People have taken to social media to blame Will Smith for the attack on comedian Dave Chappelle.
Dave Chappelle was performing at the Netflix is a Joke: The Festival when an armed man attacked him on Tuesday night at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl arena. Audience videos show the man running onto the stage and tackling the comic to the floor.
Chappelle had finished his act and was exiting the stage, the LAPD said in an updated statement on Wednesday, when the audience member jumped onto the stage, tackled the comedian and pointed a replica handgun at Chappelle. Security separated the audience member from Chappelle and took him into custody.
The weapon attacker pointed at Chappelle was later determined to be a replica handgun with a knife blade.
Eyewitnesses at the event recalled how fellow comedian Chris Rock went on stage and asked, “Was it Will Smith?” prompting laughter from the audience.
After Dave Chappelle was attacked during a set at the Hollywood Bowl, Chris Rock joined him onstage and joked: “Was that Will Smith?” pic.twitter.com/nusWAzlclM
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) May 4, 2022
Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during the Oscars for joking about Jada Pinkett Smith’s appearance. Rock refused to press charges after the incident. Despite being banned from Academy events for the next decade, people believe that Smith has not faced any real consequences for his actions.
Users on Twitter are claiming that because Will Smith was not prosecuted for slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, he has opened up the floodgates for comedians to be abused.
“The Dave Chapelle fiasco is just the Will Smith post slap world. Hope people see what happened to the guy who rushed the stage and see the consequences messing around is FINDING OUT. 🤦🏾♂️ glad he is okay,” tweeted one user.
The Dave Chapelle fiasco is just the Will Smith post slap world. Hope people see what happened to the guy who rushed the stage and see the consequences messing around is FINDING OUT. 🤦🏾♂️ glad he is okay.
— The Pettiest Laker Fan 🤫 (@ThePettiestLA) May 4, 2022
Another tweeted ‘Everyone who defended Will Smith owes Dave Chappelle an apology. You know who you are.”
Another claimed: “This is all Will Smiths fault, he flicked the first domino. Idc if you like Dave Chapelle or not this sh*t shouldn’t happen to anyone.”
Another user tweeted: “Someone tried to Will Smith Dave Chappelle. Stop attacking people at their workplace, and you won’t end up looking like a pretzel.”
Someone tried to Will Smith Dave Chappelle.
— PTM (@PTOTHEMCD) May 4, 2022
Stop attacking people at their workplace and you won't end up looking like a pretzel. https://t.co/dvlFBPPw1e
I do not excuse Will Smith’s behaviour, but it has to be noted that he is not the first person to attack a comedian on stage.
