Comedian Dave Chappelle 'attacker' had a replica knife and gun, according to police

Dave Chappelle was performing on stage. Credit: AP

Comedian Dave Chappelle has been "attacked" while performing on stage in Los Angeles, with a man later arrested after storming on stage.

Chappelle was performing a stand-up routine at the Hollywood Bowl late on Tuesday, local time, when a man appeared to rush on stage and charged at the comedian.

Security guards chased and overpowered the attacker, and Chappelle was able to continue his performance while the man was taken away in an ambulance.

The man was carrying a replica handgun with a knife blade inside, authorities said.

The fake handgun with the real knife blade inside that was taken from the man who attacked comedian Dave Chappelle. Credit: Los Angeles Police Department

Isaiah Lee, 23, was detained and arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, said Officer Alba Mendez, a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman.

Lee was treated by medical staff for an unspecified injury and was booked into jail early Wednesday and held in lieu of $30,000 bail, Mendez said.

It was not immediately known if he had retained a lawyer.

Reporter Brianna Sacks, who was at the show, tweeted footage of the police and fire department at the scene.

“Just came out of the Hollywood Bowl where a man charged and tackled Dave Chapelle on stage and got his ass kicked by at least 10 people,” she tweeted. “LAPD and LAFD are now loading him into an ambulance.”

As the show was winding down, Chappelle had just been talking about the need to raise his security since he made controversial jokes about transgender people. Chappelle appeared unhurt by the incident.

Chris Rock, who was slapped on stage at the Oscars in March by Will Smith, reportedly joined the 48-year-old on stage shortly after and joked about whether the assailant was the former Fresh Prince of Bel Air actor.

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How has Chappelle caused controversy?

In a stand-up set on Netflix last October, called The Closer, the comedian said "gender is a fact" and accuses LGBT+ people of being "too sensitive".

In the 75 minute show, the 48-year-old makes a number of comments that have been slammed for being transphobic - so much so that Netflix staff protested its contents.

He said he's "team TERF". TERF refers to people who claim to be feminists but exclude the rights of transgender women.

The comedian expressed his support for JK Rowling saying she was "cancelled". The author received backlash for her comments about trans people.

Producer Cheryl Rich joins protesters outside the Netflix building following Dave Chappelle's stand-up. Credit: AP
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Chappelle also commented on the genitals of transgender people, saying "trans women’s" genitalia are "not quite what it is".

The comic also joked that rapper DaBaby had "pushed a button" with LGBT+ people over comments about gay men and Aids. Chappelle said the rapper had made a mistake when he said, among other things, "even my gay fans don’t got f****** Aids".

Chappelle also spoke at length about Daphne Dorman, a trans comedian who took her own life in 2019. The comic said the pair were good friends and that he had helped her with her comedy career.

Chappelle said Dorman had been "hounded" on Twitter before her death, after she defended him over comments about trans people.

"It's a true story; my heart was broken. I don't know what was going on, but I'll bet dragging her didn't help," he said.

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