Former Saturday Night Live Star Chris Redd Assaulted Outside Comedy Venue

Former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Redd was reportedly assaulted near a New York comedy club. According to a statement that an NYPD spokesperson made to The Hollywood Reporter, Redd was punched by an unknown attacker while outside of The Comedy Cellar, a popular comedy venue in New York City. The altercation reportedly occurred around 9:40pm ET on the night of Wednesday, October 26th, after Redd exited a vehicle outside of the front of the venue, with him being punched "without prior conversation or provocation" by an unknown individual. Redd was later taken to Manhattan's Bellevue Hospital after he had a laceration on his face, and was later released. 

Redd is scheduled to perform a number of shows as the Comedy Cellar, including three on Thursday, October 27th. It seems as if these shows will continue as planned.

When did Chris Redd leave Saturday Night Live?

Redd was among a total of eight cast members to exit Saturday Night Live ahead of its 48th season premiere, a decision that was publicly announced last fall. Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kate McKinnon, Kyle Mooney, Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, and Aristotle Athari also exited ahead of the new season.

"Being a part of SNL has been the experience of a lifetime," Redd said in a statement. "Five years ago, I walked into 30 Rock knowing that this was an amazing opportunity for growth. Now, with friends who have become family and memories I will cherish forever, I'm grateful to Lorne Michaels and to the entire SNL organization. From the bottom of my heart, I can't thank you all enough."

Redd first signed on as a featured player on Saturday Night Live in 2017, and was promoted to the main cast in 2019. He won an Emmy award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics in 2018 for his work on the show, on the song "Come Back Barack." His filmography also includes Kenan and Bust Down. 

He also has a comedy special, titled Chris Redd: Why Am I Like This?, which will debut on HBO Max next month.