Isaiah Lee claims Dave Chappelle's jokes on LGBTQ community 'TRIGGERED' him to attack comedian
Isaiah Lee, the man who attacked Dave Chappelle on stage at a Los Angeles comedy show 'Netflix Is a Joke Festival' earlier this month, said he was 'triggered' by the comedian's jokes about gay people and homelessness and told Chappelle he should be more sensitive. On May 3, Lee was arrested and charged at the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood station and his bail was set at $30,000. According to the police, Lee was in possession of a gun-shaped knife while attacking Chappelle and trying to tackle Chappelle. However, the comedian was able to sidestep Lee and was unharmed.
Lee was charged with four felonies after his May 3 attack, including battery, possession of a weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to the stage area during a performance and commission of an act that delays the event or interferes with the performer. But, Lee pleaded not guilty to the charge on May 18.
In a jailhouse interview at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, Lee told The New York Post that Chappelle should be more “sensitive” when it comes to the jokes he cracks.
RELATED ARTICLES
Dave Chappelle tells Chris Rock he at least got slapped by a celeb, and the response is BRUTAL
"I identify as bisexual and I wanted him 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. According to Lee, he was very much excited to see Chappelle's show that was also being recorded live for Netflix, but his content and jokes about the LGBTQ community, as well as homelessness, made him grow increasingly angry. He had been homeless before and said the jokes made him emotional and upset.
"I'm also a single dad and my son is five. It's a struggle and I wanted Dave Chappelle to know it's not a joke", Lee further said. For Lee, his breaking point came when another comedian in the show made a crude joke about pedophilia which brought back Lee's memories of being a victim of molestation at the age of 17. Lee said that he was molested at age 17 while under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services in Los Angeles. He also said he was in the process of trying to secure a place to live before he was booked in the Hollywood Bowl debacle.
Lee claimed that he was in possession of a replica handgun with a retractable knife inside the night of the alleged attack — but claimed he didn’t have the weapon out when he charged the stage. Lee is a wannabe rapper and once he put out a song about the Emmy-winning comic. He said, he always carries the weapon for protection because he is also a “minor celebrity.”
The young dad was also charged with attempted murder on Thursday, May 19, for allegedly stabbing his roommate five months ago in December 2021. Due to the great publicity generated after Chappelle's attack, the victim recognized Lee as the person who committed the assault that he reported earlier in December to the police. "The publicity generated by the attack on Mr. Chappelle helped police solve this crime," said George Gascón, District Attorney.
"It was pretty much done. But it went from me probably only doing six months [in jail] and having to do community service and living in a transitional home … to possibly 15 or more years in jail My son will be big by the time I get out," Lee said about his criminal case involving Chappelle.
After the attack, Lee said Chappelle asked him backstage at the Hollywood Bowl why he did it. “I told him my mother and grandmother, who fought for his civil rights to be able to speak, would be upset at the things," he said.
Chappelle has courted controversy for his jokes on transgenders. Last year he drew heat over his show "The Closer" in which he joked about trans women and defended controversial comments from author JK Rowling and rapper DaBaby about the gay and trans communities. In the show, he said, “A lot of the LGBTQ community doesn’t know DaBaby’s history. He’s a wild guy. He once shot a n—r and killed him. In Walmart. Oh, this is true. Google it. Nothing bad happened to his career… Do you see where I’m going with this? In our country, you can shoot and kill a n—r, but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings!”
According to The Hollywood Reporter at LA's Comedy Store, Chappelle joked about the incident with Chris Rock, who was smacked by Will Smith. "At least you got smacked by someone of repute! I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair", he said.
George Gascón, District Attorney has referred Lee's case to the LA City Attorney Mike Feuer, recommending a misdemeanor charge because "the evidence as presented did not constitute felony conduct," according to ABC.