LOS ANGELES — Comedian Dave Chappelle was tackled during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night. Chappelle continued his performance after being overpowered by security personnel. The man was then taken to the hospital.
NBC News reports that the Los Angeles Police Department claimed the victim was in possession of a fake firearm with a real knife inside. LAPD media relations didn’t make any official announcements of arrests within the hour following the attack. They also did not respond immediately to an Associated Press request.
Chappelle was performing his standup routine at the amphitheater as part of the “Netflix Is a Joke” festival when the man rushed on stage and tackled him. Jamie Foxx was on the sidelines of the stage, and Chappelle thanked him to respond to the attack. Chris Rock also was present and joked about asking if Will Smith was the attacker.
Chappelle was attacked as he was wrapping up a routine in which he talked about how comedians have to worry more about their personal security in the wake of this year’s Academy Awards ceremony where the Oscar-winning actor slapped Rock on live television in reaction to a joke about his wife.
“The comedian had literally just said he now has more security because of all the uproar from his jokes about the Trans community,” tweeted Buzzfeed News reporter Brianna Sacks, who attended the show. She tweeted that “while the attacker was getting beat up,” Chappelle “made a joke about him probably being a Trans man.”
Read More From Time
