From 1992 to 1993, Hughley was the original host of ComicView, the stand-up comedy program on BET. From 1998 to 2002, he wrote, produced and starred in the television sitcom series, The Hughleys. During 2005, he released a stand-up comedy album "D.L. Hughley: Notes From The GED Section" and had a short-lived talk show on Comedy Central called Weekends at the D.L.. He is a member of The Original Kings of Comedy, and has also had roles on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and on NBC's Scrubs as Turk's brother. In 2008, he was the host of the BET Awards. He also attended the funeral of one of his best friends and fellow King of Comedy, Bernie Mac. At the Service, he gave a tearful speech during the eulogy.
Hughley was selected to host and write a comedic news-show on CNN which covers global happenings in politics, entertainment, Sports and pop culture, titled D. L. Hughley Breaks the News, which aired its premiere episode on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 10 p.m. EDT on CNN. On March 9, 2009, CNN announced Hughley would be ending the show due to a Desire to work in Los Angeles and be closer to his family. He plans to continue his work with CNN as a Los Angeles-based contributor for the network.
Hughley also has a career as an on-air radio personality. On July 20, 2009, The D.L. Hughley Morning Show premiered on WRKS (now WEPN), more popularly known at the time as 98.7 Kiss FM, an urban adult contemporary station in New York City. His co-hosts included former BET news correspondent Jacque Reid. Airing from 6–10 am, the show placed Hughley in direct competition with his fellow "King of Comedy" Steve Harvey, whose nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show airs in New York on WBLS (Kiss FM's longtime rival). There were plans to take Hughley's show into syndication as well, but a dispute regarding his salary erupted between Kiss FM's parent company and the potential syndication company. In August 2010, Kiss FM dropped the show from its schedule, and Hughley moved on to other endeavors.
It was announced in June 2010 that NBC has ordered a game show pilot that Hughley will host entitled Who's Bluffing Who? Also in June 2010, Hughley served as special guest moderator of ABC's "The View" for one day.
Hughley's first book, I Want You to Shut the Fuck Up: How the Audacity of Dopes Is Ruining America, with contributions from Michael Malice, was published on July 31, 2012 by Crown Archetype Press.
On August 12, 2013, REACH Media, the syndicator founded by Tom Joyner, announced it had finalized a deal with D.L. to host a new nationally syndicated afternoon drive show, The D.L. Hughley Show, distributed by Cumulus Media Networks.
Hughley and his wife, LaDonna, have two daughters, Ryan and Tyler, and a son, Kyle. Hughley has discussed his son Kyle's Asperger syndrome on several occasions. Sometime around November 10, 2017 D.L. Hughley gave an interview on Angela Yee’s Lipservice podcast in which he admitted to having an affair early in his marriage and career. His mistress became pregnant and had D.L.’s son. Tragically, the infant was shaken to death by his mother’s boyfriend.
