Dave Chappelle attacked on stage: everything you need to know
Comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage by an audience member armed with a fake gun that had a real knife inside Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl, authorities said.
The comic, 48, was performing as part of the “Netflix Is A Joke” festival, when the mayhem unfolded around 10:45 p.m., toward the end of the stand-up show, according to witnesses.
LAPD spokesperson Officer Lizeth Lomeli said Wednesday the suspect was carrying a replica handgun with a blade inside. Twitter footage showed the suspect lying on a stretcher with his elbow facing the other way.
Isaiah Lee, 23, of Los Angeles, was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon. and held on $30,000 bail.
Lee raps under the name “NoName_Trapper,” according to social media. On Lee's Spotify page is a track called “Dave Chappell.” At one point seemingly references getting into the Hollywood Bowl — which is the location where the attack took place.
After the attack, Chappelle leaned into the microphone and quipped “that was a trans man.” He was presumably referencing his ongoing feud with the LGBTQ community over a series of remarks and jokes that many deemed transphobic.
“I’ve been doing this 35 years, I just stomped a n—a backstage. Always wanted to do that.” "Dave Chappelle"
Chris Rock turned the shocking Dave Chappelle onstage attack into a dunk on Will Smith’s Oscars 2022 fiasco, joking that the unknown male assailant was the slap-happy actor.
British comedian Jimmy Carr rushed to Twitter after the show ended to share a selfie with Chappelle. The comic described the stand-up show as “crazy” after witnessing the attack.