Crazed bystander physically attacks Dave Chappelle during Hollywood Bowl comedy set



A crazed bystander physically attacked comedian Dave Chappelle during a Tuesday night performance at the Hollywood Bowl.

What are the details?

Chappelle was delivering a comedy set on Tuesday night when a man ran onto the stage and hurled himself at the actor and comedian, reportedly knocking him to the ground.

Quick as a a flash, Chappelle's security team — and friend and actor Jamie Foxx, who was backstage at the time — rushed the stage, intervened in the attack, and dragged the assailant off of the stage.

According to reports, Chappelle's security team pummeled the attacker to subdue him.

#davechappelle attacked at #hollywoodbowl #netflixisajokepic.twitter.com/oP04S0de90
— abazar \ud83e\udd87\ud83d\udd0a (@abazar \ud83e\udd87\ud83d\udd0a) 1651645092

The Daily Mail reported that Chappelle continued the show and after the curtain call said, "Shout-out to Jamie Foxx, by the way. Whenever you're in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff's hat."

Foxx replied, "I thought that was part of the show, I didn't know what the f***. ... Listen, I just want to say, this man is an absolute genius. We've got to make sure we protect him at all times. ... 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."

ABC News reporter Stephanie Wash tweeted that a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that a man who was armed with both a gun and knife was taken into custody following the incident.

She tweeted, "Dave Chappelle was rushed & attacked on stage by a man at the Hollywood Bowl. Chappelle 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?'"

"LAPD confirm to KABC they responded to an incident at the Hollywood Bowl around 10:45 p.m., and a man who was reportedly armed with a gun and a knife was taken into custody," Wash added.

LAPD confirm to KABC they responded to an incident at the Hollywood Bowl around 10:45 p.m., and a man who was reportedly armed with a gun and a knife was taken into custody. #netflixisajokefest #DaveChappelle
— Stephanie Wash (@Stephanie Wash) 1651647768

What else is there to know about this?

Reporter Brianna Sacks tweeted about the incident early Wednesday morning, writing, "Security et al rushed and started punching and kicking the s*** out of Chappelle's attacker. He was just about to bring on Talib Kweli and Mos Def for the encode [sic] and we in the crowd were like what the f*** is going on. Chappelle kept on while the guy was getting beat in the back."

"Sheer chaos," Sacks added. "Then Jamie Fox [sic] comes out in a cowboy hat, looking absolutely shocked, and Chapelle [sic] makes a joke about stomping the guy, who is still getting beat up. kweli and Mos Def do their set while LAPD cruisers start arriving behind the stage. F***ing wild[.]"

Sacks added that when the set concluded, she went outside to find LAPD cordoning off the area.

"When we got out of the Bowl and got our phones out, LAPD and medics were cordoning off the area and then loaded Chapelle’s [sic] attacker, who looked to be strapped in a jacket in a chair, into an ambulance," she wrote. "Members of the crowd cussed him out[.]"

She added, "What is really surreal about this is that Chapelle [sic] talked about Chris Rock and the slap/new reality facing comedians/having more security with him and his wife being worried about him now. He did a whole bit about a crazy man coming to his house and chasing him down in his car[.]"

Associated Press, Variety falsely claim Dave Chappelle supporter screamed profanities, was aggressor at Netflix walkout — and both outlets issue retractions



If you spent any time perusing Thursday's story in TheBlaze about the Dave Chapelle supporter who hilariously succeeded in exercising his free speech in the face of hostile, left-wing Netflix protesters, you watched the video of the mob members destroying his sign, bumping him backward, and screaming profanities in his face.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @johnschreiber

The guy didn't lay a hand on anyone — and, in fact, he made his hands visible as he spread them wide in a preacher-like, profanity-free pronouncement: "I'm just here to say that jokes are funny, people! Dave Chappelle is a funny guy! I love Dave! I don't know why all the violence! I don't know why all the hate! I just love Dave Chappelle! Dave Chappelle! Wooo!"

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @johnschreiber

Here's the clip. Content warning: Profanity:

A couple of people with signs supporting #DaveChappelle try to interrupt a rally in support of a Team Trans employe… https://t.co/2uAVFQX411

— John Schreiber (@johnschreiber) 1634753954.0

Yet, the Associated Press got the idea that the Chappelle supporter was the one screaming profanities — and Variety managed to call him the aggressor.

What are the details?

Turns out the Chappelle supporter — Vito Gesualdi — is a comedian as well, which makes sense since given how humorously he handled the naked hostility all around him.

And Gesualdi posted a ton of tweets in the last couple of days detailing what happened to him as he subverted the Netflix walkout — and what the media did to him as well.

