A man reportedly armed with a gun and a knife has been taken into custody
Footage on social media appears to show Dave Chappelle being attacked on stage.
The controversial comedian was performing at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles as part of the Netflix Is A Joke comedy festival when the incident took place.
Videos on social media appear to show a man tackling Chappelle to the ground, before security rush on stage to help the comic.
Dave Chappelle just got attacked on stage
— Hoodville (@Hoodville_) May 4, 2022
Chappelle continued with the show and later told the audience: “I don’t know if that was part of the show or… I grabbed the back of that n****s head, his hair was spongy, absorbent.”
According to Sky News, he then appeared to joke: “It was a trans man.”
Chappelle attracted controversy last year for his latest Netflix special, The Closer, in which he makes a number of jokes about the transgender community.
https://twitter.com/JEDSIMON/status/1521749146461368320
Actor and Chappelle’s friend Jamie Foxx was one of those who rushed on stage to help him, and he voiced his admiration for Chappelle afterwards.
“Listen, I just want to say I’ve had an incredible time. This guy is a genius, we’ve got to protect him at all times, man. This is what it’s about,” Foxx said.
“For every comedian that comes out here, this means everything. You’re a genius, you’re a legend, I enjoyed myself thoroughly and we’re not gonna let nothing happen to you.”
Chappelle then added: “I’ve been doing this 35 years, I just stomped a n***a backstage. Always wanted to do that.”
Warning: footage contains language some may find offensive
Dave Chappelle after A Town stomping whoever attacked him pic.twitter.com/qr1z0xBoJ8
— DDOT. (@DDotOmen) May 4, 2022
The LA Police Department confirmed to a local new network that they responded to an incident at the venue at around 22:45 and that a man reportedly armed with a gun and a knife has been taken into custody.
The force has since charged a 23-year-old man, named Isaiah Lee, with assault with a deadly weapon, according to Sky News.
LAPD confirm to KABC they responded to an incident at the Hollywood Bowl around 10:45 p.m., and a man who was reportedly armed with a gun and a knife was taken into custody. #netflixisajokefest #DaveChappelle
— Stephanie Wash (@WashNews) May 4, 2022
Other footage online appears to show the attacker, with a badly injured arm, being loaded into an ambulance.
The Netflix Is A Joke festival began on April 28 and features live performances from the likes of Seth Rogen, Snoop Dogg, Bill Burr and Pete Davidson.
The incident comes weeks after Chris Rock was slapped onstage at the Oscars by Will Smith for a joke he made about Jada Pinkett Smith.
The incident back in March prompted some comedians to voice their concerns about their safety onstage, arguing that Smith’s slap has set a dangerous precedent.
Related links:
- Netflix users outraged as ‘cancelled’ comedian Dave Chappelle given four new specials
- Dave Chappelle teams up with Netflix again to head huge comedy festival
- Dave Chappelle labelled as ‘childish bigot’ by students at old high school
