Dave Chappelle's attack at the Netflix Is a Joke comedy festival and the tragedy that unfolded at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival late last year may seem to be two completely unrelated events, but as it turns out, new reports reveal that the same security company was commissioned to work both of them, raising some eyebrows.
According to a report from Buzzfeed News, Contemporary Services Corporation – one of the continent's largest event security firms – has been hit with scrutiny for allowing Isaiah Lee to assault the comedian at the Hollywood Bowl just months after they were condemned for poor protocol at the Houston event, where 10 people ultimately died.
Comedian Tehran Von Ghasri, who was in attendance at the Netflix event, told Buzzfeed that a CSC guard chose to ignore his warning that "a man with a backpack and wearing a hood breached a barrier."
"She shrugged me off," Ghasri said of his interaction with the employee. "And within a minute, [Lee] had hoisted himself onstage and knocked Chappelle down."
An employee told the publication firsthand that they didn't go through much of a hiring process, and that speediness was favoured over following safety protocols. "We were told there was going to be a crowd and to get them in as fast as possible," the anonymous source shared.
"There were no details on what that meant or how to do it – just get them in as fast as possible."
On top of their sloppy work earlier this month and at Astroworld, the CSC was also involved with the Once Upon a Time in L.A. Festival, where Drakeo the Ruler was tragically stabbed to death, as well as the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, where 58 people were killed after a shooter opened fire from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel.
Just a few days ago, Chappelle's assailant plead not guilty in court and received a set bail of $30K – read more about that here, and tap back in with HNHH later for more pop culture news updates.
[Via]