Dave Chappelle Attacker Told Comedian He Ran Up on Him to Get Attention for Grandmother Who Was Forced Out of Neighborhood Due to Gentrification

Comedian Dave Chappelle held a secret stand-up comedy show Thursday night in Los Angeles and many stars were in attendance.

Chappelle performed at the Comedy Store and although his appearance was said to be a last-minute addition, rumors began to circulate before the show which caused eager fans to purchase the $160 ticket to attend the “secret show” that featured an unnamed star comedian.

There were several celebrities in the intimate crowd, including Kim Kardashian, Sean “Diddy” Combs, rapper Yasiin Bey and comedian Jeff Ross.

Chappelle was attacked Tuesday while performing at the Hollywood Bowl. So many were waiting for him to speak on the bizarre incident that left his attacker obviously bruised and handcuffed.

The comedian went immediately into detail when he hit the stage, saying he couldn’t see the man’s face but that he got a grip on his hair.

He also described being embraced right after the incident by his son, who told him, “Dad, I love you.”

Chappelle then said that seeing Jamie Foxx in a sheriff’s hat helped calm him down.

Hours after the attack, Chappelle’s rep spoke on the incident, saying that despite the “unfortunate” and “unsettling” nature of what happened, he wouldn’t let it “overshadow the magic of” his Hollywood Bowl sets.

Chappelle took the time to shout out to the many people who reached out to him after the attack: “A lot of people love me, it turns out,” he said of a group that included Louis C.K.

After that, comedian Chris Rock joined Chappelle on stage and received a huge cheer from the crowd.

The two A-list comedians joked for the remainder of the time about the headline-making attacks they’d both separately experienced, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

“At least you got smacked by someone of repute!” Chappelle joked to Rock. “I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair.”

Rock then laughed and said, “I got smacked by the softest n—- that ever rapped.”

But Chappell did offer a bit of his attacker’s account from Tuesday night. Chappelle said he was able to l convince the Los Angeles police to let him into the room where his alleged assailant, 23-year-old Isaiah Lee was detained.

“I needed to talk to him,” Chappelle explained. He asked the man what possibly could have prompted his attack, Lee — who Chappelle said appeared to him to be mentally ill — told a story about his grandmother who lived in Brooklyn but had been forced out of her neighborhood due to gentrification. The attack was meant to bring attention to her plight, Chappelle recounted.

The topics ranged that night from the twin attacks to other things in the news, including the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard libel trial and the looming threat to Roe v. Wade.

However, Chappelle’s attack was the main topic during the show — as well as the city where it happened.

“I am in the [place] where you sat in the car with Biggie Smalls as he died,” Chappelle said toward the closing of his performance. “I hate this city.” With that, he grabbed his pack of cigarettes and left the stage.