In a chat with Daily Beast’s The Last Laugh podcast, stand-up comedian and former SNL star Chris Redd detailed the October 26 attack that left him bloodied outside New York City’s Comedy Cellar.
“A surprise party of one fist,” Redd jokingly called the incident when talking to host Matt Wilstein.
Redd said contrary to published reports, he wasn’t exiting a car when his as-yet-unidentified attacker struck him, but instead was on foot. He said he was texting his cousin who works at the Olive Tree Cafe, the eatery above the famous comedy venue.
He continued, “As I put my phone in my pocket … this man hit me in the face with something metal … I thought it was brass knuckles because it cut my nose to the bone.”
The attacker then fled.
Redd said, “I jumped back on my feet very quickly … but I did hit that ground for five seconds, though.”
Redd continued, “I’ve taken a punch to the face before, so it wasn’t terrifying, but what was worrisome was how much blood was coming out of my face.” It left him unable to chase his alleged attacker, he explained.
He said the amount of damage done to his face leads him to suspect he was hit with some kind of weapon. “I got two fractures in my nose and one in my cheek.”
Redd revealed he still wanted to go onstage that night to talk about the situation, but he couldn’t perform because he was bleeding so much.
The suspect remains at large.
The full interview with Wilstein drops November 8 on all podcasting platforms.
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