Dave Chappelle's 'bisexual' attacker speaks out, says comedian's LGBTQ jokes were 'triggering' and Chappelle should be more 'sensitive'



The man accused of physically attacking comedian Dave Chappelle onstage during his Hollywood Bowl show earlier this month told the New York Post in an exclusive interview that Chappelle's jokes about the LGBTQ community and homelessness were "triggering" and that the funnyman should be more "sensitive."

“I identify as bisexual … and I wanted him to know what he said was triggering,” 23-year-old Isaiah Lee told the paper at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles. “I wanted him to know that next time he should consider first running his material by people it could affect.”

What's the background?

Video captured the moment Chappelle was tackled during his May 3 show as well as the aftermath:

Dave Chappelle Tackled, Slammed on Stage at Hollywood Bowl by Man with Gun | TMZ youtu.be

“They spat on me and twisted me as if on purpose,” Lee told the paper in regard to security guards who broke his arm and gave him two black eyes.

It was initially reported that Lee was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and booked into jail on $30,000 bail.

This is the general kind of weapon the suspect in Dave Chappelle attack had according to @LAPDHQ It's a replica gun w/ a folding knife blade attached. $13 dollars on line Details of night that could've been so much worse live from @HollywoodBowl @FOXLApic.twitter.com/Du3ZUxd1PZ
— Phil Shuman (@Phil Shuman) 1651702687

However, two days after the attack, the L.A. County district attorney's office declined to bring felony charges against Lee. Instead he was charged with four misdemeanors: battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to the stage area during performance, and commission of an act that delays the event or interferes with the performer; Lee pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The County DA's report said "slow motion review of video footage of the incident revealed that the suspect did not have the weapon in his hand at the time he rushed and tackled victim Chappelle," KCBS-TV reported, adding that the DA's report said "felony assault charges do not appear to be warranted because of the nature of the unarmed assault, the lack of injuries, and because no weapon was actually used in the assault."

A judge denied a request that Lee be released on his own recognizance; if found guilty, Lee faces a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail, KCBS said.

What else did Lee have to say?

Lee told the Post he got angry when Chappelle joked about homelessness as well as his headline-grabbing controversies over material about the LGBTQ community in his special last fall, "The Closer."

“I’m also a single dad, and my son is five,” Lee — who once was homeless — added to the paper. “It’s a struggle, and I wanted Dave Chappelle to know it’s not a joke.”

Lee also told the Post another comedian in the show’s lineup make a crude joke about pedophilia, which brought back memories of being molested at age 17 while under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services in Los Angeles.

Lee told the paper Chappelle asked him backstage at the Hollywood Bowl why he attacked him: “I told him my mother and grandmother, who fought for his civil rights to be able to speak, would be upset at the things he said."

Lee noted to the Post that Chappelle replied, “Now your story will die with you, son.”

“But he’s wrong,” Lee told the paper. “I’m sitting here talking to you about it.”

Anything else?

The Post said the physical attack against Chappelle led to more criminal charges against Lee, who's accused of stabbing his roommate last year. The victim identified Lee as his attacker after the Chappelle incident went viral, the Post said, citing prosecutors.

Lee added to the paper that legal issues "went from me probably only doing six months [in jail] and having to do community service and living in a transitional home" in connection to the Chappelle case "to possibly 15 or more years in jail" over the stabbing charges.

"My son will be big by the time I get out," Lee told the Post.

A representative for Chappelle didn't return the paper's request for comment.

Isaiah Lee, man who attacked Dave Chappelle onstage, admits why he charged comedianyoutu.be

Man pointed a replica handgun with a knife at Dave Chappelle before tackling him, police say



The man who tackled comedian Dave Chappelle while he was on stage pointed a replica handgun with a knife in it, police said.

Chappelle was speaking to the audience at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, Tuesday when the man jumped on stage and assaulted the legendary comedian. Security personnel chased down the man, and he was arrested by Los Angeles police later.

Initial reports said the suspect had a gun and a knife, but ABC News later reported that police sources indicated the man had a replica gun with a large knife inside of it. Local Fox reporter Phil Shuman posted an image of the kind of gun believed to be found on the suspect.

This is the general kind of weapon the suspect in Dave Chappelle attack had according to @LAPDHQ It's a replica gun w/ a folding knife blade attached. $13 dollars on line Details of night that could've been so much worse live from @HollywoodBowl @FOXLApic.twitter.com/Du3ZUxd1PZ
— Phil Shuman (@Phil Shuman) 1651702687

The man was identified as 23-year-old Isaiah Lee. It's unclear what motivated Lee to attack Chappelle, but he had reportedly rapped about him and had composed a song named after him.

The LAPD confirmed in a statement that the replica gun had a knife that folded out of it.

“The suspect produced what was later discovered to be a replica handgun and pointed the item at the victim,” police said in a press release. “Hollywood Bowl uniformed security officers, who witnessed the incident, engaged the suspect and removed him from the victim and took him into custody.”

Videos after the incident show him being taken into an ambulance with severe injuries from his run-in with the security staff.

“The replica handgun that also contained a knife blade was recovered and later processed as evidence,” police added.

Lee was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and booked into jail on $30,000 bail.

Chappelle joked moments after he was tackled that the assailant was a "trans man," referring to the outrage from transgender activists at comments he had previously made during his comedy specials.

Here's the video of the attack on Chappelle:

Dave Chappelle Tackled, Slammed on Stage at Hollywood Bowl by Man with Gun | TMZwww.youtube.com

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[.]"