Comedian Dave Chappelle was tackled during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night. Security guards chased and overpowered the attacker, and Chappelle was able to continue his performance while the man was taken away in an ambulance. (Read More Here).
The assailant was carrying a replica handgun with a knife blade inside, authorities said.
Isaiah Lee, 23, was detained and arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, said Officer Alba Mendez, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson.
Lee was treated by medical staff for an unspecified injury and was booked into the Hollywood Division jail at 3:36 a.m. Wednesday and held in lieu of $30,000 bail, Mendez said. It was not immediately known if he had retained a lawyer.
Mendez said a “famous comedian was performing” when Lee jumped onto the stage, tackled the celebrity and produced the replica handgun containing a knife blade. Mendez said the department did not name the celebrity because it does not confirm victim names.
Chappelle was attacked as he was wrapping up a routine in which he talked about how comedians have to worry more about their personal security in the wake of this year’s Academy Awards ceremony where the Oscar-winning actor slapped Rock on live television in reaction to a joke about his wife.
“The comedian had literally just said he now has more security because of all the uproar from his jokes about the Trans community,” tweeted Buzzfeed News reporter Brianna Sacks, who attended the show. She tweeted that “while the attacker was getting beat up,” Chappelle “made a joke about him probably being a Trans man.”
He added, “For every comedian who comes out here, this means everything. You’re a genius. You’re a legend, I enjoyed myself thoroughly, and we’re not going to let nothing happen to you.”
Chappelle then jokes to Foxx, “I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I just stomped a n—– backstage. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Chappelle was performing as part of the Netflix Is A Joke Fest, an 11-day stand-up comedy festival backed by streaming giant Netflix. The festival features 130 comics with some of the biggest names in the industry in its inaugural lineup including Seth Rogen, Chelsea Handler, Aziz Ansari, Bill Burr and Conan O’Brien. The L.A.-based event is taking place across 25 venues.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Chappelle’s rep and Netflix for comment. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, which operates the Hollywood Bowl, was unable to comment as there was an active investigation into the incident.
The attack on Chappelle is likely to reignite worries in the comedy community about audience members rushing the stage and attacking comedians. The issue was highlighted after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars last month.
A THR report in the aftermath of the slap incident, showed that comedy clubs were considering adding security guards, preshow warnings and even metal detectors for shows.
According to a website for the show, like most Chappelle performances, cellphones were required to be checked in Yondr pouches during the show to create a “phone-free experience,” so it’s unclear how some attendees were able to record the incident.
In addition to Chappelle, the lineup for Tuesday night’s show included Jeffrey Ross, Leslie Jones, Jon Stewart, Michelle Wolf, Sebastian Maniscalco and others.
Video below:
Dave Chapelle getting tackled #davechappelle pic.twitter.com/CeMtLvv2Zv
— Kyle Foley (@kylefoley) May 4, 2022
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