Dave Chappelle attacker sues Hollywood Bowl over the incident

A man who rushed the stage during a Dave Chappelle performance at the Hollywood Bowl and tackled the comedian to the ground is suing the venue and the security team it hired.

The lawsuit filed Friday alleges security officers and members of Chappelle's entourage beat Isaiah Lee "ruthlessly," dislocated his shoulder and spat on him after Lee assaulted Chappelle while the comedian was introducing another performer at the "Netflix is a Joke" festival on May 3, 2022. 

Lee, 25, identifies as bisexual and was offended by the comedian's jokes relating to the LGBTQ community.

He was arrested after the attack and held on charges of misdemeanor counts of battery and possession of a weapon with intent to assault after police discovered a replica handgun containing a knife in his possession, authorities said.

The lawsuit claims the Hollywood Bowl and the security company it hired had a duty to "exercise reasonable care" in handling the violent situation. The amount Lee is suing for would be determined at trial, according to the court filings.

Lee never denies attacking Chappelle, but rather, offers his reasoning for doing so in the newly filed lawsuit. He was also offended by Chappelle's jokes about the homeless community since he's experienced homelessness.

"In an act of protest, Mr. Lee tackled the comedian," the court filings state. 

Cellphone video of the attack shows Lee lunging at Chappelle and his slamming his body into the comedian's midsection, knocking him to the ground briefly before he gets up and tries to fight back. Several other people jump onto the stage as Lee runs from them and goes behind the stage. Chappelle was not seriously injured and continued to perform at the festival. 

Police later found a fake handgun containing a knife inside in Lee's possession.

"I'm thankful that there was no serious injury to anyone involved, but I'm significantly troubled by the weapon that he had, the knife that he was able to get through security," LAPD Chief Michel Moore said at the time.

Lee was arrested and charged two days later with misdemeanor counts of battery and possession of a weapon with intent to assault. At the time, he was ordered to remain jailed at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown LA in lieu of $30,000 bail.

In video of the moments following the attack, Chris Rock is seen joking to Chappelle, "Was that Will Smith?" in reference to the actor's slapping assault on Rock at the Oscars earlier that year.

A representative for Chappelle described the attack as "unfortunate" and "unsettling" but said the comedy festival was a historic moment for Chappelle and would not be overshadowed by anything else.

"The performances by Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl were epic and record-breaking and he refuses to allow last night's incident overshadow the magic of this historic moment," the comedian's rep said.

Lee alleges in the lawsuit that the knife fell out of his pocket during the altercation with security officers and friends of Chappelle. He claims he did not use the knife to threaten the comedian. The court filings allege security personnel joined Chappelle's entourage in the altercation "instead of intervening to protect Lee."

"Lee did not consent to being beat and/or spit on, and a reasonable person in Plaintiff's situation would have been offended by being beaten and spit on," the lawsuit states.

According to the court filings, Lee has experienced "physical pain, suffering, anguish, fright, nervousness, anxiety, grief, shock, humiliation, indignity, embarrassment" in addition to physical injuries. The court filings described his wounds as "life-altering," with "a permanent loss of mobility" following surgery that was needed to treat his dislocated shoulder.

A year before Chappelle's performance at the "Netflix is a Joke" festival, his Netflix comedy special "The Closer" had drawn criticism over what some saw as jokes offensive to the LGBTQ community. Dozens of Netflix employees who identify as LGBTQ and their allies staged a walkout near the streaming service's building in Hollywood to protest airing of the program. 

The lawsuit mentions that backlash in alleging the Hollywood Bowl and the security company it hired "took no measures to prevent or mitigate the potential harm caused by such offensive material."

Nearly three weeks after his arrest, Lee told the New York Post in a jailhouse interview his reasons for tackling Chappelle.

"I wanted him to know what he said was triggering," Lee told the Post. "I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect."

Marissa Wenzke

Marissa Wenzke is a journalist based in Los Angeles. She has a bachelor's degree in political science from UC Santa Barbara and is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School.