Dave Chappelle tackled on stage by armed man at Netflix Is A Joke Fest at Hollywood Bowl
LOS ANGELES - Comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage by an armed man while performing at the Netflix Is A Joke Fest at the Hollywood Bowl late Tuesday night, police said.
Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department said as Chappelle was leaving the stage around 10:45 p.m., the suspect rushed to the stage and tackled him to the ground. Security, along with Jamie Foxx who was in attendance, then pulled the suspect off the comedian and tackled him.
In true Hollywood fashion, the show went on. Chappelle's representatives later confirmed Foxx, along with Chris Rock, made jokes to help calm the crowd after the shocking incident.
LAPD officers said the weapon the suspect was armed with a replica gun that had a blade inside.
Photos courtesy of LAPDHQ via Twitter.
The suspect was later identified by the LAPD as 23-year-old Isaiah Lee. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and his bail has been set at $30,000.
Chappelle was not injured in the incident, authorities said. In videos posted on social media, Chappelle appeared to keep his composure after the scary moment and joked "It was a trans man," in reference to his controversial Netflix specials that some have described as transphobic.
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In the special, Chappelle reportedly ridicules the LGBTQ+ community and repeatedly dismisses the concept of gender identity altogether. Critics said the special is offensive to transgender people and has the potential to instigate real-life violence.
In late March, Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on the Oscars stage after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The "King Richard," actor is now banned from the ceremony for the next ten years.
RELATED: Oscars slap scandal: The Academy announces Will Smith's punishment
Dave Chappelle Responds
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
A representative for Chappelle said despite the chaos "he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment."
"As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show. Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock helped calm the crowd with humor before Chappelle introduced the last and featured musical guests for the evening, hip-hop artists yasiin bey and Talib Kweli, a.k.a. Black Star, who performed music from their new album – the first in nearly 24 years – which was released on Luminary," the statement continued. "This run ties Chappelle with Monty Python for the most headlined shows by any comedian at the Hollywood Bowl, reaching 70,000 fans of diverse backgrounds during the first Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival."
Chappelle is cooperating with investigators.