Dave Chappelle’s Attacker Was Inspired By Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock At The Oscars

Dave Chappelle made headlines recently after a man rushed the stage during a performance and tackled the comedian. That attacker was quickly caught and found to be carrying a fake gun with a knife attached. The man who allegedly assaulted Dave Chappelle at a recent comedy show said that Will Smith’s Oscar slap inspired him.

Isaiah Lee was identified as the man who tackled the comedian during his “Netflix Is A Joke” show at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this month. Lee recently told The New York Post in an interview that the frightening Oscars episode had encouraged him.

Smith walked on stage during the live coverage of the Academy Awards in March in response to a joke made by Chris Rock about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Lee branded Rock’s comment “tasteless.” He even praised Smith for “standing up for his wife” from the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.

I’m not going to lie… it was a bit of clout-chasing. In Hollywood, you know they say there is no such thing as bad publicity. I rap about these things in my music and knew it would get attention.

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Over the incident, Lee was charged with battery, assault with a lethal weapon, unlawful access to the stage area during a performance, and commission of an act that delays or interferes with the artist. He has entered a guilty plea. Chappelle’s publicist emphasized in the days following the attack that he didn’t want the attack to “overshadow the magic” of the comedy show. Check out the video below.

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