COMING CLEAN

Accused Attacker Says He Attacked Chappelle Over LGBTQ, Homeless Comments

Isaiah Lee, 23, said Chappelle’s comments upset him as a bisexual man who has experienced homelessness himself.

The man accused of attacking Dave Chappelle on stage did so in response to the comedian’s comments on the LGBTQ community and homelessness, he said in an interview with the New York Post. Isaiah Lee, 23, said he never intended to harm Chappelle but rather wanted the performer to be more “sensitive.” While attending Chappelle’s set at the Hollywood Bowl, Lee, who identifies as bisexual and has experienced homelessness, told the Post that he became increasingly frustrated as Chappelle joked about his controversies with the LGBTQ and homeless communities. Lee explained that he eventually snapped after hearing another comedian joke about pedophilia, as it recalled his own experience being molested as a teen. Lee, who told the paper that he does not suffer from mental illness though he is receiving mental health services according to his lawyer, faces four misdemeanor counts in the Chappelle incident and one count of attempted murder in a separate incident. Despite the legal trouble he is in, Lee told the Post that he does not regret attacking Chappelle, as he saw doing so as an opportunity to speak up about issues of LGBTQ rights, homelessness, and child abuse.