Comedians React To Dave Chappelle Attack: 'People Will Do Anything For Fame These Days'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- An attack on comedian Dave Chappelle while on stage in Los Angeles has local comedians talking.
An armed man attacked him as he performed at the Hollywood Bowl arena. Several people ran to help him. Chappelle wasn't hurt, but the man who attacked him was.
Video of the attack is resonating with comics who have worked with him and call him friend, like Adrian Washington from St. Cloud.
"If you've had the pleasure of meeting him like we have, you know the dude doesn't have a spiteful bone in his body," Washington said. "Like if anything Dave might be too nice."
He was in Hollywood with about 50 other comedians catching Chappelle's show and performing at another venue on the Sunset Strip.
"People will do anything for fame these days. It's like a streaker running onto like a football field or something," Washington said.
Comedian and Actor Shed G calls Minnesota his second home. He has also worked with Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Cedric the Entertainer and Tyler Perry.
"A place where freedom of speech and everybody goes to hear that different side or that different view is now being looked at as, 'Don't you say the wrong thing because they will come up and do something to you,'" Shed G said.
He joked about how he would handle a similar situation.
"I'm be honest with you, Reg Chapman. I got hand, so I don't care. You can come up here if you want to, you gonna get all these paws, and I'm not gonna be in the wrong," Shed G said. "You come up to where I am, you gonna come up here mad, and you know I do a lot of, I'm a clean comic."
Both comedians do not believe this incident will change how performers approach their craft.
"Everyone picks and choose who they want to go listen to. If you feel like that person is not for you, then hey, don't go to the show!" he said.
But they do believe we may see increased security, which could mean higher ticket prices moving forward.
Chappelle faced criticism last year from the transgender community for jokes at their expense featured in his Netflix special "The Closer," which premiered late last fall.
The motivation for the attack on Chappelle is unclear.