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Dave Chappelle Attacked Onstage at Hollywood Bowl

On Tuesday night, a man tackled Chappelle during a comedy performance in Los Angeles.

Meara Isenberg Writer
Meara covers streaming service news for CNET. She recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she wrote for her college newspaper, The Daily Texan, as well as for state and local magazines. When she's not writing, she likes to dote over her cat, sip black coffee and try out new horror movies.
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Meara Isenberg
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Stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle.

 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images 

Comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked onstage on Tuesday night during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl. 

A man who was a member of the audience at the show tackled Chappelle and was detained by the venue's security, according to a report from NBC Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department told NBC the man was carrying a replica gun that could eject a knife blade, and LAPD confirmed this information to CNET on Wednesday. Chappelle was not injured during the incident, according to NBC.

Video footage circulating on social media also provided a look at the incident. In this video, Chris Rock, who was also there, can be heard after the attack saying, "Was that Will Smith?" The event comes just over a month after actor Will Smith slapped Rock at the Oscars.

The incident took place during a Netflix-backed comedy festival called Netflix Is a Joke. A talent agent for Chappelle and the Hollywood Bowl didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Chappelle has been the subject of controversy since making jokes about transgender people in his 2021 Netflix special The Closer.