Netflix Releases Statement Addressing Attack on Dave Chappelle
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Netflix has released a brief statement in regards to the on-stage attack on Dave Chappelle during his set at the Netflix Is a Joke festival.
According to Variety, a spokesperson for the streamer reiterated that the safety and rights of comedians are important to them, “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.”
A spokesperson from Chappelle's production company shared a lengthier statement addressing the issue, stating that the comedian did not want the "unfortunate and unsettling" incident to overshadow the important of the event:
“Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music, setting record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl. This run ties Chappelle with Monty Python for the most headlined shows by any comedian at the Hollywood Bowl, reaching 70k fans of diverse backgrounds during the first Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival, and he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment.”
The statement further read that the comedian was professional about the incident and did not let it throw him off his game:
“As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show. Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock helped calm the crowd with humor before Chappelle introduced the last and featured musical guests for the evening, hip-hop artists yasiin bey and Talib Kweli, a.k.a. Black Star, who performed music from their new album – the first in nearly 24 years – which was released on Luminary. Other special comedic guests last night included Earthquake, Leslie Jones, Jeff Ross, Sebastian, Jon Stewart and Michelle Wolf.”
The attacker, Isaiah Lee, has reportedly been arrested by police on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. The 23-year-old man was supposedly found with a replica gun holding a knife blade is currently being held on $30,000 USD bail.
Chappelle was tackled on stage on the evening of May 3 with Chris Rock — who was at the event — coming to his aid and stating, "Was that Will Smith?"
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