Who said there aren’t any great deals in Soho anymore?
Dave Chappelle was walking near downtown on Thursday when he scored the perfect deal on an artwork.
The comedian was on his way to popular brunch spot Sadel’s when he spotted artist Lerone Wilson passing by with an original beeswax sculpture in hand.
Chappelle stopped Wilson and commissioned his work on the spot. But Wilson said the cartoon was “so fascinating that I just gave it to him and told him not to worry.”
Wilson, who counts Swizz Beatz, Tommy Hilfiger and Giancarlo Esposito among his collectors, said the piece he gave Chappelle was worth $7,000. He plans to make “Chappelle” into a larger production, but only this time he will ask for payment.
Their spontaneous encounter was a reunion of sorts. The two have met before. In 2021, we reported that Chappelle wished Wilson a happy Father’s Day near the same location.
The comedian is regularly spotted in the neighborhood whenever he comes to New York from his home in Ohio, often with local friend Chris Rock.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t get Chappelle’s old show out of my mind. In a new interview with The Associated Press, he opened up about returning to the hit Comedy Central series “Chappelle Show,” which he famously left in 2005 with a $50 million contract remaining.
“If you had asked me that question a year ago, I would have said absolutely not,” he told The Associated Press. “But in recent weeks…we’ve been considering it.”
