Isaiah Lee, the 23-year-old who jumped on stage during Dave Chappelle’s Hollywood Bowl set earlier this month and tackled the comedian to the ground, has said he did so because he was ‘triggered’ by Chappelle.
The LA native, who is being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, explained Chappelle’s jokes about homelessness and the LGBTQ community did not sit well with him.
Lee also insisted he never intended to harm Chappelle but urged the comedian to be more ‘sensitive’ with his wisecracks in future.
Speaking to the New York Post, Lee, who suffered a broken arm and two black eyes when he was hauled off stage by security, spoke to the outlet from the jailhouse while dressed in a brown prison suit.
He told the paper that he expected to have a ‘good time’ at the Netflix is a Joke show on 3 May, however started to get angry when Chappelle poked fun at his past controversies surrounding the LGBT community.
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Lee said: “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, who was at one point homeless himself, also told the NYP that he took issue with Chappelle’s jokes about those forced to live on the street.
“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,” he noted.
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Lee added that his ‘breaking point’ came when Chappelle made a pedophilia joke, which Lee said brought back memories of his own abuse as a teen.
Lee is now facing four misdemeanour counts including possessing a deadly weapon with intent to assault and battery.
He admitted to carrying a replica handgun that had a retractable knife inside on the night of the incident, but said he did not have the weapon out when he jumped on the stage.
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He also confirmed he has no regrets over the incident and considers the now-viral takedown of the award-winning star an ‘opportunity’ to speak out about the fact that LGBTQ rights, child sex abuse and homelessness should not be the butt of comedians’ jokes.
Earlier this month, Chappelle revealed he spoke to Lee shortly after the incident and claimed his attacker started telling him a story about his grandmother, who he said was forced out of her Brooklyn neighbourhood by gentrification.
Lee allegedly said his stage-rush was supposed to spotlight his gran’s situation.
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Aisha Nozari