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The Los Angeles man accused of assaulting Dave Chappelle said he was “triggered” by the comedian’s jokes about the LGBTQ community and homelessness – as he insisted he never meant to harm the comedian .
In an exclusive prison interview, Isaiah Lee told the Post that Chappelle should be “more sensitive” when it comes to the jokes he makes.
“I identify as bisexual … and I wanted him to know what he calls a trigger,” Lee said Saturday at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, dressed in brown prison garb and with a noose on his broken right arm.
“I wanted him to know that next time he should consider letting his material run by people it might affect first.”
Lee said he expected to have a “good time” on May 3’s Netflix is a Joke show – but he became angry and frustrated when Chappelle opened up about his past controversies with the LGBTQ community, as well as homelessness joked.
“I’m also a single dad and my son is five,” said Lee, 23, who was once homeless himself. “It’s a fight and I wanted Dave Chappelle to know it wasn’t a hoax.”
He said his turning point came when another comedian in the show’s cast made a crude joke about pedophilia – which Lee said he dug up memories of his own molestation as a teenager.
The stunning takedown at the Hollywood Bowl was captured on camera – it showed Lee rushing towards Chappelle on stage, knocking him over and fleeing before security caught him.
“That was a trans man,” Chappelle, who was unharmed, joked to the crowd right after the attack.
Lee admitted he was carrying a replica pistol with a retractable knife on the night of the alleged attack – but claimed he wasn’t drawing the gun as he stormed the stage.
The wannabe rapper, who goes by the name “NoName_Trapper,” and once released a song about the Emmy-winning comic, said he always carries the gun for protection because he’s a “minor celebrity,” too.
The young father, who was beaten in the incident, now faces four offenses including battery and possession of a deadly weapon with intent to attack.
“They spat at me and twisted me as if on purpose,” he said of security forces, who left him with a broken arm and two black eyes.
Lee told the Post that he was molested at the age of 17 while under the care of the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services. He also said he was in the process of securing a place to live before he was snapped in the Hollywood Bowl debacle.
When asked about reports that he suffered from mental health issues, Lee said they were “false” and “inaccurate.” However, his attorney has said he is receiving psychiatric services.
The viral incident has also led to further criminal charges against Lee – he was charged Thursday with allegedly stabbing his roommate last year. The victim in that case identified Lee as his alleged attacker when the Chappelle incident went viral, prosecutors said.
“It was pretty much done,” Lee said of his criminal case with Chappelle.
“But for me it was probably only about six months [in jail] and having to do community service and living in a transitional home… up to possibly 15 or more years in prison,” he added, shaking his head. “My son will be tall when I get out.”
Still, he said he has no regrets about what happened because he saw it as an opportunity to speak out about homelessness, LGBTQ rights and child abuse, which often serve as fodder for comedians.
Chappelle caused a stir last year with his Netflix special The Closer, in which he jokes about transgender women and defends controversial comments by author JK Rowling and rapper DaBaby about the gay and trans community.
In the special, the outspoken comic cracks that he’s joining Rowling on “Team TERF” — the acronym for trans exclusionary radical feminist — while slamming critics of DaBaby.
“A lot of the LGBTQ community doesn’t know DaBaby’s story. He’s a wild guy. He shot one once and killed him. At Walmart. Ah, that’s true. Google it. Nothing bad happened to his career…” says Chappelle.
He then quips, “See what I’m getting at with this? In our country you can shoot and kill a—r, but you better not hurt a gay man’s feelings!”
After the alleged assault, Lee said Chappelle asked him backstage at the Hollywood Bowl why he did it.
“I told him my mother and grandmother, who fought for his civil right to speak, were upset by the things he said,” Lee recalled.
But Chappelle reportedly retorted, “Now your story will die with you, son.”
“But he’s wrong,” Lee insisted to a Post reporter. “I’ll sit here and talk to you about it.”
A Chappelle representative did not return a request for comment.
A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment on the recording, referring The Post to the company’s earlier statement: “We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to remain anonymous.” Fear of violence on stage.”
Additional reporting by David Meyer
