Kevin Hart shared his thoughts on the Dave Chappelle incident after the comedian was attacked on stage while performing at the Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival earlier this week.
The 42-year-old appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Thursday withc filling in for the talk show as he continues to recover from COVID-19. During the interview, Birbiglia said the incident involving Chappelle “was so scary.” However, Hart said the altercation wasn’t scary but praised the comedian’s security for handling the situation.
“Somebody getting their a** whipped sends a message out to other people that was like, ‘You know, I was thinking about doing that, but seeing that, I don’t really want to do that,” Hart explained.
Hart commended Chappelle for continuing his show, “I think that the world that we’re in right now, there’s a lot of lines that have gotten blurred, and sometimes you got to take a couple steps backwards to take some steps forwards,” Hart said.
He continued, “Dave went back after that and finished doing the show. Didn’t let that thing be a big thing. Quickly moved on from it and got back to doing comedy, and that’s what a professional does. Ultimately, these moments of unprofessionalism should not break professionals. They shouldn’t shape or mold the world that we’re now being seen or viewed in. It’s time to get back to a place of respect for your live entertainer.”
Hart explained that audience members heckling during the stand-up performances is part of the experience for comedians. He recalled a male audience member throwing a buffalo wing at his head after telling a joke that the person disliked.
“Comedian has always dealt with heckler; heckler has always shouted out things because he felt that he could,” Hart said. “A comedian’s way of shutting that down was to say things back. It wasn’t bullying. It wasn’t picking on. It was all done in fun. We’ve now lost sight of the relationship of audience to comedian, and that line has gotten blurred to where it’s like, ‘Well, I don’t need to do this and like this, and I can stand up and make a point.’”
He added, “It becomes a hard case of, why did you come? Why did you buy a ticket if that was your want or need? When I say we need to get back to the place of respecting the entertainer, respect the craft. If you’re coming, come to have a good time and enjoy the person that you saw. If you have no interest in that, you don’t have to buy a ticket. You don’t have to go.”
As Sis2Sis previously reported, the award-winning comedian was performing at the event on May 4 when the attacker, identified as Isaiah Lee, was captured on video tackling Chappelle onstage.
The Washington D.C. native was introducing a DJ during his set at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the event.
“Behind me at the DJ table is one of the most prolific producers that hip-hop has ever presented, the mighty Madlib,” the comedian said to his audience. “Ladies and gentleman, make some noise for some hip-hop history–” he said moments before being assaulted by Lee.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the 23-year-old had a gun-shaped weapon on him that could discharge a knife blade “when you discharge it correctly.”
Lee appeared in court Friday morning and entered a not guilty plea with a bail set at $30,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 20.
