Dave Chappelle ‘Fully Cooperating’ With Police After Being Attacked on Stage

Dave Chappelle looks on during UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on July 10, 2021. Stacy Revere/Getty Images

A spokesperson for Dave Chappelle said the comedian will not let Tuesday night’s physical attack in Hollywood deter him from future performances as officials said the suspect was charged in connection to the incident.

“Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music, setting record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl,” his representative, Carla Sims, told local media. “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,’ and he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment.”

The spokesperson added that Chappelle is cooperating with authorities in the case.

Isaiah Lee, 23, was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department after he allegedly stormed the stage during Chappelle’s Hollywood Bowl show, according to police. He was described as a black male with black hair and brown and who is 5'11 and weighs 140 pounds.

Video footage of the incident appears to show Lee attacking Chappelle during the event. Lee, who appeared to be carrying a weapon, was injured and taken away in an ambulance. Chappelle wasn’t injured in the attack.

The Los Angeles Police Department told local media that Lee was armed with a replica gun that could eject a knife blade. The motivation for the attack is not yet clear.

“We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to perform on stage without fear of violence,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement to news outlets. Chappelle was performing for the Netflix special, “Netflix is a Joke.”

Ahmed Ali, who attended the show, told USA Today that “there was a lot of confusion,” adding: “I think we all thought, at first, that it was part of the show.”

“The guy tried to tackle Dave, and Dave sidestepped,” Ali told the outlet, adding that he was “corralled” by security guards.

After the incident, Chappelle joked that his attacker was a “trans man,” in reference to social media-driven outrage over jokes he made about so-called transgender individuals during his “The Closer” performance.

Following the attack, UK comedian Jimmy Carr shared a photo taken with Chappelle with the caption: “The Hollywood Bowl show with the legendary Dave Chappelle was crazy. Just happy everyone’s ok.”

The Epoch Times has contacted Chappelle’s publicist with a request for comment on the incident.