Isaiah Lee, the man who attacked Dave Chappelle with a gun shaped knife during a comedy set in LA, has finally spoken out about why the attack occurred.
While speaking to the New York Post from the Twin Towers Correction Facility on Saturday, Lee said he attacked Chappelle to send a message to the comedian about not doing offensive comments.
“I identify as bisexual and I wanted him to know what he said was triggering,” Lee said. “I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect.”
Lee also claimed to be a fan of his show who was genuinely excited to see it, but grew more and more angry as the set went on, particularly jokes about homelessness since Lee says he used to be homeless. Chappelle is known for making offensive content and inflammatory jokes, so it is unclear how a “fan” like Isaiah Lee wouldn’t have known what to expect.
“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,” the attacker said.
According to Lee, the breaking point was when Chappelle made jokes about pedophilia since he claims to have been molested when he was 17. Lee also tried to claim that he has no mental health issues, a claim his own lawyer disputed by telling the Post that Lee is, in fact, receiving mental health services.
The attack by Isaiah Lee occurred during a high-profile comedy performance from Chappelle. The performance was filled with Celebrities like Elon Musk and Jamie Foxx and was being recorded by Netflix to air on their streaming service. Several high-profile celebrities including Foxx jumped on stage to defend Chappelle when security failed to act quickly enough.
Do you think it is ever okay to use violence and threats to oppose speech you don’t agree with? Why or why not?
