Dave Chappelle: Suspect Isaiah Lee charged with assault with deadly weapon after comedian attacked | Ents & Arts News
By BNH INSIDER On May 4, 2022
A man has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon after US comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage during a stand-up show.
Chappelle was knocked to the floor just as the show at the Hollywood Bowl in LA was ending.
A 23-year-old man named Isaiah Lee has been charged, Los Angeles Police Department said.
Police earlier told NBC that the suspect had been armed with a replica gun that could eject a knife blade.
"A man charged and tackled" the comedian, tweeted reporter Brianna Sacks.
She said security "rushed and started punching and kicking the s*** out of Chappelle's attacker".
Actor Jamie Foxx was among those who tried to help.
Video later showed the attacker, with what appeared to be a dislocated arm, being loaded onto an ambulance.
Another journalist at the show said they had "lunged" at Chappelle and sent him "flying in the air".
"He fell backwards on to his back, with his arms and legs up in the air. He was obviously in shock. We were all in shock…" said Sharon Carpenter.
Injured Chappelle attacker put in ambulance
In a social media clip just after the incident, Chappelle joked about the attacker: "It was a trans man".
The comedian has been criticised by some for his jokes about the trans community and there was a backlash last year against his Netflix special.
Fellow stand-up comedian Chris Rock – who was slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars – also performed at the show.
"After Chappelle got attacked, he came on stage and they joked that it was Will Smith," tweeted Brianna Sacks.
Chappelle also spoke about needing more security after his recent controversy, as well as the Chris Rock incident, according to audience members.
UK comedian Jimmy Carr was at the Hollywood show and posted a picture of himself with Chappelle.
"Just happy everyone's ok," he tweeted.
The incident happened at the last of Chappelle's four performances at the venue, part of the Netflix Is A Joke comedy festival.
The 48-year-old later returned to the stage to thank Jamie Foxx for intervening.
"Whenever you're in trouble Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff's hat," he joked.
"This man is an absolute genius – we got to make sure we protect him at all times man – this is what it's about…" Foxx replied.
A Hollywood Bowl spokesperson said "an active investigation" was under way.
Chappelle last year hit out at cancel culture after the backlash to his Netflix special, in which he said "gender is a fact" and declared himself part of "team TERF" – which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
Chappelle is one of America's most popular stand-ups. Pic: Netflix/Mathieu Bitton
However, he also said he was willing to discuss his show with members of the transgender community.
The controversy saw some Netflix staff walk out in protest but the streaming giant stood by Chappelle and refused to take down the programme.
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