The man, who is both cisgender and bisexual, attacked comedian Dave Chappelle during a performance in 2022 and is now suing the venue.
Isaiah Lee filed a lawsuit on Friday, alleging that the venue’s security and Chappelle’s group aggressively attacked him when he went on stage during the comedian’s show at the Netflix is a Joke festival in Los Angeles in May 2022, according to KABC reports. KABC reports.
A video of the incident shows Lee, who was 23 at the time, tackling Chappelle on stage, leading to security and others intervening. Lee was arrested and taken to a local hospital for injuries. Chappelle was unharmed, but Lee was found to have a fake gun that released a knife blade.
Lee, who has reportedly dealt with mental illness and homelessness, stated in an interview with the New York Post that he did not intend to harm the comedian. He mentioned feeling provoked by Chappelle’s jokes about the LGBTQ+ community and homelessness, as well as another comedian’s jokes about sexual abuse. New York Post He informed in 2022, “I recognize as bisexual and I desired him to understand the impact of his words. I wanted him to realize that next time, he should consider consulting with those it may affect first.”
Los Angeles Times Post Following the incident, Lee faced various misdemeanor charges, including battery and possession of a weapon with intent to harm. He pleaded no contest and was placed under mental health care following a ruling by an LA judge, serving 270 days in jail.
As the Post notesLee’s lawsuit lists the Hollywood Bowl’s operators, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, as well as the event’s security company as defendants. Lee claims that the venue’s security was unable to protect him from Chappelle’s team, who he alleges spat on him and caused his arm to dislocate.
The lawsuit emphasizes Lee’s contention that he was disturbed by the discriminatory nature of Chappelle’s jokes and that he went on stage as a form of protest.
Recently, Chappelle has gained notoriety for making anti-trans jokes. Right after Lee was apprehended at the Hollywood Bowl, Chappelle made a comment that “it was a trans man.”
The 25-year-old man alleges that security guards and the comedian’s group tackled him aggressively. “it was a trans man.”
