Suspect in Dave Chappelle Attack Explains Motive: ‘What He Said Was Triggering’
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The suspect accused of attacking comedian Dave Chappelle on-stage during a show earlier this month said he was reacting to Chappelle’s jokes about homelessness and the LGBT community during the performance, in an interview with the New York Post published on Monday.
Isaiah Lee, a Los Angeles resident who was charged with several misdemeanors over the alleged assault, said he was also upset when another comedian made a joke about pedophilia during the performance. Lee, 23, said he was molested at age 17.
The suspect also called on Chappelle to be “sensitive” with his jokes.
“I identify as bisexual…and I wanted him to know what he said was triggering,” Lee told the Post at L.A.’s Twin Towers Correctional Facility. “I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect.”
Lee also said he was homeless at one point in his life.
“I’m also a single dad and my son is 5,” Lee said. “It’s a struggle and I wanted Dave Chappelle to know it’s not a joke.”
While Lee claimed reports that he has mental health issues are “inaccurate,” an attorney representing Lee in court on May 6 said that the suspect was receiving mental health services, the Post noted. The attorney said at the time that Lee sustained a broken arm after being tackled by security guards on stage.
Lee is suspected of attacking Chappelle at the “Netflix is a Joke” festival at the Hollywood Bowl on May 3.
“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,” a Netflix spokesperson told Fox News on Monday.
Following the alleged attack, Lee was charged with attempted murder over a separate incident in which he allegedly stabbed a roommate in a transitional housing complex in December 2021. The L.A. District Attorney’s Office said in a statement on May 19 that Lee was identified as the suspect “as a result of media reports about the Chappelle case.”
“The publicity generated by the attack on Mr. Chappelle helped police solve this crime,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement. “The incident that occurred at the Hollywood Bowl was misdemeanor conduct and rightfully referred to the City Attorney’s Office. Based on the nature and severity of the December attack, Mr. Lee is now facing felony charges which my office will prosecute.”
