“Cobra Kai” star Alicia Hannah-Kim has addressed the recent altercation with co-star Martin Kove, during which he bit her arm at a fan convention.
Hannah-Kim posted a video Sunday on Instagram, in which she thanked everyone who reached out and for their support.
“This was a serious incident,” Hannah-Kim said in the video. “No one wants to be attacked at work or anywhere really. And I don’t think anybody would think this is normal or warranted or acceptable.”
She continued: “I just think that when you are confronted with something like this, it’s good to stand up for yourself. It’s an important choice to make. I think it’s the good choice to make. I also want to express that this does not represent my experience with the show at large. I think everybody can tell that it’s a really good vibe and a great cast. And everybody else is delightful. I don’t want this to affect your love for the show. Feel free to love on it as hard as you want.”
On June 23, Kove was asked to leave Summer Con in Puyallup, Wash., after Hannah-Kim accused him of biting her during a VIP meet-and-greet, according to a police report obtained by Variety. In the report, Hannah-Kim told an officer stationed in the VIP area that after she tapped Kove on the shoulder to say hello, he suddenly grabbed her arm and bit her “so hard he nearly drew blood.” Although Hannah-Kim declined to press charges, she requested that a report be filed “in case this continues.”
Kove issued a public apology the following day, after news of the incident broke.
“I deeply regret and apologize for my actions regarding the incident with Alicia (Hannah-Kim), a genuinely kind and wonderful person who didn’t deserve to be put in this position,” Kove said in a statement obtained by Variety from Jaffe & Co. Crisis Management. “I’ve always respected her and considered her a highly professional and talented co-worker on ‘Cobra Kai’. I was being playful in the moment but went too far and there is absolutely no excuse for my behavior. I regret my actions for which I take full responsibility for what I did, and again I apologize to her and her husband. I’m committed to learning from this and it will never happen again.”
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Hannah-Kim portrayed Kim Da-Eun in the fifth and sixth seasons of “Cobra Kai.” Meanwhile, Kove reprised his role as John Kreese — the antagonist from the 1984 film “The Karate Kid” — in two film sequels and the Netflix spinoff series.
From Variety US