Sonal Chappelle is 11 now but she already started working as an actress in “A Star Is Born”. Her dad Dave Chappelle made sure his kids live a happy life by giving them all the best opportunities in show biz. However, Sanaa seems to be the most eager to use those chances in her career.
The Chappelle family is all about making people laugh
You have probably heard something of Dave Chappelle. This is one of the most famous and successful stand-up comedians in America and the world. This man will certainly want to make you laugh since he believes that a good sense of humor is one of the most important things in the world.
Starting in the 1990s, Dave Chappelle has made a career in comedy. He even won three Grammy Awards in 2017, 2018, and 2020. Besides, he was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2019. Many comedians only wish they were that good in joking as Dave is.
Chappelle jokes about everything he considers funny and doesn’t care much about the after-effect his jokes have on people. For example, he was criticized by The Guardian for the reckless #MeToo movement and transgender jokes. Yep, his humor is special and can hurt sensitive individuals.
“I don’t think people pay money to see a guy speak precisely and carefully. I don’t think they want to pay to see somebody worried about the repercussions of what they say. They just want to see someone try to get at something honest, or maybe something relatable, or have some fun with something.”
That’s how Sanaa’s father explains his way in humor. He has his style and will never step out of the way because someone is hurt. There’s a grain of truth in every joke, that’s for sure. That is why some people often take them seriously and can’t laugh at themselves.
What’s it like to be Dave Chappelle’s daughter?
First off, her father treats Sanaa as a princess. She’s the only person he never makes jokes about. Sanaa, together with her parents and two brothers, lives in Yellow Springs in Ohio. This is a quiet and family-friendly town that attracts people by its colorful downtown and beautiful natural surroundings.
Sanaa’s mother Elaine comes from the Philippines. She is Asian by origin. Sanaa’s father Dave is black which makes their children multiracial, namely Afro-Asians. The girl has gorgeous curly hair, a big smile, and large brown eyes.
Both Elaine and Dave prefer to keep a low profile. They never throw tantrums in public and have a close family life. The couple raises like-minded kids who also never make their private lives public. Their sons have never even participated in show business-related activities.
Yellow Springs is home to many famous people. Among them are journalists, authors, actors, poets, chairmen, senators, comedians, radio personalities, activists, TV-show hosts, and others. It’s a dream place of millions but Sanaa has it all already.
Her father intentionally brought all his family there since people in Ohio don’t treat him as a celebrity. He likes it a lot: “I’ll be reminded that I’m a celebrity here, but I don’t think about it at all until somebody asks me for a selfie or something. It won’t even occur to me that’s what it is… It’s almost like a nature reserve where they’ll let me run free. I’m a protected commodity”.
Together with Elaine, Dave believes that shielding their kids from fame is the best way to raise them. Of course, it’s hard to hide the family of one of the most influential comedians in the world from the press and public. But, they’re doing their best.
Many people speculate that Sanaa is an aspiring actress. Nevertheless, a girl is yet to decide whom she’s going to become in the future. Her brothers Sulayman and Ibrahim aren’t going to follow their father’s steps and work in other spheres.
Anyway, Sanaa is a happy little girl living her best life. She adores animals, especially cats. Thus, they have one at home. Its name is Pussy, judging by the 2017 Kids Talk Politics video on SNL with Sanaa and Dave.
Is Sanaa a Muslim?
The whole Chappelle family are Muslims, except Elaine. She was raised in a Christian family and doesn’t seem to change her faith. Dave, on the other hand, was converted to Islam in 1998 just before his marriage with Elaine. They gave their kids Islamic names, Sulayman, Ibrahim, and Sonal.
Dave is a pretty devoted Muslim, although he’s not as religious as other Muslims are. He doesn’t eat pork, nor does he do drugs. He reveals: “I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing”.
It seems that this family is pretty unconventional compared to other Muslim families. The girls, Elaine and Sanaa, don’t wear hijabs and niqabs. There are plenty of photos in short dresses, pants, and even swimsuits. They don’t cover most parts of their bodies and faces.
In 2005, Dave was already a practicing Muslim which is why his career in humor sort of plateaued. A reporter from Time magazine says: “He was having problems throughout the writing. It dealt with some very difficult sexual and political and racial material…He himself has sort of changed inside as he become a practicing Muslim”.
Combining black humor with religion is an impossible task. However, Dave figured it out and proceeded with his career. He did it so well that in 2017 Rolling Stone named him one of 50 Best Stand Up Comics of all Time.
“A Star Is Born” and other projects of Sonal
This star of Dave’s and Elaine’s was born in 2009. Now, the girl is 11 years old but she already made herself a name in acting. Together with her father Dave, she got a role in “A Star Is Born” movie starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
Directed by Bradley Cooper who also played the main role in the film, “A Star Is Born” was highly praised by the critics. The mere soundtrack received seven Grammy nominations!
Sanaa made another appearance on TV in Kids Talk Trump on Saturday Night Live (SNL). She used one of her father’s jokes about Trump which was hilarious to hear from an 8-year-old.
This is what Sanaa answered to the question “What have you heard about Donald Trump”: “He unleased racism and xenophobia. We now must return to the dark ages of white presidents. Also, my dad said that Donald Trump will stop and frisk my cat. We have a black cat”.
Where can you find her on social media?
Sanaa doesn’t have accounts on social media. Even though many bloggers’ and celebrities’ kids have Instagram profiles and stuff, Sanaa’s parents seem to be against it. You can find her dad on Instagram, though. His account is @davechappelle, he’s got a tick and 974K followers.
Dave Chappelle has an account on Facebook which is @ChappellesShow. This account is active and has a verification tick. Moreover, you can find Sanaa’s dad on Twitter. His account @DaveChappelle has over 700K followers, but seems abandoned.
