By now you’ve heard that comedian Dave Chappelle was attacked at his comedy special, “Netflix is a Joke” at the Hollywood bowl on May 3rd. The attacker, Isaiah Lee, cites the comedian’s offensive jokes was “triggering” to him, which is why he charged at Chappelle.
Chappelle has a history of telling jokes that are considered homophobic, especially in his 2021 comedy special “The Closer” which aired on Netflix on March 5th, 2021. In the special he sided with rapper, DaBaby who has faced controversy for homophobic comments of his own, and even defended J.K Rowling, who famously stated the opinion that trans women were not real women. He aligned himself with Rowling on “Team TERF”, which is the acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminists.
It's important to note that many within the LGBTQ+ community believe that Chappelle isn't necessarily homophobic, but rather uses his platform in comedy to bring light to society's issues, including but not limited to the LGBT community.
Nevertheless, many still have issues with Chappelle. Isaiah Lee sat down with The Post to explain his side of the story while still in custody at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Downtown Los Angeles.
Lee recalled that he was looking forward to the show “Netflix is a Joke” on May 3rd but was soon made very uncomfortable by the content and seemingly malicious intent that Chappelle had for certain communities that Lee himself was a part of.
Lee, 23, who is the single dad of his 3-year-old son, and was at one point homeless himself, wanted “Dave Chapelle to know it’s not a joke.”
Lee, who identifies as bisexual, also wanted Chappelle to “know what he said was triggering.”
"I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect.”
Lee said that his breaking point was when another person in the show's lineup made a joke about pedophilia, which brought up memories of his own molestation when he was a child.
Lee then charged at Chappelle onstage around 10:40 p.m., tackling him to the ground and fleeing before security got a hold of him.
While Lee claims to have been unarmed during the attack, he did admit to carrying a replica handgun with a retractable knife inside on the night of the attack.
“That was a trans man,” joked Chappelle right after the attack. He was unharmed.
Once footage of the attack went viral, the criminal offenses against Lee began to stack up. His former roommate, remaining unnamed, named Lee as his attacker in a stabbing last year, prosecutors say. The two shared a space in a transitional housing facility in December of 2021, when the attack took place. This past offense caused his six months in jail and community service to possibly be “15 or more years in jail”.
He adds, “My son will be grown by the time I get out.” He states that the reports of him suffering from mental illness were “wrong” and “inaccurate”. However, his lawyer states that he is receiving mental health services.
Lee, who goes by the stage name “NoNAme_Trapper”, as he is an aspiring rapper, is now facing four misdemeanor counts, such as battery and possessing a deadly weapon with intent to assault, on top of the stabbing that occurred last year. He has, however avoided felony charges.
Chappelle has been granted a restraining order against Lee, where he has to stay 100 yards away from the comedian, the Hollywood Bowl, and any other venue in which he may be performing.