Dave Chappelle Attacker Files Lawsuit Alleging Battery

Dave Chappelle Attacker (Credit: Shutterstock/YouTube)

Isaiah Lee, the man who attacked Dave Chappelle on stage at the Hollywood Bowl two years ago, has filed a lawsuit alleging security guards brutally beat him.

Lee’s civil suit was filed against the famed venue on Friday, May 3, in Los Angeles County Superior Court — the two-year anniversary on the May 2022 incident.

The Los Angeles Times obtained a copy of the lawsuit, which alleges negligent security and battery.

Lee notes in the suit that he identifies as bisexual and has experienced homelessness.

He admits attacking Chappelle and says he tackled the comic for telling a “barrage of homophobic and transphobic jokes,” as well as for riffing about homelessness during his show at the inaugural “Netflix Is a Joke” comedy festival.

Related Story: Dave Chappelle Attacker Sentenced for Tackling Comedian at Hollywood Bowl

The complaint says Lee, 25, “became upset by the discriminatory nature of the comedian’s jokes and rushed the stage in protest.”

The suit claims, “Instead of intervening to protect Lee, [the defendants] allowed members of the comedian’s entourage, encouraged by the comedian, to beat Lee.” The complaint goes on to allege Hollywood Bowl security “joined in the beating.”

The complaint claims Lee suffered “extreme mental and physical pain, anxiety, humiliation and apprehension, among other issues” He is seeking unspecified damages, coverage of his medical expenses and legal fees.

The Hollywood Bowl declined comment on the lawsuit, but said: “The safety and security of our audience and artists are of the utmost importance to the Hollywood Bowl. Security procedures are updated regularly to provide the safest possible environment for those who attend and perform at the Bowl.”

As previously reported, video posted on social media from the event showed the attacker charging Chappelle during his comedy set and the two then fell to the ground.

Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx and security staff rushed to subdue the suspect. The man, who appeared to have a broken arm, was then recorded being wheeled away from the venue on a stretcher.

Chappelle was not injured during the attack and continued the show.

Los Angeles police said the suspect was armed with a replica handgun that contained a retractable knife blade inside. The department posted photos of the weapon on Twitter, now called X.

At the time of the incident, Chappelle had been generating headlines for comments about the transgender community in his 2021 Netflix stand-up special, The Closer.

L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón declined to file criminal charges, because the attacker didn’t brandish the weapon during the attack.

The city attorney’s office then picked up the case, and filed misdemeanor charges.

Lee pleaded no contest on Dec. 15, 2022, to one misdemeanor count each of battery and entering a restricted area during a live event. He was sentenced to 270 days in county jail.

In a surprising twist, details emerged that Lee was accused of stabbing his roommate during an unrelated fight at a transitional housing facility in December 2021. That case is ongoing.


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About Anita Bennett

Anita Bennett is the editor and founder of Urban Hollywood 411. She can be reached on Twitter @tvanita.