Comedian Dave Chappelle booked a show at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York, with the aim of donating all proceeds to the families of the 10 people who were killed and the three who were wounded last month when a teen opened fire inside a Buffalo supermarket.
Shea's director of marketing and communications, Kevin Sweeney, confirmed Chappelle's motives to Deadline.
"He said, and I'm paraphrasing, 'I came here to Buffalo to recognize the victims and for these families,'" Sweeney said.
According to the report, Chappelle also told the packed-out audience in the 3,000-plus-seat arena that some of the victim's families were in the crowd and that he was donating all proceeds generated from the show to them.
Last month Chappelle had his own experience with violence when he was stormed on stage by a man wielding a knife at the Hollywood Bowl. The suspect, Isaiah Lee, later revealed to the New York Post that he was "triggered" by Chappelle's jokes that touched upon topics of LGBTQ and homelessness. Lee insisted he did not intend to harm Chappelle but wanted the comedian to be more "sensitive" when it comes to certain jokes.
"I identify as bisexual … and I wanted him to know what he said was triggering," Lee said. "I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect."
Two days after the incident Chappelle opened up about the attack recalling how his son embraced him afterward according to The Hollywood Reporter. The strange sight of Jamie Foxx wearing a "sheriff's hat" for some reason was what calmed him down, he added. Chappelle later recalled convincing security to allow him into the room where Lee was being held after the assault.
"I needed to talk to him," Chappelle said. He asked Lee what prompted his attack to which he shared how his grandmother from Brooklyn was forced out of her neighborhood because of gentrification. The aim of the attack was to bring attention to her story, Chappelle said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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