First up is what Variety tweeted out:

@Variety https://t.co/TXrhUoSMCE

— Jpsmith (@jpsmith412) 1634922809.0

The magazine got roundly torched for using a photo of Gesualdi with the mob in his face and adding that "counter protesters pushed against trans speakers."

Soon enough Variety walked it all back: "The photo attached to an earlier version of the above tweet did not accurately illustrate the reporting from our story. We apologize for any confusion."

"Well the damage has been done," one commenter wrote to Variety. "You slander a poor gentlemen who everyone saw was not the aggressor. You can't lie about what you wrote and stated."

The magazine left up the text of the original tweet but switched out the photo of Gesualdi.

In addition, the Associated Press made a false claim about Gesualdi, saying in a photo caption that he shouted profanities at the "peaceful" Netflix protesters:

"Comedian and videographer Vito Gesualdi screams profanities as he engages with peaceful protesters begging him to… https://t.co/3ArasC9jy4

— YOUTUBE.COM / VITO (@VitoGesualdi) 1634796620.0

Gesualdi added in a subsequent tweet that "those 'peaceful protesters' broke my s**t and tackled my buddy to the concrete. What a load of s**t." He also pointed out that the AP's false caption became "stock" and that the "lie is on dozens of news sites now. Any lawyers in the house? This is BS."

The only profanities being uttered at the moment — well, screamed — came courtesy of a protester banging a tambourine at Gesualdi and repeatedly ordering him to "repent motherf***er!"

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @johnschreiber

How the photographer in question — standing directly behind the "repent motherf***er" protester when the photo was taken — thought Gesualdi was the one cursing is anybody's guess.

But after some detective work — courtesy of writer Jesse Singal, who broke down the false caption using photographic facts based on the video of the incident — the AP changed its caption. However, Gesualdi was still displeased with how things were shaking out, quite understandably:

Worth noting that my co-host Dick Masterson is currently at the hospital getting a CT scan after having his head bo… https://t.co/OfOVH9gwDc

— YOUTUBE.COM / VITO (@VitoGesualdi) 1634855281.0

The last laugh?

It's fitting that Gesualdi very well may have elicited the last laugh (for now, at least) in the whole debacle. He took to Twitter on Friday to convince his adversaries that he's not a threat, and they can stop doxxing him at any time — and then hit 'em with the following sign off: "And to be clear: I love trans people! But my trans friends all have a sense of humor."

(H/T: Hot Air)

Dave Chappelle tests positive for COVID-19 just days after cozy, maskless backstage photos with Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, and others



Comedian Dave Chappelle has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a representative for the legendary comic.

Chappelle's diagnosis comes just days after appearing in a cozy, maskless photo with Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and others.

What are the details?

A Friday TMZ report revealed that Chappelle is quarantined at the time of this reporting due to the positive test result.

He has also canceled a string of tour dates in Austin, Texas, in response to the news.

Chappelle's diagnosis comes just days after appearing with podcaster Joe Rogan, billionaire Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, Musk's partner Grimes, and other comedians such as Ron White.

White, who did three shows alongside Chappelle and Rogan last week, said that he will go into quarantine out of an abundance of caution and will be tested for coronavirus on Friday. At the time of this reporting, White does not have any symptoms of the deadly virus.

A spokesperson for White said that "every precaution was made for it to be a safe environment and it was ridiculously fun to be back on stage after 10 months."

According to the outlet, Rogan said that "he's in the clear."

On Instagram, Rogan wrote, "Sorry my friends, the Friday and Saturday shows at @stubbsaustin have been cancelled. We'll reschedule them as soon as we can. Much love to you all."

"Edit: Because people are asking, I was not exposed to the person who had covid and I have tested negative every day this week," he added. "Also, the person that gave covid to Dave was NOT Elon's partner, @Grimes."

Just days before, he shared a photo captioned, "Fun times with some really f***ing cool people at @stubbsaustin! @michelleisawolf @realmoamer @donnellrawlings @davechappelle @ronwhiteofficial @candytman."

Image source: Instagram.com screenshot/TheBlaze composite

In addition to Rogan, Musk, Grimes, White, and Chappelle, those people tagged in photo included comedian Michelle Wolf, podcast host Donnell Rawlings, comedian Mohammed Amer, and others.

What else?

Musk's partner, musician Grimes — real name Claire Elise Boucher, who is the mother of the couple's only child — revealed that she tested positive for coronavirus less than two weeks ago and experienced fever symptoms during her infection.

She took to Instagram Stories, where she said, "Finally got COVID but weirdly enjoying the DayQuil fever dream ... 2021."