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Google PlayDave Chappelle’s latest stand-up gig ended on a dramatic note.
During his Tuesday night performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, the 48-year-old comedian was attacked by an allegedly armed audience member. Footage of the incident shows Chappelle holding the mic as a man storms the stage and tackles the Half Baked star. Security immediately runs to apprehend the suspect before apparently roughing him up.
The Los Angeles Police Department has since identified the attacker as 23-year-old Isaiah Lee. Authorities have not confirmed the suspect’s motive, but say he was armed with a replica of a gun that could eject a knife blade. Lee was immediately arrested for felony assault, and is being held on $30,000 bail.
Video taken after the attack shows the suspect on a stretcher before being placed into an ambulance. The man was seen with bruises and blood covering his face and what appeared to be a broken arm.
Actor Jamie Foxx and comedian Chris Rock attended Tuesday’s event, and tended to Chappelle after the attack. Rock attempted to make light of the incident by referencing his own onstage attack during the 94th Annual Academy Awards.
“Was that Will Smith?” Rock said in the mic while checking on Chappelle, who walked away unharmed.
On Wednesday, Chappelle’s team addressed the incident in a statement, saying they would not allow the attack “to overshadow the magic” of the historic show.
“Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music, setting record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl,” the statement read in part. “This run ties Chappelle with Monty Python for the most headlined shows by any comedian at the Hollywood Bowl, reaching 70k fans of diverse backgrounds during the first Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival […] As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show. Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock helped calm the crowd with humor before Chappelle introduced the last and featured musical guests for the evening, hip-hop artists yasiin bey and Talib Kweli, a.k.a. Black Star, who performed music from their new album – the first in nearly 24 years – which was released on Luminary.”
After it was confirmed that Chappelle didn’t sustain any injuries, a number of celebrities weighed in on the attack with a bit of humor. Stars like 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, Royce da 5’9,” and Freddie Gibbs specifically reacted to Lee’s condition after the incident, while figures like Howard Stern and Howie Mandel provided more serious commentary. You can check out some of the reactions below.
