Chris Rock jokingly asked if the man who attacked Dave Chappelle during his show at the Hollywood Bowl was Will Smith, a few weeks after he was shockingly punched by the actor at the Oscars.
“Was that Will Smith?” asked Rock, 57, as he appeared on stage after the incident.
The audience expressed their amusement at the comment and Chappelle walked away with a grin on his face.
“Was that Will Smith?” Chris Rock jokingly asked if the man who attacked Dave Chappelle during his show at the Hollywood Bowl was Will Smith, a few weeks after he was shockingly punched by the actor at the Oscars
Chappelle performed at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival and Rock stood out, according to E! up earlier in the evening.
The joke came after a man stormed the stage and attacked Chappelle.
Isaiah Lee, 23, is now being held in the custody of the LA County Sheriff on a single charge of assault with a deadly weapon. His bail was set at $30,000. Lee’s motive for the attack remains unclear. Police have not yet established where he lives and if he attended the show alone.
He stormed the stage while Chappelle joked that given his trans jokes at the Netflix is a Joke festival, he had to step up his security. According to police, the attacker was armed with a gun that contained a hidden knife. It’s unclear if he was searched en route to the venue or how he managed to gain access to the stage.
Chappelle was unharmed and continued with the show.
Shocking: Will Smith infamously beat Rock at the Oscars earlier this year after Chris made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head
Taking the moment lightly: The audience expressed their amusement at the comment and Chappelle walked away with a grin on his face
Lee was then attacked by security forces, who appeared to break his arm in the hand-to-hand combat. He is described as weighing 140 pounds and is 5ft 11 tall.
It raises questions about safety at the Netflix show, its first-ever live comedy festival, which forced fans to put down their phones but failed to spot the gun. Netflix has not yet addressed the incident.
The venue said on its website that last night’s show, titled Dave Chappelle and Friends, would be a “phone-free experience” and required viewers to secure their phones in pockets.
Cracking Jokes: According to E!
Amused: Chapelle walked away after Rock made the remark and a smile formed on his face
After the attacker was apprehended, Chappelle thanked Foxx onstage during the curtain call. He said: “By the way, say hello to Jamie Foxx. Anytime you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx shows up in a sheriff’s hat.”
Foxx replied, “I thought that was part of the show, I didn’t know what the heck…”
Chappelle said: “I grabbed the back of that n****’s head. His hair was spongy. Absorbent.’
Foxx added: “Listen, I just want to say this man is an absolute genius. We must make sure we protect him at all times.
Chappelle was attacked on stage last night while filming a Netflix special in Los Angeles
“For any comedian that comes out of here, it means everything. You are a genius. You are a legend, I had a great time and we will not let anything happen to you.’
Chappelle said: “I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I just stomped backstage. I’ve always wanted to do that.’
Following the attack, Jimmy Carr shared a selfie with the fellow comedian, describing his Los Angeles show as “crazy.”
Chappelle, pictured at the opening night of Netflix is a Joke festival last week, came under fire for joking about trans people on his Netflix comedy show The Closer last year
He tweeted: “The Hollywood Bowl Show starring the legendary Dave Chappelle was insane. I’m just glad everyone is okay.’
Chappelle came under fire for joking about trans people on his Netflix comedy show The Closer last year.
The attack comes weeks after Smith attacked Rock onstage at the Oscars and feared it would spark similar violent protests against cast members.
The actor slammed the comedian onstage after a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett-Smith has been open about her struggles with alopecia in the past.
Controversy: After the slap, Smith returned to his seat and yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your friggin’ mouth.”
After the slap, Smith returned to his seat and yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth.”
He went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in the film King Richard. He used his speech to apologize to the Academy and later posted an apology on Instagram.
Rock has mostly remained silent on the subject, only speaking up to say he’s “processing” what happened.
The incident prompted members of the comedy community, including Jack Whitehall and Kathy Griffin, to voice their fears that the performers are no longer safe on stage.