Comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked by an irate audience member who rushed the stage in the middle of his performance late Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
The violence unfolded inside the Hollywood Bowl during the 48-year-old performer’s set for the Netflix Is a Joke Festival, the streamer’s first-ever live comedy event.
Video shared online appears to show the attacker launching himself from the audience and directly into Chappelle, triggering a brief scuffle between the pair on the floor of the stage.
At one point, the unidentified man appears to smash the controversial comedian’s microphone and then tries to make a run for the backstage area. He was ultimately unsuccessful and tackled in the far corner of the stage by security crews at the venue. Some outlets have reported that actor Jamie Foxx helped subdue the assailant, but it has not been confirmed.
Chappelle only seemed briefly ruffled by the altercation, quickly regaining his composure and then quipping: “That was a trans man.”
The joke is an apparent reference to the backlash he has faced over his commentary regarding the transgender community, sparked primarily by his hour-long Netflix special “The Closer,” in which he declares that “gender is a fact.” He also defends author J.K. Rowling, who has similarly faced fierce criticism over her remarks regarding transgender people.
Los Angeles police confirmed to ABC7 that they responded to a call at the Bowl around 10:45 p.m. Authorities said a man who was allegedly armed with a gun and a knife was taken into custody.
He reportedly attacked just moments after Chappelle joked that he needed additional security given the controversy surrounding his comedy as of late. The onstage scuffle also comes just more than a month after actor Will Smith very publicly confronted Chris Rock during the 94th Academy awards.
Seemingly enraged over a jab about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith’s hair, the “King Richard” actor marched onto the Dolby Theater stage on March 27 and slapped Rock across the face. Less than an hour later, the 53-year-old star took home the best actor trophy and claimed his actions came from a place of love for his family.
Earlier in his set on Tuesday, Chappelle touched on “the slap heard round the world,” and said he could relate to both Smith’s and Rock’s actions.
Rock, who also performed earlier in the evening at the Hollywood Bowl, briefly took to the stage after Chappelle’s short scuffle, TMZ reported.
“Was that Will Smith?” he jokingly asked Chappelle.
The 11-day Netflix Is A Joke Fest features more than 30 performers at various venues across Los Angeles and runs until May 8.
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