American comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked on stage at a comedy show in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, police in the California megacity reported.
The comedian was attending the new Netflix Is A Joke festival, held at the Hollywood Bowl, when a man in the audience took to the stage and tried to chase him to the ground, according to video footage of the incident shared on social media. The motive for the attack was not immediately known.
Los Angeles police confirmed the incident to the AFP and said the culprit was carrying a dummy pistol, even equipped with a knife blade. It was not immediately clear if he tried to use it on the comedian, who was not injured.
The videos showed the attacker being taken on a stretcher and then to a hospital for treatment, according to a police spokesman.
According to Brianna Sacks, a Buzzfeed reporter who was present on the show, the attacker in turn attacked at least 10 people after attacking Dave Chappelle.
Criticized for his statements about trans people
Last October, Netflix found itself embroiled in a freedom of expression controversy in the United States after the broadcast of a comedian show, The Closerwhere the stand-up star responded to critics who accused him of making fun of transgender people.
In this show condemned by LGBTQ+ groups, he claimed that the presence of gender [était] a fact and the people who criticize him are too sensitive .
In our country you can shoot and kill a black man, but don’t you dare offend a gay person said Dave Chappelle, himself black.
Isn’t that Will Smith?
In March, American comedian Chris Rock was slapped on stage by actor Will Smith at the Oscars after joking about the baldness of the latter’s wife.
According to some American media, after the attack on Dave Chappelle on Tuesday night, Chris Rock, who was participating in the same festival, came out on stage with Dave Chappelle and said: Isn’t that Will Smith?
Source: Radio-Canada
