Los Angeles: In the wake of actor Will Smith's now classic slap at the Oscars, comedians have come to fear that slapping comedians on stage should not become a norm.
Renowned American standup comedian Dave Chappelle was not spared from this however as a spectator climbed up on stage and assaulted the comedian mid-performance in response to a joke, before he was contained by his security and entourage which included actor-comedian Jamie Foxx. The man was later seen being dragged away by security.
NBC News Los Angeles reported that the LAPD had confirmed they had taken a man into custody and that he was armed with a replica gun “that can eject a knife blade” when discharged correctly. It wasn't immediately clear if the man tried to use the weapon.
Police said that Chappelle was not injured in the incident. Chappelle, seemingly fine after the incident, continued on with the show, reportedly joking that the assailant “was a trans man” in reference to his 2021 Netflix stand-up special 'The Closer', which received widespread condemnation among the LGBTQ+ community and their supporters for supposedly transphobic content.
After the incident, Chappelle brought opener Chris Rock out onstage, who joked “it was Will Smith.”
Later, in a video of the curtain call, Chappelle spoke more about the incident and called out to thank actor-comedian Jamie Foxx. “Whenever you're in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff's hat,” said Chappelle.
Taking a moment to address the crowd and Chappelle, Foxx said “Listen, I just want to say, this man is an absolute genius. We've got to make sure we protect him at all times,” further adding “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.”
Chappelle then joked to Foxx, “I've been doing this for 35 years. I just stomped a n** backstage. I've always wanted to do that.”
Chappelle was performing as part of the Netflix 'Is A Joke Fest', an 11-day stand-up comedy festival backed by streaming giant Netflix.
The festival features 130 comics with some of the biggest names in the industry in its inaugural lineup including Seth Rogen, Chelsea Handler, Aziz Ansari, Bill Burr and Conan O'Brien. The L.A.-based event is taking place across 25 venues. (UNI)