make it Part of a Bigger Goal
You have to start by choosing a resolution that is right for you. It needs to be consistent with your values, your project and your goals in life. Take the time to ask yourself what your goal in life is. The goal you choose has to be important to you. How many of you have a clear idea of where you want to be ten years from now? Start with that.
The most important thing is to take the time to choose the right goal for you. The latest study also shows that you can increase your chance of achieving your goals by sharing it with others. So, once you find the goal that is right for you, we have built a free tool to help you share your goals in three easy steps. So, try it out and let us know what you think!