Dave Chappelle Attacked Onstage During Netflix Is A Joke Festival (VIDEO)

Martin Holmes May 4, 2022, 7:36 am

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Dave Chappelle at Netflix Is A Joke — Twitter; Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Netflix

A scary incident took place during Dave Chappelle‘s show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Tuesday night as someone rushed the stage and tackled the Emmy-winning comedian.

Chappelle’s show, which was part of the Netflix Is A Joke Festival, did not allow phones into the venue, so there isn’t a lot of footage of what happened. However, one brief video shared on Twitter shows a man charging at someone holding a microphone, presumed to be Chappelle.

#davechappelle attacked at #hollywoodbowl #netflixisajoke pic.twitter.com/oP04S0de90

— abazar 🦇🔊 (@abazar) May 4, 2022

According to various accounts online, the attacker was apprehended by security and fellow comedian-actor Jamie Foxx, who was in attendance. In one posted clip, security members can be seen beating a person on the floor to the side of the stage.

The idiot getting beaten down after attacking Dave Chappelle at Hollywood Bowl pic.twitter.com/Ft0FIUyjWv

— Jed Simon (@JEDSIMON) May 4, 2022

ABC journalist Stephanie Wash, who was at the show, tweeted that fellow comic Chris Rock came on stage after the attack. “Was that Will Smith?” Rock quipped, referencing the now-infamous moment from this year’s Oscars when Smith slapped Rock for a joke he made about Jada Pinkett-Smith.

Dave Chapelle was rushed & attacked on stage by a man at the Hollywood Bowl. Chapelle tussled w/ the man, who ran behind the screen on stage & was surrounded by security. Chris Rock, who performed earlier, came on stage w/ him & joked: “Was that Will Smith?” #netflixisajokefest

— Stephanie Wash (@WashNews) May 4, 2022

In another clip, Chappelle is heard to say, “It was a trans man,” a reference to the uproar and protests that ensued over transphobic jokes in the comedian’s Netflix special The Closer.

Chappelle later returned to the stage and made light of the attack, stating, “Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat.” He continued, saying, “I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I just stomped a N***** backstage. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Foxx, who joined Chappelle on stage, took a more serious tone. “Listen, I just want to say… this man is an absolute genius. We’ve got to make sure we protect him at all times,” he said. “For every comedian who comes out here, this means everything. You’re a genius. You’re a legend, and we’re not going to let nothing happen to you.”

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Fans outside the venue shared footage of the alleged attacker being loaded into an ambulance. The person who tweeted the video claimed that the assailant had his “hands broken and dislocated.”

Man That Attacked Dave Chappelle At His Show At Hollywood Bowl Has Hands Broken and Dislocated pic.twitter.com/ZvPgjdV5gz

— raphousetv (@raphousetv2) May 4, 2022

Los Angeles police later confirmed to ABC7 that they responded to a call at the Hollywood Bowl around 10:45 p.m. The attacker was taken into custody and was reportedly armed with a gun and a knife.