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Chappelle Assailant Had Knife Hidden In Fake Gun; Jamie Foxx Rushed Onto Stage To Aid

   DailyWire.com
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 01: (L-R) Jerry Seinfeld and Dave Chappelle attend NETFLIX IS A JOKE PRESENTS - Ted's Brunch on May 01, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by
Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Netflix

An attacker who rushed the stage and tackled Dave Chappelle on Tuesday night at the comedian’s Hollywood Bowl show was carrying a knife concealed in a replica gun, according to a new report.

The 23-year-old man was arrested and is being held on $30,000 bail in the L.A. County Sheriff’s custody on a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon.

“He stormed the stage while Chappelle joked that he’d had to increase his security in light of his trans jokes at the Netflix is a Joke festival,” the Daily Mail reported. “The attacker was armed with a gun that contained a hidden knife, according to the cops. It’s unclear if he was searched on his way into the venue, or how he was able to gain access to the stage.”

While security was apparently light at the venue, its website said the show “would be a ‘phone-free experience’ and that the audience would have to secure their phones inside pouches,” the Mail reported.

During the mayhem, as Chappelle’s security staff rushed the attacker, actor and singer Jamie Foxx also raced to help. During an encore, Chappelle thanked Foxx, saying: “Shout out to Jamie Foxx by the way. Whenever you’re in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff’s hat.”

Foxx said: “I thought that was part of the show, I didn’t know what the f***” Foxx added: “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,” Foxx said.

“Chappelle said: ‘I’ve been doing this for 35 years. I just stomped a n**** backstage. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Comedian Chris Rock followed Chappelle on stage and said of the attacker, “Was that Will Smith?”

Last month, Rock was on the stage at the 94th Academy Awards, cracking wise about all the celebrities in the star-studded theater. Then he got to Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

“Jada, I love you, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it. All right?” Rock said. The joke was a reference to a movie that starred Demi Moore as a Navy lieutenant in which the actress sports a shaved head. Jada Pinkett Smith, too, has a shaved head, because she suffers from alopecia.

While she rolled her eyes a bit and didn’t laugh, her husband guffawed heartily, a big smile on his face. “That was a nice one, OK?” Rock said.

“I’m out here –” Rock then said before breaking off. “Uh oh. Richard?” he said, referring to Will Smith’s part playing the father of Serena and Venus Williams’ father in “King Richard.”

Smith strode onto the stage a took a swipe at Rock, not with a fist but an open hand.

“Oh wow,” Rock said. “Wow. Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me,” he said.

Smith then yelled, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”

Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

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