‘Was That Will Smith?’: Comedian Dave Chappelle Gets Attacked Onstage During Performance, Chris Rocks Cracks a Joke About His Oscars Slap
Fans are shocked after hearing what took place at Dave Chappelle’s Hollywood Bowl show for Netflix Is a Joke festival on Tuesday night, May 3.
The veteran comedian was boldly attacked by a man while performing onstage. According to Deadline, all phones were taken away prior to entering the venue. However, video footage now has surfaced on Twitter showing Chappelle being tackled by an unidentified man. The individual attempted to flee the scene as Chappelle’s security and actor Jamie Foxx rushed the stage in another video.
Dave Chappelle (L) and Chris Rock (R). Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Netflix, ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Los Angeles Police, 23-year-old Isaiah Lee had a plastic replica gun and was taken into custody for assault with a deadly weapon. Another video shows EMTs propping Lee up on a gurney with his right arm disfigured.
The end of the headliner’s show was captured in a separate video showing his and Foxx attempts to add a little humor to the situation.
Chappelle said to the crowd, “Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat.” Foxx followed up by saying, “I thought that was part of the show.”
Chappelle claimed he “grabbed the back” of the man’s hair and felt his “spongy” hair. Foxx then proceeded to leave the stage but not before giving Chappelle his comedic flowers. He said, “Listen, I just want to say…this man is an absolute genius. We’ve got to make sure we protect him at all times. 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.”
After the crowd’s applause, Chappelle added, “I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I just stomped a n—a backstage. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
In another video, Chris Rock also came onstage after the incident to add his humorous take. He grabbed the mic from Chappelle and said, “Was that Will Smith?”
The shocking matter follows the Oscars slap that pulsated around the world. It’s been over a month since Will Smith walked onstage at the Oscars Awards and smacked Rock across the face for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith has publicly apologized on social media, but Rock said he won’t discuss it “until I get paid.”