Comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage Tuesday night while performing at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, and cell phone videos from audience members quickly flooded social media showing a man who appeared to be run onto the stage and tackle the comic.
Chappelle, whose unapologetic humor has made him a critical lightning rod, appeared unscathed by the sudden interruption and later joked (NOTE: The linked video contains harsh language, including profanity.) with fellow comedian and actor Jamie Foxx on stage who had gotten revenge on her attacker.
Videos posted on Twitter appeared to show Chappelle’s accuser being detained outside the scene by police and then loaded into an ambulance with visible injuries.
Witnesses said, and the videos appeared to show, that the man was attacked by multiple people on stage immediately after he attacked Chappelle.
While the entire debacle was captured on multiple videos shot by audience members, cell phone use was officially banned during the performance.
The motive for the initial attack remained unclear and there was no immediate response from the Los Angeles Police Department to CBS News’ request for information about the incident.
Chappelle received a sharp rebuke late last year from the transgender community for pranks at his expense featured in his latest Netflix special, “The Closer,” which premiered in October.
Netflix stood by the Washington DC native and continued to air the special despite hundreds of their own employees. organizing a march about what they considered Chappelle’s transphobic jokes.
The comedian later said that he would be happy to meet with any member of the transgender community, but would not be swayed by “anyone’s demands” to censor his routine.
“To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me. I will not give in to anyone’s demands,” he told the audience in a clip posted on his Instagram account.
The 48-year-old comedian listed three conditions for any potential reunion and responded to fellow comedian Hannah Gadsby, who called Chapelle’s Netflix special “hate speech.”
“If you want to meet me, I would be more than willing, but I have conditions: first of all, you can’t come if you haven’t seen my special from start to finish. You must come to a place of my choosing.” and a moment of my choosing. And thirdly, you have to admit that Hannah Gadsby is not funny.”