Former 'SNL' star Chris Redd punched outside NYC comedy club, police say

Former “Saturday Night Live” star Chris Redd was taken to a hospital after he was punched in the face outside of a New York City comedy club in an attack that police say was unprovoked.

The incident took place Oct. 26 around 9:30 p.m. in front of the Comedy Cellar, where Redd was due to perform that night, according to the New York City Police Department.

“A preliminary investigation determined that the victim arrived in front of the location in a vehicle, and upon exiting the vehicle, an unknown individual approached, and without prior conversation or provocation, punched the victim in the face before fleeing the location to parts unknown,” police said in a statement.

Police also said Redd suffered “a laceration to his face.” He was treated and then released from NYC Health+Hospitals/Bellevue, according to the statement.

NBC News has reached out to Redd for a statement, but hasn’t heard back.

Video obtained by NBC New York shows Redd appearing to walk toward the club when someone punches him, knocking him to the ground in the process.

“Huge pool of blood. Huge,” Fabrizio Cavallacci, the owner of Cafe Reggio, which is next door to the Comedy Cellar, told NBC New York. “This poor guy was bleeding. The manager was trying to stop the bleeding.”

Comedy Cellar owner Noam Dworman said they are distraught over what took place, telling NBC New York they are “deeply upset about what happened and we hope he’s OK. We want him back as soon as possible.”

Redd announced in September he was not returning to “Saturday Night Live” after five seasons on the show. His standup special, “Why Am I Like This?,” is scheduled to premiere Nov. 3 on HBO Max.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com