Dave Chappelle Doesn't Want Attack to Overshadow 'Historic Moment,' Rep Says

Dave Chappelle does not want the events of Tuesday night to be the only thing people are talking about after the Netflix Is a Joke Festival.

During the last night of the event on Tuesday, Chappelle was attacked onstage by a concertgoer who was armed with a replica gun that included knife blade. Los Angeles Police told ET that the suspected attacker is in custody and had initially been charged with assault with a deadly weapon. This charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor. 

Chappelle's rep tells ET that the comedian "is fully cooperating with the active police investigation into this incident."

"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 70,000 fans of diverse backgrounds during the first Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival," Chappelle's rep says in a statement. "He refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment."

The statement goes on to praise Chris Rock and Jamie Foxx as well as speak to the other talent that was part of the festival. "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," the statement continues. "Other special comedic guests last night included Earthquake, Leslie Jones, Jeff Ross, Sebastian, Jon Stewart and Michelle Wolf."

Netflix also released a statement following the incident, telling ET, "We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to perform onstage without fear of violence."

Meanwhile, ET has learned that Netflix is actively discussing the security protocols for future events, as security for the Netflix Is a Joke Festival is currently handled by the venues themselves.

The Hollywood Bowl also released a statement to ET, which reads, "The safety of our artists, visitors and staff is the LA Phil's top priority."

RELATED CONTENT:

Dave Chappelle's Alleged Attacker Identified and Charged With Assault

Chris Rock Makes Will Smith Joke After Dave Chappelle Is Attacked

Dave Chappelle Attacked by Man While Onstage at Hollywood Bowl

Dave Chappelle Addresses Trans Community Controversy

This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors.

If you are using ad-blocking software, please disable it and reload the page.

Up Next

Related Gallery

Must-See Celeb Sightings: May 2022