Former Saturday Night Live star Chris Redd was reportedly assaulted outside the Comedy Cellar in New York on Wednesday just before a scheduled stand-up comedy performance.
Redd was exiting a vehicle outside the renowned Greenwich Village venue around 9:40 p.m. when an assailant approached and punched him in the face, according to multiple reports. Redd suffered a bloodied nose, with blood visible on the sidewalk and on the steps leading to the Comedy Cellar.
The comedian was reportedly bleeding profusely and was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was treated and released. The assailant, whose identity remains unknown, was wearing a security guard uniform.
Police responded to the incident but the assailant had reportedly already fled the scene.
The assault was the latest physical attack on a comedian following Will Smith’s infamous slap of Chris Rock onstage at the Academy Awards earlier this year.
As Breitbart News reported, comedian Dave Chappelle was assaulted during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl in May by an assailant wielding a makeshift weapon that resembled a combined knife and handgun. The attacker later said he was inspired by Will Smith.
Democrat-controlled New York is experiencing a surge in violent crime, with major crimes up 36 percent, including assaults and rapes.
At the same time, NPYD officers are reportedly quitting in droves, with more than 1,400 NYPD officers leaving so far this year amid a crisis in morale.
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