Dave Chappelle ‘refuses to allow attack on stage to overshadow historic moment’
Dave Chappelle is refusing to allow an attack on him during an event at the Hollywood Bowl to overshadow “the magic of the historical moment” after he achieved record-breaking sales for a comedian at the venue, a spokesman said.
Happelle, 48, was performing Tuesday night as part of the Netflix Is A Joke festival in Los Angeles when he was “attacked” and “blown up,” according to a witness.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said Isaiah Lee, 23, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and was taken into custody after the incident.
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Chris Rock also performed during the show (Ian West/PA)
A statement from Carla Sims, a spokeswoman for Chappelle, said: “Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music and set record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl.
“This run ties Chappelle to Monty Python for the most headlining shows by a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl, reaching 70,000 fans from all backgrounds during the inaugural Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival, and he refuses to allow the incident to be the last night the magic overshadowed this historic moment.”
She added that as “unfortunate and disturbing” as the incident was, Chappelle continued the show by introducing the evening’s final musical guests, hip-hop duo Black Star.
The statement also noted that Chappelle is “fully cooperating with the active police investigation into this incident.”
The incident happened as Chappelle was exiting the show and thanking the comedians who had performed before him, including Chris Rock, Leslie Jones and Jon Stewart.
Hollywood star Jamie Foxx, a close friend of Chappelle, came on stage to check the comic was okay before reportedly helping to apprehend the alleged attacker.
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A video posted to social media appeared to show a man, reported by US media as a suspected attacker, being put into an ambulance with a badly injured arm.
Commenting on the attack, an LAPD spokeswoman said: “A famous comedian was performing at the Hollywood Bowl and when he finished his performance, a man jumped onto the stage and pounced on the celebrity.
“The suspect pulled out a replica pistol and pointed the object at the victim. He was taken into custody and arrested for assault with a deadly weapon.”
A spokeswoman for the Hollywood Bowl also confirmed that an investigation into the incident had been launched.
British comedian Jimmy Carr was among those attending the show and expressed his relief that no one was seriously injured.
Sharing a selfie with Chappelle, he tweeted: “The Hollywood Bowl show starring the legendary Dave Chappelle was insane. I’m just glad everyone is doing well.”
The uproar also comes after Rock was beaten onstage by Will Smith at the Oscars, leading some members of the comedy community to wonder if it remains safe to perform in public.
Comedian and TV presenter Paddy McGuinness said he thought the attack on Chappelle was a “direct result” of Smith’s punch at Rock at the Oscars, adding, “The only thing that surprises me is that it’s taken so long took to copy it? ”
Chappelle previously faced backlash over comments about transgender people on his Netflix comedy special The Closer.
The comedian said “gender is a fact” and endorsed JK Rowling, who has also been criticized for her comments on the concept of biological sex.
Netflix employees are said to have reacted with anger to his comments and have reportedly organized a strike over the streaming giant’s decision to air the special.
https://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/celebrity-news/dave-chappelle-refusing-to-allow-on-stage-attack-to-overshadow-historic-moment-41615717.html Dave Chappelle ‘refuses to allow attack on stage to overshadow historic moment’
