Former Saturday Night Live star Chris Redd was assaulted near a New York comedy club Wednesday night.
The 37-year-old comedian and actor was punched by an unknown assailant outside the Comedy Cellar after arriving at the venue, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed.
A preliminary investigation determined that the assault took place after Redd exited a vehicle outside the front of the club. That’s when the performer was approached by an unknown individual “without prior conversation or provocation,” according to the NYPD spokesperson, and punched in the face. The individual fled the location and Redd was left with a laceration to his face.
After EMS arrived on the scene, Redd was taken to an area hospital where he was treated and then released.
Redd is scheduled to perform at the Comedy Cellar as part of a series of evening shows starting this weekend. He’s also currently scheduled for an Oct. 30 show at City Winery.
Earlier this fall, Redd announced his departure from Saturday Night Live ahead of the premiere of its 48th season.
He was among eight cast members to leave in one of the biggest cast turnovers in the show’s history. Also exiting prior to the current season were Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, and featured player Aristotle Athari.
Redd first joined the show during the 2017-2018 season as a featured player before being promoted to the main cast in 2019. During his time on the show, his work on the song “Come Back Barack” earned him an Emmy for outstanding music and lyrics in 2018. He shared that honor with fellow lyricists Kenan Thompson and Will Stephen, as well as composer Eli Brueggemann.
Outside of SNL, Redd appeared in the NBC series Kenan and the Peacock series Bust Down. His new HBO Max comedy special, Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This?, is set to debut Nov. 3rd.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
