UPDATE (11/1 at 12 pm ET): Chris broke his silence on being attached on Oct. 31. “I’ve been resting up like crazy but I want to say thank you for the messages of love, the jokes, and the concern!” he wrote on Instagram. “I’m OK and healing fast!”
UPDATE (October 28– 9:20 pm ET): According to Deadline, comedian Chris Redd has been released from the hospital following a violent attack earlier in the week. However, a weekend show featuring the SNL star has been cancelled. Per the outlet, New York’s City Winery club issued a statement indicating that Redd’s Sunday, October 30 show has been nixed. “The show has been cancelled due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict,” the statement reportedly read. Before the October 26 attack, he was also expected to appear at the Comedy Cellar on Thursday, October 27, but was still recovering.
ORIGINAL STORY: Saturday Night Live alum Chris Redd was allegedly attacked on Wednesday night, Oct. 26, while outside a New York City comedy club, according to TMZ. The 37-year-old comedian was punched in the face by “some random dude” right after he stepped out of his car to go into the popular Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village, where he was scheduled to perform. His Greg Yuna chain was reportedly yanked from his neck during the attack, but it fell apart in the assailant’s hand and was retrieved from the ground by Chris. The incident happened around 9:40 pm and Chris was taken to the hospital. He suffered from a deep gash to the nose following the attack.
HollywoodLife reached out to the New York City Police Department and was told by its media relations team that “there was an attack.” However, they declined to name the victim. HL also reached out to Chris’ representatives but did not receive an immediate response. Chris has not yet addressed the situation and has not posted on Instagram since October 17.
The attacker, a man who was reportedly wearing a security guard uniform at the time of his assault, fled the scene after he threw the punch. As of this writing, there have been no reported leads on who the person is or the motive behind the attack. A video obtained by TMZ showed blood on the sidewalk outside the Comedy Cellar and people surrounding Chris to help him with his injuries directly after the assault.
Chris is best known for being an SNL cast member between 2017 and 2022. He announced his departure in September, just weeks ahead of the Season 49 premiere. “Being a part of SNL has been the experience of a lifetime. Five years ago, I walked into 30 Rock knowing that this was an amazing opportunity for growth,” he said in a statement. “Now, with friends who have become family and memories I will cherish forever, I’m grateful to [creator] Lorne Michaels and to the entire SNL organization. From the bottom of my heart, I can’t thank you all enough.”
Shortly after, it was reported that the comedian is dating his former co-star Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife, Christina Evangeline. “We’re told Kenan’s aware of his ex’s romance with Chris and has no hard feelings — he’s apparently moved on and is happily dating other people,” an insider told TMZ at the time. Kenan and Christina split earlier in the year after 11 years of marriage but were reportedly separated for at least a year beforehand.