Dave Chappelle Ends Show After Fan Pulls Out Phone To Record, A Major No-No In Comedy

The first rule at any live comedy show is no phones allowed. And Dave Chappelle takes it seriously.

The comedian walked off stage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., Wednesday night after catching someone in the audience using a cell phone to record him.

(Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images)

It happened near the end of his performance during an exchange with an audience member. That's when he noticed a man sitting close to the front row recording him.

He called the man out and reported him to security before scolding the audience. Chappelle explained to the crowd why he doesn't allow recording at his shows and, reportedly, equated a phone pointed at him to a gun.

The 50 year old then cut his show short and walked off stage.

And the audience members received plenty of warning. The venue's policy for Chappelle's show was "device and electronics free, per the artist's request."

Fans were required to leave their electronics — cellphones, smartwatches and cameras — secured in neoprene pouches for the duration of his set.

Dave Chappelle Abruptly Stops Show

One X user, Huck Pollack, felt disappointed, but he said Chappelle was justified in cutting off the show.

"Few things make you more misanthropic than going to a theater," he wrote. "I saw Dave Chappelle at the Hard Rock tonight and he (rightfully so) dropped the mic and stormed off the stage. My favorite comedian ever, my first time seeing him I was so excited and some pricks had to self-insert."

Pollack said the phone incident came after drunk hecklers disrupted Chappelle's show.

"The people acting like 7 year olds were the people heckling him 'do a Cuban joke!' 'do a Haitian joke!' 'do a Jewish joke!'" Pollack clarified. "The articles fail to mention the guy only pulled out his phone because Dave was getting upset at the drunk losers yelling at him to make certain jokes."

The show was the second of a five-night stand at the Seminole Hard Rock between Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Chappelle's new Netflix special "The Dreamer" premiered Sunday.

Follow Amber on X at @TheAmberHarding or email her at Amber.Harding@OutKick.com.