Although Dave Chappelle remains one of the world’s most popular comedians, that popularity isn’t quite as universal as it once was due to accusations that he disparaged transgender communities during his 2021 Netflix special The Closer .
In the time since, he’s attracted controversy both on and off stage and remains a polarizing figure today.
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So while comedians worried in a general sense that the fallout from Will Smith’s infamous decision to slap Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards would inspire hecklers to get physical with their peers, some speculated that Chappelle in particular was at risk of experiencing a similar response to his material.
Although it remains unclear what possessed an attendee at a recent festival to assault Chappelle, it seems these predictions have now come true.
On May 3, Chappelle was part of an all-star roster who appeared at Netflix’s first-ever live comedy festival, the Netflix Is A Joke Fest.
According to People , this leg of the festivasl also featured Chris Rock and Jamie Foxx and took place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
And while the event seemed to proceed according to plan before Chappelle took the stage, an attendee rushed him towards the end of his set.
As we can see in this brief clip posted to Twitter, this person in a black hoodie then proceeded to tackle Chappelle.
Although the video stops at the point of impact, People further reported that Chappelle was knocked to the ground before the attacker attempted to flee the stage.
However, he didn’t get far before security personnel and members of Chappelle’s team subdued him. ABC News further reported that Chappelle described the assailant as being “stomped” and attempted to calm the audience.
As he said, “Everybody compose themselves. I want this to be a peaceful moment.”
For his part, Rock had performed earlier that night and was among those who sprung into action to assist Chappelle.
According to ABC News, he remained on stage with Chappelle after the attacker was removed from the stage and joked, “Was that Will Smith?”
Chappelle further speculated that the person was reacting to his previous comments regarding transgender individuals.
Soon after the incident, another clip was posted to Twitter that appeared to show the attacker being loaded into an ambulance with a dislocated arm.
As the Los Angeles Police Department told People , he was apparently armed with a knife blade and a gun but neither Chappelle nor any officers were injured. The person remains in custody.
This incident unfolded at the end of the sixth night of the 11-day festival that is scheduled to conclude on May 8 and feature over 130 comedians.
