Photo: Getty Images
Comedian Dave Chappelle was rushed and tackled by a man while on stage at the Hollywood Bowl (during the Netflix Is A Joke Fest) last last night.
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.
Chappelle appeared to run toward the altercation, saying the man was being “stomped.” Chappelle asked repeatedly for security to remove the man from stage.
Chris Rock, who performed earlier in the night, came on stage with Chappelle moments after the attack and joked: “Was that Will Smith?”
One person caught the end of the show on video where Chappelle and Jamie Foxx, who apparently rushed onstage to help apprehend the man going after Chappelle.
Chappelle said, “Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat,” and Foxx responded, “I thought that was part of the show."
Chappelle added, “I grabbed the back of that N*****’s head. His hair was spongey!”
Later the comedian sounded a note of both shock and levity saying, “I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I just stomped a N***** backstage. I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Foxx chimed in on a more serious note.
“Listen, I just want to say…this man is an absolute genius. We’ve got to make sure we protect him at all times. For every comedian who comes out here, this means everything. You’re a genius. You’re a legend, and we’re not going to let nothing happen to you.”
After Foxx left the stage Chappelle told the crowd, “Everybody compose yourselves.”
Video on social media appeared to show the attacker, with a badly injured arm, being loaded onto an ambulance.
Source: TMZ, ABC News.
Photo Credit: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Netflix.