Stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked by a man from the audience during a performance in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening.
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Chappelle was tackled onstage during the Netflix Is A Joke festival at the Hollywood Bowl. The images show how someone runs hard against the comedian and then falls to the ground. Security personnel then drag him off the stage, Chappelle himself appeared unharmed.
According to Buzzfeed journalist Brianna Sacks, who attended, “at least ten people” punched and kicked the attacker. Several videos show the attacker being taken away by an ambulance. He would have broken his arm. It is still unclear why the man attacked Chappelle.
The incident happened at the end of the show. Actor Jamie Foxx is said to have come to Chappelle’s aid. Afterwards, Chappelle returned to the podium.
Chappelle was discredited in the fall of 2021 after critics made some jokes on his show The closer transphobic and anti-lgbtqi. Netflix employees went on strike in protest against the show, but the company continued to support the comedian.
The incident is reminiscent of Will Smith punching comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars after a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s illness.
Chris Rock himself had performed at the Hollywood Bowl earlier in the evening. After the attack, he reportedly took the stage with Chappelle. “Was that Will Smith?” he joked.
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