Isaiah Lee, the man who climbed up on stage to attack comedian Dave Chappelle during his performance at the Netflix is a Joke festival, spoke out in a recent interview with The New York Post, via ET, about the reasons that drove him to commit such violent acts, which eventually landed him in custody at the Los Angeles Twin Towers Correctional Facility. In the discussion, Lee also stated that he had no intention of harming the comic.
Lee said during the interview that Chappelle’s remarks against the LGBTQ community and homeless people “triggered” him. “I identify as bisexual,” Lee admitted, “and I wanted him to know what he said triggered me.” “I wanted him to know that next time, he should think about passing his content past others who could be affected,” he continued. Lee said in his statement that he had been homeless before and that he was working on finding permanent homes for himself and his five-year-old kid while at the event.
Meanwhile, the brawl was recorded on film, with Lee running onto the stage to attack on Chappelle. He acknowledged to carrying a retractable knife that looked like a pistol, but he had no plans to use it on the comic. “I wanted Dave Chappelle to know it’s not a joke,” he stated, pointing out that individuals who are homeless have “a battle.” In terms of Chappelle’s jokes on the LGBTQ community, the comedian has received a lot of flak for his remarks, especially against the trans community. His Netflix stand-up special has been panned by both reviewers and the general audience.
In a recent interview with guest host Mike Birbiglia on the most recent episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kevin Hart also among others expressed his thoughts on Dave Chappelle being tackled on stage. Birbiglia brought up the Chappelle incident, saying it would have been “frightening,” to which Hart answered, “Somebody came on stage and got their a** whooped… not terrifying.” “It’s one of those things that needs to happen, though,” Hart continued.