Comics Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock are standing up for themselves in light of their infamous onstage attacks.
Chappelle — who was tackled by a knife-wielding assailant during a set at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday — and Rock, who made headlines for being slapped by Will Smith at this year’s Oscars, both performed a “secret” comedy show Thursday night in Los Angeles, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The tight-lipped show took place inside a small venue in the Comedy Store club and featured a star-studded audience consisting of Kim Kardashian, rappers Sean “Diddy” Combs and Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), in addition to comedian Jeff Ross.
Fans paid $160 to see a cigarette-smoking Chappelle, who was billed as a last-minute, unnamed comedian. After raucous ovation, he was joined onstage by Rock about 10 minutes into his set as the duo made light of their viscous circumstances.
In response, Rock — who previously poked fun at Chappelle’s open-field tackle — took the opportunity to clap back at Smith for the now months-long drama he caused.
“At least you got smacked by someone of repute!” Chappelle said to Rock in front of the 70-seat crowd. “I got smacked by a homeless guy with leaves in his hair.”
Rock chuckled and quipped back: “I got smacked by the softest n—a that ever rapped,” reported the Hollywood Reporter.
Eventually the two moved on to make punchlines about other currents, such as Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s defamation court case and the looming uncertainty of Roe v. Wade.
Then Chappelle decided to take some shots at Combs.
“I am in the [place] where you sat in the car with Biggie Smalls as he died,” Chappelle said near his set’s end, eyeing Combs. “I hate this city.”
After Chappelle was leveled by since-arrested 23-year-old Isaiah Lee — who had his arm broken by the comic’s security team — celebrities and comedians across the nation rushed to the headliner’s defense.
“Somebody getting their ass whooped sends a message to other people, you know?” comedian Kevin Hart said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Thursday. “I think that’s the world that we’re in right now . . .There’s a lot of lines that have gotten blurred. And sometimes you got to take a couple steps backwards to take some steps forwards.”
He continued, praising the fact that “Dave went back after that and finished doing the show.”
“Didn’t let that thing be a big thing. Quickly moved on from it and got back to doing comedy. And that’s what a professional does. Ultimately, you know, these moments of unprofessionalism should not break professionals.”
