Elaine Chappelle

Elaine Chappelle was born as Elaine Mendoza Erfe on August 31, 1974, in Brooklyn, New York, to Filipino parents. Little is known about her childhood or how she met Chappelle, but they reportedly had a long relationship before their marriage in 2001.

Elaine and Dave Chappelle got married in 2001 and have three children together: two sons, Sulayman and Ibrahim, and a daughter, Sonal. Two years after their marriage, in 2003, ‘Chappelle's Show’ premiered on Comedy Central. Regarded by many as the greatest sketch comedy of all time, the show parodied various aspects of American culture and often offered biting and yet endearing commentary on the subject. Chappelle used the platform to promote other black comedians and hip-hop artists.

During its original run, the show became one of the most popular shows on television. His memorable characters on the show included late musicians Rick James and Prince, Clayton Bigsby, black white supremacist Silky Johnson, and Tyrone Biggums, a real estate selling crack addict.

Chappelle was reportedly offered a $55 million contract to film two more seasons. However, in 2006, Chappelle walked away from the show at the height of its popularity, giving several ethical and personal reasons. While there were speculations that Chappelle’s exit from the show was due to drug addiction or mental health issues, none of those was ever substantiated.

After leaving the show, Chappelle returned to Elaine and their children. For the next seven years, Elaine would help him lead a quiet, relatively secluded life away from the spotlight. During this period, he made sporadic TV appearances and performed impromptu stand-up shows. When he finally returned to full-time touring and stand-up comedy in 2013, both the critics and fans felt that his comedy had definitely matured. There is a sense of responsibility in his content now and many see it as a direct influence of a stable and long-lasting relationship with his wife.

Elaine had once appeared in a backstage segment of ‘The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live at the Hollywood Palladium’.