After an attacker rushed the stage during a stand-up performance at the Netflix Is A Joke comedy festival on Tuesday, Dave Chappelle and the streaming company have both issued statements on the incident that’s brought the infamous Will Smith and Chris Rock slap back into the spotlight. Despite the comedian laughing off the event and making a comedy meal out of the attacker allegedly getting beat down backstage, Chappelle wants to put the whole thing behind him and not let it ruin an “historic” occasion for the veteran comic.
“The performances by Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl were epic and record-breaking and he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment,” his rep, Carla Sims, says in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music, setting record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl. This run ties Chappelle with Monty Python for the most headlined shows by any comedian at the Hollywood Bowl, reaching 70k fans of diverse backgrounds during the first Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival, and he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment.”
As for Netflix, the streaming giant issued a simple statement condemning violent attacks on comedians. “We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to perform on stage without fear of violence.”
Jamie Foxx has yet to issue a statement, but we’re guessing he’s too busy working on his tackle for tonight’s show. Seriously, if Netflix isn’t paying him to work security, they should probably start.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)