Kevin Hart Said The Dave Chappelle Attack ‘Wasn’t Scary’ And ‘Needed To Happen’

Kevin Hart‘s comments about comedian Dave Chappelle‘s attack by a crazed fan at the Hollywood Bowl drew some attention when he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday show and said that it “needed to happen,” according to Huffington Post.

Hart spoke to Mike Birbiglia, who was subbing as a guest host on the late-night talk show as Kimmel recovers from contracting COVID-19. During their interview, Birbiglia segued into the Chappelle incident, saying it was scary. Hart disagreed with a shrug, “Not scary…somebody ran on stage and got their ass whooped.”

The DC League of Super-Pets actor went on to say, “It’s one of those things that needed to happen, though, right.” An incredulous Birbiglia repeatedly exclaimed “No!” causing Hart to elucidate his comments, Entertainment Weekly reports.

“Mike, do you want people to continue to think they can cross that line? And break the barrier…?” Hart inquired. “Somebody getting their ass whipped sends a message out to the other people — like, you know, ‘I was thinking about doing that, but after seeing that, I don’t really wanna do that.'”

Hart added, “I think the world that we’re in right now, there’s a lot of lines that have gotten blurred, and sometimes you gotta take a couple steps backwards to take a couple steps forward. And I think that moment that we just witnessed with Dave is fogging up a bigger moment.”

Ironically, Isaiah Lee, 23, charged the stage as Chappelle concluded his routine with an observation that comedians are now concerned about their safety after Will Smith and Chris Rock‘s altercation at the 94th Academy Awards. Rock made a crack at Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, and the King Richard actor slapped him on stage.

Chappelle’s lawyer requested a protective order against Lee, who is still in jail, to stay at least 100 yards away from the stand-up comic, USA Today reports.

Police authorities released images of the weapon Lee was carrying, a replica handgun that shielded a large blade that folded akin to a pocket knife.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will not charge Lee with a felony and transferred his case to the LA city attorney’s office, which charged him with the four misdemeanors, according to USA Today.

“After reviewing the evidence, prosecutors determined that while criminal conduct occurred, the evidence as presented did not constitute felony conduct,” the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said in an official statement.

Security guards and celebrities like actor Jamie Foxx and hip hop legend Busta Rhymes came to Chappelle’s aid on stage to fight Lee off.

In the aftermath, the comedian appeared unfazed by the ordeal and even cracked a transphobic joke about his attacker despite the controversy he faced for his recent comedy special Closer on Netflix, Entertainment Weekly reports.

“Dave Chappelle celebrated four nights of comedy and music, setting record-breaking sales for a comedian at the Hollywood Bowl.… and he refuses to allow last night’s incident to overshadow the magic of this historic moment,” Carla Sims, Chappelle’s publicist, said in a statement sent to EW.

“As unfortunate and unsettling as the incident was, Chappelle went on with the show.”