Summary
One of the stars ofCobra Kaiwas reportedly removed from a fan convention after police were contacted following the biting of a co-star.Cobra Kaiis theKarate Kidrevival series that follows the exploits of William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso as their teenage rivalry reignites in adulthood. The show just concluded its six-season run on Netflix, featuring numerous returningKarate Kidcast members and new additions to the universe.
Aside from Macchio and Zabka,Cobra Kaistarred Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, and Peyton List, who played the children and students of LaRusso and Lawrence. The show also brought back several characters from the original films, with Elisabeth Shue and Thomas Ian Griffith reprising their roles from the trilogy. Martin Kove, who played the antagonistic John Kreese throughout theKarate Kidfilms, was also brought back for the show, continuing his villainous turn as the man whocreated the Cobra Kai dojo. Kove now finds himself in hot water following an incident with another actor on the show.
As reported byDeadline, Kove bit actress Alicia Hannah-Kim as she passed by him at the Summer Con convention in Puyallup, Washington. The bite was unprovoked and “almost drew blood,” according to Hannah-Kim in a statement she gave law enforcement, who were called in response to the alleged assault. Kove was also said to have attempted to kiss the actress’s arm after she screamed in pain from the bite, with Hannah-Kim pulling away and leaving the area. With police quickly involved, Kove was asked to leave the convention, though Hannah-Kim is said to have not pressed charges. Puyallup Police Officer Eric Barry stated in his report:
Martin Kove admitted to biting Alicia’s arm and said he did it out of jest and he thought he was being funny, and they play fight all the time on the set ofCobra Kai,and he did not think it was a big deal. […] I then re-contacted Martin Kove and explained that Alicia did not want to pursue charges, but he did indeed break the law according to the State of Washington and this behavior will not be tolerated in the future
Martin Kove And Alicia Hannah-Kim Worked Closely Together OnCobra Kai
Hannah-Kim and Kove worked closely together onCobra Kai. Kove appeared in 58 of the show’s 65 episodes, with Hannah-Kim appearing in 14 episodes overCobra Kai’slast two seasons. The storyline their characters found themselves in saw the actors working closely together, even helping one another achieve their goals in the show’s finale. As Kove told police, he believed the bite to be play fighting, referencing their close working relationship on the show.
While Hannah-Kim chose not to press charges, and Kove’s ultimate motivations remain unknown, as police stated, a law was broken, and an individual’s safety was potentially put at risk. The incident is a bizarre turn following the end of the series, and with the recent follow-upKarate Kids: Legendsfinding recent successin theaters, it isn’t the publicity the franchise wanted. Further details surrounding the incident may follow, as the confrontation betweenCobra Kaistars happened over the weekend.
