Dave Chappelle attacked on stage at Netflix Is A Joke Festival in Los Angeles

The Netflix Is A Joke festival took a turn for the serious last night (May 3) in Los Angeles, as Dave Chappelle was reportedly attacked on stage during his set at the Hollywood Bowl. The situation was captured on social media, with video and footage of the incident circulating widely as it happened.

In the clips, it appears a man rushed Chappelle from the right and tackled the comedian to the floor before being apprehended by security. No reason for the attack was immediately known, but Chappelle quickly made light of the situation, according to Hollywood Reporter, gaining his composure and remarking “it was a trans man,” a reference to the controversy surrounding his remarks about the trans community in recent Netflix specials.

ABC journalist Stephanie Walsh tweeted: “Dave Chapelle was rushed & attacked on stage by a man at the Hollywood Bowl. Chapelle tussled w/ the man, who ran behind the screen on stage & was surrounded by security. Chris Rock, who performed earlier, came on stage w/ him & joked: ‘Was that Will Smith?’.”

Walsh also tweeted the suspect “was reportedly armed with a gun and a knife [and] was taken into custody.”

This incident arrives weeks after Smith slapped Rock on stage at the Academy Awards in late March, and will likely spark more debate over the safety of performers at events of all sizes. Officials told media outlets covering the situation that they had no further statement as it was an ongoing investigation.

Netflix Is A Joke Festival is an 11-day stand-up comedy fest organized by streaming platform, with more than 130 comics, including Bill Burr, Seth Rogen, Conan O’Brien, and Chelsea Handler, performing across 25 venues around Los Angeles, including the 17,500-capacity open-air Hollywood Bowl.