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The man accused of tackling Dave Chappelle to the ground earlier this month revealed he was inspired by Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 94th Oscars back in March.
In a second interview with The New York Post, given from the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, Isaiah Lee supported Will's actions at the Academy Awards this year after Chris Rock made a "tasteless" joke about Jada Pinkett-Smith's hair while presenting the award for Best Documentary.
"That's not right what [Chris Rock] said about his wife, calling her GI Jane," Lee told the publication. The 23-year-old aspiring rapper said that Will was "standing up for his wife" when he walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock across the face. Lee added that the King Richard star's actions inspired him to walk on stage at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this month after Chappelle made a joke about LGBTQ+ people and homelessness.
"I wanted him to know that next time, he should consider first running his material by people it could affect," Lee said. "I wanted Dave Chappelle and people to know that these are things you need to be more sensitive about and not joke about."
Lee said that he ultimately wanted to stand up for what he believed in while also admitting that it was a stunt to raise his profile in the music industry.
"I'm not going to lie ... it was a bit of clout-chasing," Lee told The Post. "In Hollywood, you know they say there is no such thing as bad publicity. I rap about these things in my music and knew it would get attention."
Lee said the stunt earned him some publicity while he is incarcerated.
"They come up to me and ask, 'Hey, are you the guy who went up to Dave Chappelle?'" Lee said. "I feel safer here right now than being outside because I'm going to need to find and hire security."
After Lee jumped on stage, he said Busta Rhymes and Jamie Foxx "jumped him" and left him gasping for air after repeatedly punching and kicking him.
"They were stomping on me all over and on my ribs and said, 'Are you stupid, kid? Why the hell did you do that?'" Lee recalled.
Following the attack, Chappelle joked that Jamie Foxx and Busta had helped stopped the assailant, thanking them for their assistance. Days later, Chappelle's publicist told TMZ that neither the actor nor rapper were involved and that the statements made after were jokes.
LAPD said Lee was armed with a replica gun that can eject a blade when used properly. Lee is currently facing four misdemeanor counts and was disappointed to hear Chappelle wanted to bring felony charges against him.
"He can have his opinion," Lee said. "But that's messed up when a Black man would want another Black man to go to jail for a long time."