Dave Chappelle was tackled by a man as he performed on stage Tuesday night at the “Netflix Is A Joke” comedy festival in Los Angeles.
Video posted on social media by fans showed the man charging Chappelle as he delivered his comedy set at the Hollywood Bowl. The two then fell to the ground as shocked attendees looked on.
Security quickly responded and the man was hauled off the stage. The man, who appeared to have a broken arm, was then loaded into an ambulance outside the venue by firefighters and paramedics.
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Someone just tried to attack Dave Chappelle on stage at the Hollywood Bowl ?? pic.twitter.com/PZI3RMRdjD
— Piñata Farms ? (@pinatafarms) May 4, 2022
The man was taken into custody, and has been identified as Isaiah Lee, 23. The LAPD later said Lee was holding a replica gun with a retractable knife blade when he was arrested.
Law enforcement booking records indicate Lee is facing a felony assault with a deadly weapon charge and is being held on $30,000 bail.
A video posted on social media by @e5quire shows the comedian continued on with the show after the altercation.
Here is a video of the aftermath. #DaveChappelle handled this like a champ! #HollywoodBowl pic.twitter.com/0xaBpWsbrT
— E5QUIRE (@e5quire) May 4, 2022
After the altercation, Chris Rock joined Chappelle on stage and asked, “Was that Will Smith?”, referencing the infamous moment when the King Richard star slapped the comedian at the Oscars for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.
The “Netflix is a Joke” fest began on April 28 and runs through May 8. The event includes over 250 live shows across more than 30 venues around Los Angeles and is produced by Netflix in association with Live Nation.
Social media users expressed anger over Netflix’s decision to add Chappelle to the festival lineup in December amid controversy over his comedy special The Closer.
The comedian drew criticism, particularly among the transgender community, when the special began streaming on Oct. 5.
“Gender is a fact. Every human being in this room, every human being on Earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on Earth. That is a fact,” he says in the special.
In addition to sparking anger from the LGBTQ community and activists, some Netflix employees staged a walkout last fall over the company’s decision to stream the special.
