According to witnesses who attended his show and footage circulating on social media, comedian Dave Chappelle was assaulted on stage during his set at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday night.
Son of famous actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, Etienne Maurice, who witnessed the attack, tweeted:
“Seeing Dave Chappelle get attacked by somebody from the audience, then seeing the dude get jumped by Dave Chappelle and his crew gotta be the wildest live show I’ve ever seen.”
Seeing Dave Chappelle get attacked by somebody from the audience then seeing the dude get jumped by Dave Chappelle and his crew gotta be the wildest live show i’ve ever seen. Chris Rock even came on stage, embraced Dave, grabbed the mic, and said “Will was that you?!” 🤣🤣🤣
— Your Friend’s Friend (@walkgoodetienne) May 4, 2022
Footage Shows Man Attacking Dave Chappelle On Stage
Footage from several attendees also showed that Dave Chappelle was on stage at the outdoor venue when a man rushed at him and tackled him to the floor. Security then dragged the man away. Police concluded the man was armed with a replica gun “that can eject a knife blade,” according to ABC News Los Angeles.
Dave Chappelle’s Attacker Hospitalized
LAPD confirmed they had taken a man into custody. It wasn’t immediately clear if the man tried to use the weapons he was carrying. Police also said that the man did not injure Chappelle in the incident. Footage from a witness, however, shows that medics attended to the attacker after the incident.
Someone attacked Dave Chappelle at his show and his security team left that man looking like Mojo JoJo. pic.twitter.com/pna2642x7G
— NUFF (@nuffsaidny) May 4, 2022
https://twitter.com/JEDSIMON/status/1521749146461368320?s=20&t=NNqlgfzZ8xXSN8oMeORUWw
Chappelle Continued Show After Stage Attack
In video footage immediately after the attack, Chappelle recovered his composure and kept the jokes going.
“It was a trans man.”
The comedian referenced the ongoing controversy surrounding his jokes in his Netflix specials that critics perceive as transphobic.
Later, in video of the curtain call, Chappelle called out to thank actor-comedian Jamie Foxx.
“Make some noise for Foxx. Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat,” said Chappelle.
Foxx joked in response.
“N——, I thought that was part of the show, I didn’t know what the f*ck…”
Here is a video of the aftermath. #DaveChappelle handled this like a champ! #HollywoodBowl pic.twitter.com/0xaBpWsbrT
— E5QUIRE (@e5quire) May 4, 2022
Roomies, are you shocked by this incident at all???
