Dave Chapelle tackled during a Netflix comedy show at the Hollywood Bowl
- Security guards chased and overpowered the attacker, and Chappelle was able to continue his performance while the man was taken away in an ambulance
- NBC News reported the Los Angeles Police Department said the man was carrying a fake gun with a real knife blade inside it
Comedian Dave Chapelle was tackled during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday night. Security guards chased and overpowered the attacker, and Chappelle was able to continue his performance while the man was taken away in an ambulance.
NBC News reported that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) early on Wednesday said the man was carrying a fake gun with a real knife blade inside it. LAPD media relations made no official announcement of an arrest in the hours after the attack, and did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for details.
The comedian was performing at the “Netflix Is A Joke” comedy festival at the city’s Hollywood Bowl venue when he was attacked, the publication said, citing video footage of the incident shared on social media.
The footage showed an unidentified person appearing to tackle the comedian – who has recently attracted protests for jokes seen to be transphobic – to the ground, before the attacker was taken into custody by security officials. Supporters of the comedian viewed it as a cry against cancel culture.
Chappelle, winner of the 2019 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, has been accused of mocking members of the transgender community in his comedy specials, notably in October’s “The Closer” which elicited protests by activists who said it promoted discrimination.
Jamie Foxx was in the wings of the stage and Chapelle thanked him for responding to the attack. US comedian Chris Rock was there as well, and jokingly asked if the attacker was Will Smith.
In March, Chris Rock was assaulted by actor Will Smith on stage at the Oscars for making a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, moments earlier.