On May 3, Dave Chappelle was attacked during his performance at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the Netflix is a Joke comedy festival. A 23-year-old named Isaiah Lee rushed the stage, barrelling the comedian over before being detained and beaten up by security. Chappelle didn’t sustain any injuries; Lee had a broken arm and two black eyes when the incident was said and done with. Now, Lee is speaking out from jail about why he made such an ill-advised decision to use violence against the comic: he says he was upset by Chappelle’s comedy about the LGBTQ+ community and homelessness.
“I identify as bisexual … and I wanted him to know what he said was triggering,” Lee told New York Post. “I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect.” Lee explained that he is also a father who has experienced homelessness before. saying, “I’m also a single dad and my son is 5. It’s a struggle and I wanted Dave Chappelle to know it’s not a joke.” Lee also pointed to another comic in the lineup having joked about pedophilia that night as another cause of his state of mind, with the joke having brought up memories of his own molestation when he was 17. Lee says that he is not mentally ill, as some media narratives have painted him, though his lawyer said that he is receiving mental health services.
