News/Commentary

Dave Chappelle is attacked on LA stage, Jamie Foxx jumps in to help

May 4, 2022 | | Print Article

Comedian Dave Chappelle was in the middle of his set in Los Angeles when someone charged him on stage, tackling him to the ground before a stunned audience.

During the Hollywood Bowl Show, part of the Netflix Is A Joke Festival, the 48-year-old comedian was rushed by a man seen in videos posted online by witnesses. The attacker initially evaded security as he ran off the stage but was later caught. The shocking incident saw fellow comedian Jamie Foxx rushing in to help and prompted Chris Rock to joke that Will Smith was behind it.

Chappelle and the man “tussled on the stage floor before the man ran away behind a screen on stage. Security staff surrounded and tackled the man in the rear corner of the stage,” according to ABC News. “Chappelle appeared to run toward the altercation, saying the man was being ‘stomped.’ Chappelle asked repeatedly for security to remove the man from stage.”


The Los Angeles Police confirmed to ABC7 that they had received and responded to a call at the venue around 10:45 p.m. There were some reports that the man was armed with a gun and a knife.

Attendees of the show were reportedly not allowed to have their phones to record any of the performances so there is sparse video of the incident. But some managed to capture the moment as well as the following minutes.

Wearing a sheriff’s hat and watching from the wings, Jamie Foxx came onstage to help as Chappelle’s security caught the attacker, reportedly raining down punches on him.

Unharmed in the incident, Chappelle, whose jokes about trans people in his Netflix comedy show “The Closer” sparked some backlash last year, could be heard in one video clip joking that, “It was a trans man” who attacked him.

“Shout out to Jamie Foxx by the way,” Chappelle thanked Foxx at the end of his set. “Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat.”

“N——, I thought that was part of the show, I didn’t know what the f–k…” Foxx responded.

“I grabbed the back of that n—— head. His hair was spongy. Absorbent,” Chappelle was heard saying, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Listen, I just want to say, this man is an absolute genius. We’ve got to make sure we protect him at all times,” Foxx told the audience. “For every comedian who comes out here, this means everything. You’re a genius. You’re a legend, I enjoyed myself thoroughly, and we’re not going to let nothing happen to you.”

“I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I just stomped a n——— backstage. I’ve always wanted to do that,” Chappelle joked.

Chris Rock, who had performed earlier that night, was seen in some video clips joining Chappelle onstage in the aftermath and joking about his own experience when actor Will Smith slapped him on stage at the Academy Awards in March.

“Was that Will Smith?” he asked, joking.

As for the alleged attacker, the night did not end well for him.

**WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO**


(Video: ABC7)

Frieda Powers
Latest posts by Frieda Powers (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles