Topline
Comedian Dave Chappelle—who was attacked on stage during a Netflix stand-up show Tuesday night—said Wednesday he is “fully cooperating” with an active police investigation into the incident, in his first official statement since the altercation.
Dave Chappelle attends the Opening Night Party presented by NETFLIX IS A JOKE at W Hollywood on … [+]
Key Facts
In a statement to Forbes from his representative Carla Sims, Chappelle called the incident “unfortunate and unsettling,” but he “refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow” his performance at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
A Netflix spokesperson told Forbes the company “cares deeply about” its creators and “strongly defend[s] the right of stand-up comedians to perform on stage without fear of violence.”
A suspect, Isaiah Lee, was taken into custody for assault with a deadly weapon and is being held on $30,000 bail, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Key Background
During the Netflix Is A Joke Festival, an audience member jumped on stage and tackled Chappelle, 48, while he was walking off, according to a statement from the LAPD. Lee allegedly brandished a replica gun that contained a knife blade, though Chappelle was not harmed during the incident. After Chappelle was attacked, comedian Chris Rock—who was famously slapped at the Oscars by Will Smith after joking about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith— reportedly took the stage and joked, “Was that Will Smith?” Chappelle, who has been previously accused of telling transphobic jokes in previous stand-up specials for Netflix, joked that his attacker “was a trans man,” when he returned to the stage, according to purported video footage of the incident.
Further Reading
Comedian Dave Chappelle Attacked On Stage During Netflix Stand-Up Special In Los Angeles (Forbes)
Dave Chappelle Tackled Onstage at Netflix Is a Joke Festival (Vulture)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/05/04/dave-chappelle-says-hes-fully-cooperating-with-police-investigation-into-attack/