Dave Chappelle Attacked On-Stage by Armed Audience Member at Netflix’s L.A. Comedy Festival

UPDATED 5/4/22 AT 3:30 PM ET: Netflix addressed Chappelle’s attack in a statement shared with Decider. A Netflix spokesperson said, “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.”

Dave Chappelle was attacked while performing at the Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival on Tuesday (May 3). The comic was tackled by an individual who stormed the stage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles during the middle of Chappelle’s set, Variety reports.

Chappelle appeared physically unharmed by the attack, and the perpetrator was apprehended after attempting to flee the stage, per Variety. While audience members were prohibited from recording Chappelle’s set, footage of the incident has been leaked by saavy spectators; in the clips spreading across social media, the attacker throws themselves into Chappelle while he is mid-speech.

An incident at the Hollywood Bowl took place at around 10:45 p.m. local time, Los Angeles Police told ABC 7, which reports that authorities took a man into custody who had been “armed with a gun and a knife” at the venue. His identity has not yet been released.

According to Variety, Chappelle cracked a joke after he was struck by the attacker, quipping to the audience, “It was a trans man” in reference to his controversial Netflix special, The Closer. Both Chappelle and Netflix came under fire for the content of the special, which includes jokes about the transgender community, including a moment when the comic proclaims himself “Team TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).

After the incident Tuesday evening, Chappelle was joined by two fellow comics, Chris Rock and Jamie Foxx. ABC 7 reports that Rock — who was involved in his own high-profile incident when he was slapped by Will Smith on the Oscars stage last month — stepped onstage with Chappelle moments after he was attacked, asking, “Was that Will Smith?” Rock performed his own Netflix is a Joke set earlier that night.

Foxx attempted to help Chappelle when the attacker tackled him onstage, Variety reports, and he later got a shoutout from Chappelle. During his curtain call, the comic told the audience, “Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat,” per Variety.

Decider has reached out to the Hollywood Bowl for comment, but did not hear back by time of publication.