Howie Mandel Says He’s ‘Really Afraid’ to Perform on Stage After Dave Chappelle Attack

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“Watching what happened to Dave last night confirmed my fear. I was watching it kind of live on Twitter and I turned to my wife and I said, ‘I don’t want to. I don’t want to go on stage,’ “ Mandel said

Howie Mandel is speaking out following the onstage attack of fellow comedian Dave Chappelle.

The former Deal or No Deal host, 66, spoke with Extra‘s Billy Bush on Wednesday about the events that unfolded during Chappelle’s set at the Netflix Is A Joke event at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday night. A man, who has since been identified as Isaiah Lee, appeared to rush the stage and tackle the comedian.

“That hit… no pun intended… that hit very deeply,” Mandel said, later adding, “Watching what happened to Dave last night confirmed my fear. I was watching it kind of live on Twitter and I turned to my wife and I said, ‘I don’t want to. I don’t want to go on stage. I’m just really afraid.’ “COCONUT CREEK, FL - OCTOBER 04: Howie Mandel performs on stage at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek on October 4, 2019 in Coconut Creek, Florida. (Photo by Johnny Louis/Getty Images)

When Bush asked Mandel, who currently hosts Bullsh*t: The Game Show on Netflix, what his plans are for future comedy tours, the game show host replied, “The love of what we do is fading… joking now has no safety net.”

“I’m actually going to do less because the love is not as fervent as it was, you know… six months ago,” the America’s Got Talent judge continued. “Because fear overtakes… and I’m a guy who, you know, lives with worry anyway… I’ve been open about my mental health. I am neurotic. I suffer from depression.”

The 23-year-old man accused of attacking Chappelle Tuesday night during the comedian’s set has been arrested and charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon, PEOPLE confirmed on Wednesday.

Neither Chapelle nor any law enforcement officers were injured. One spokesperson said the weapon used was “a replica handgun with a knife,” describing it as a “replica handgun-slash-knife.”

He is being held in the custody of the LAPD’s Hollywood Division on a $30,000 bond. It was not immediately clear if he had retained a lawyer.

“We care deeply about the safety of creators and we strongly defend the right of stand-up comedians to perform on stage without fear of violence,” a spokesperson for Netflix said in a statement on Wednesday.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE on behalf of the Hollywood Bowl, a rep for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association stressed how seriously the organization is addressing the evolving situation.

“The safety of our artists, visitors and staff is the LA Phil’s top priority,” a spokesperson said.

“The incident that occurred at the Hollywood Bowl on May 3, 2022 remains an active investigation, and we are unable to comment further at this time,” they added, redirecting further queries to the LAPD.

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