New details are continuing to emerge afterDave Chappellewas attacked on Tuesday night during theNetflix Is a Joke Festival.
While performing a set at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles,the 48-year-old comedian was knocked to the groundafter a man in a black hoodie rushed the stage, PEOPLE confirmed.
According to a PEOPLE staffer who attended the event, the incident occurred towards the end of Chappelle’s set, just moments after he made jokes involvingWill Smith.
Chappelle’s jokes about the actor come about five weeks afterSmith infamously stormedtheAcademy Awardsstage and slappedChris Rockafter the comedian made a joke aboutJada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. (Pinkett Smith, 50, has been open aboutliving with alopecia.)
In a statement to PEOPLE, a Netflix spokesperson said of the incident, “We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to perform on stage without fear of violence.”
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As the story continues to evolve, here’s everything to know about the recent attack.
Dave Chappelle.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
What happened during the attack?
A PEOPLE staffer added of the incident, “The people on the right hand side of the stage were stomping on the man – I witnessed him getting pretty badly beat up. I’m pretty sure Dave stomped on him too. Dave said, ‘He’s back there getting stomped. Where did that n—– come from? It was a trans man.'”
Chappelle previously came under fire for his Netflix specialThe Closerin October 2021, wherehe made several jokesthattargeted the LGBTQ community, particularly transgender people. The streamer has since faced mounting criticism from viewers and employees, includingan employee walkout.
Before leaving the stage, Chappelle told the audience, “Everybody compose themselves. I wanted this to be a peaceful moment, and sure now it is.”
Who was Dave Chappelle’s attacker?
Dave Chappelle.Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty
Has Dave Chappelle’s attacker been arrested?
The LAPD confirmed to PEOPLE that Lee was initiallycharged with felony assault with a deadly weapon. The next day on May 5, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office announced it had declined to pursue that charge but did not rule out misdemeanor charges.
“The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has referred the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for misdemeanor filing consideration,” the L.A. DA’s office said in a statement to PEOPLE. “After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors determined that while criminal conduct occurred, the evidence as presented did not constitute felony conduct. The District Attorney’s Office does not prosecute misdemeanor crimes within the city of Los Angeles.”
An LAPD spokesperson said the weapon used was “a replica handgun with a knife,” describing it as a “replica handgun-slash-knife.”
Lee was initially held in Los Angeles City Jail on a $30,000 bond. On May 6, he pleaded not guilty, according to multiple charges (misdemeanor battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault and two Los Angeles city municipal code violations), perKNX NewsL.A.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE on behalf of the Hollywood Bowl, a rep for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association stressed how seriously the organization is addressing the evolving situation.
“The safety of our artists, visitors and staff is the LA Phil’s top priority,” a spokesperson said.
“The incident that occurred at the Hollywood Bowl on May 3, 2022 remains an active investigation, and we are unable to comment further at this time,” they added, redirecting further queries to the LAPD.
Who else was at Dave Chappelle’s Netflix Is a Joke Festival performance?
In addition to Rock, Foxx, and Black Star, the event included a handful of other celebrity guests. A person in attendance told PEOPLESean “Diddy” Combswas there, along withJimmy Iovine,Elon Musk, andBusta Rhymes, the latter of which Chappelle pointed out in the audience following the incident.
source: people.com
