Dave Chappelle Tackled Onstage by Man at Netflix Is A Joke Fest [Update]

Comedy News
Dave Chappelle Tackled Onstage by Man at Netflix Is A Joke Fest [Update]

Update from Netflix now included below.

A man rushed the stage and attacked Dave Chappelle Tuesday night while the comedian was performing at the Hollywood Bowl.

The incident took place at the Netflix Is A Joke Fest. The attacker was reportedly taken to the hospital in an ambulance, as per ABC News. Los Angeles police said that they took the man, who was armed with a gun and a knife, into custody. Here’s more from ABC:

According to ABC News, Chappelle and the man tussled on the stage floor before the man ran away behind a screen on stage. Security staff surrounded and tackled the man in the rear corner of the stage.

Chappelle appeared to run toward the altercation, saying the man was being “stomped.” Chappelle asked repeatedly for security to remove the man from stage.

Comedian Chris Rock, who performed earlier in the night, came on stage with Chappelle moments after the attack and joked: “Was that Will Smith?”

Chappelle appeared to be unharmed, continuing to speak onstage as seen in clips on social media.

The comedian shouted out actor Jamie Foxx onstage after the attack. Foxx was attending the event and, according to Deadline, may have been one of the individuals who came to assist Chappelle during the incident.

“Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat,” Chappelle said.

“We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to perform on stage without fear of violence,” a Netflix spokesperson told Paste

UPDATE: The LAPD identified the suspect as 23-year-old Isaiah Lee, as per Deadline. The police apprehended Lee for assault with a deadly weapon, and he is currently being held on $30,000 bail. The weapon on his person was a “a plastic replica gun, that shoots forth a blade,” as reported by Deadline.

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Share Tweet Submit Pin