Dave Chappelle rep responds to ‘unfortunate and unsettling’ onstage attack

A representative for Dave Chapelle called a physical attack against the stand-up comedian this week “unfortunate and unsettling” in a statement obtained by CNN.

Chapelle was attacked on Tuesday by an assailant with a knife while performing for the “Netflix is a Joke” event at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. He was not injured, and the suspect, later identified as Isaiah Lee, 23, was detained by Los Angeles police.

Carla Sims, Chapelle’s representative, told CNN that the stand-up went on with the show while fellow comedy stars Jamie Foxx and Chris Rock helped calm the crowd down.

“As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show,” Sims said.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Lee rushed the stage with a “replica handgun and pointed the item at the victim” before security officers detained him.

Lee is being held on a $30,000 bail and has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

After the incident, Chapelle joked “it was a trans man” in reference to his ongoing controversy with the transgender community, according to a clip of the show shared by BuzzFeed.

Rock, who last month was slapped on stage at the Academy Awards by actor Will Smith after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, appeared on stage with Chapelle and quipped: “Was that Will Smith?”

Netflix also released a statement after the incident, according to Complex.

“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,” the company said.

Lee is an aspiring rapper and in 2020 released a song called “Dave Chapell.”