Dave Chappelle was apparently unharmed after an audience member rushed the stage and physically attacked the comedian in the middle of his performance in Los Angeles Tuesday night.

Security staff chased the attacker until they detained him off stage at the Hollywood Bowl. The attacker was later escorted from the venue on a stretcher and appeared to have injuries to his arm and face.

The comedian appeared to lose his composure momentarily, and later joked: "That was a trans man," a call back to earlier words in his set that suggested he felt attacked by transgender people, and past material that has been criticized as transphobic.



Trans Netflix workers drop labor complaint, but 1 resigns after Chappelle controversy
At one point, Chappelle disappeared from view to locate the attacker. When he returned, he said, "I've been doing this 35 years. I just stomped a [n-word] backstage — always wanted to do that," appearing to refer to his assailant.

In October, Chappelle faced controversy over his 2021 Netflix special The Closer. In the special, Chappelle jokes about trans women and their genitalia and defends J.K. Rowling against critics who say she is transphobic.

The altercation also follows another high-profile stage attack, in which actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock for a joke Rock told about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, on the Oscars stage in March.

Earlier in his set, which was part of the Netflix Is A Joke festival, Chappelle discussed "the slap 'heard round the world," and said both Smith's and Rock's actions resonated with him.

Rock, who had a brief set earlier in the show, came back on stage and joked, "Was that Will Smith?"

After an investigation, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences banned Smith from all its events, virtually or in person, for 10 years.

Chappelle moved on by introducing the closing set — the rap duo known as Black Star, comprised of Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli, who were joined by DJ Madlib.

LINK: https://www.npr.org/2022/05/04...llywood-bowl-netflix

Damn.

quote:

The attacker was later escorted from the venue on a stretcher and appeared to have injuries to his arm and face.

Hope it hurt and hope injuries aren’t superficial

Hope these comedians start requiring k9 officers in their contracts. Turn these stage rushers into k9 chew toys.

It was predicted these kind of attacks would increase after Will Smith got away with sucker-slapping Chris Rock.

I posted this video in the other Chappelle thread.

I watched this earlier this morning:

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

The attacker was later escorted from the venue on a stretcher and appeared to have injuries to his arm and face.

Hope it hurt and hope injuries aren’t superficial

Hope these comedians start requiring k9 officers in their contracts. Turn these stage rushers into k9 chew toys.

From the looks of the guy as they wheeled him in the ambulance, he’s going to need someone to cut up his food for him.

Stupid needs to hurt a lot and a long time.

Reporting he had gun and knife, surprised they don't have metal detectors at the gates for that large of a venue, imagine they will now...

The gun was fake.

Soon comedians will have to perform from behind a chain link cage to keep Will Smith commandos away.

Thanks to Will Smith, this is going to be a thing now. Asshole

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Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
... (Chris)Rock, who had a brief set earlier in the show, came back on stage and joked, "Was that Will Smith?"

Hands down the funniest thing Chris Rock has ever said/done. Kudos!

Well I am glad to see the attacker left in an ambulance! That will make the next idiot think twice.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
Soon comedians will have to perform from behind a chain link cage to keep Will Smith commandos away.

Like the Blues Brothers

quote:

Originally posted by r0gue:

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
... (Chris)Rock, who had a brief set earlier in the show, came back on stage and joked, "Was that Will Smith?"

Hands down the funniest thing Chris Rock has ever said/done. Kudos!

The fact that Chris Rock was there, and then on stage after the attack to crack that joke where a mic picked it up, was just too perfect. Bravo, Chris.

I wouldn't be so quick to lay this at the feet of Will Smith. The hatred of the "trans community" for Chappelle predates the Smith incident, of course.

These people are mentally ill, and the suicide rate among this group is substantially higher than that of people outside if this group. I would think another attempt will be made. After all, if you no longer wish to live and you see an opportunity to become immortal among your peers, you may take the chance, if you have the courage.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Reporting he had gun and knife, surprised they don't have metal detectors at the gates for that large of a venue, imagine they will now...

God help us.

I avoid going anywhere that I have to be scanned / searched.

Sometimes going to the airport gates or courts is a necessity, but I won't go to ball games, concerts, shows where they search the attendees. I just don't.

Will Smith simply opened the gate, his actions, by a major star, on World Wide TV with zero repercussions other than "you can't come to our party again, for a while" may have encouraged the guy to act out his anger.

Glad he got his ass whipped.

These people are not only unbalanced they are also stupid not to grasp the brilliance of Chappelle's humour, including a most touching story involving a trans person that he befriended and brought into his comedy act. Not often a comedian can bring out the craziness of it all and move you to tears doing that. If you want to hear the Daphne story, or listen to it again, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLK16VFEMaM

I have read that the "fake gun" actually ejected a knife blade. I have never seen anything like that, and--WTF? But if you are security, knife blade or not it would get your immediate and violent attention.

It looked like somebody had jammed his right arm into his ear up to the elbow and then used a pry bar to get it out.