Dave Chappelle Tackled by Man During Hollywood Bowl Performance

Comedian Dave Chappelle emerged seemingly unscathed from a vicious attack by a man who rushed the stage from the audience late Tuesday while he was on stage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Video posted to social media shows Chappelle, 48, being tackled to the ground during his set at the Netflix Is A Joke Fest — the streamer's inaugural live comedy fest currently touring the nation.

The two appear to struggle on the ground before the individual attempts to run away and is immediately subdued by security near the rear corner of the stage.

After the incident, Chappelle continued with the show. He joked that his attacker was "a trans man," in a likely reference to the animosity and criticism he has drawn from some in the transgender community following the release of his Netflix's "The Closer" last year.

#davechappelle attacked at #hollywoodbowl #netflixisajoke pic.twitter.com/oP04S0de90

— abazar 🦇🔊 (@abazar) May 4, 2022

He likens being transgender to wearing blackface and says "gender is a fact” in the hour-long comedy special. The comments, along with others from previous shows, sparked calls for Chappelle to be canceled by some in the LGBTQ community. It was also the catalyst for a walkout in protest of his continued association with the brand by hundreds of Netflix employees.

Chappelle may have made light of the attack, but it was no joking matter, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, which confirmed to ABC News early Wednesday that the man was armed with a replica gun that can eject a knife blade "when you discharge it correctly."

Fortunately, Chapelle was not injured according to police. His attacker appeared to be worse-for-wear. He was taken to the hospital with what the LAPD called "superficial injuries." Video on social media seems to show the man being pummeled by security, and pictures and video of him being loaded into an ambulance show him with what appears to be a dislocated arm.

Definitely don’t tackle #DaveChappelle while he’s performing on stage 😬 pic.twitter.com/X0Lbi8ghsf

— AlexGB.sfm (@ab_a_w_p) May 4, 2022

“I’ve been doing this 35 years, I just stomped a n–a backstage. Always wanted to do that,” Chapelle said during the curtain call. He also thanked Jamie Foxx for rushing to aide him during the attack.

Here is a video of the aftermath. #DaveChappelle handled this like a champ! #HollywoodBowl pic.twitter.com/0xaBpWsbrT

— E5QUIRE (@e5quire) May 4, 2022

"Whenever you're in trouble, Jamie Foxx will show up in a sheriff's hat," he said.

The attack comes in the wake of Will Smith's largely unpunished attack on comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars. When the movie star slapped Rock on stage for making a joke about his wife and was allowed to stay at the ceremony and accept his first Academy Award, many comedians said it would embolden others to do the same. Chapelle even joked about how he had increased his security after the incident right before he was accosted.

Rock, who was at the show and has been lauded for his handling of the attack by Smith, had one question after the incident.

“Was that Will Smith?” he said, joining Chappelle on stage to give his fellow comedian a hug.