Wait, What Was the Cobra Kai Biting Incident?

By
Alejandra Gularte,
a Vulture news blogger who covers TV and comedy

Photo-Illustration: Getty Images

“My co-worker just bit me” is a sentence no human being should ever have to say. Cobra Kai star Alicia Hannah-Kim filed a report against her co-star Martin Kove, claiming that he bit her while at a fan convention in June. What in the world? Even John Kreese wouldn’t do that.

On June 22 at the Summer Con fan expo in Puyallup, Washington, Kove allegedly bit Hannah-Kim’s arm “so hard he nearly drew blood.” She had tapped him on the shoulder to say hello, and he grabbed her arm and bit her. Hannah-Kim reportedly cried out from the pain, and then Kove began kissing her arm. Hannah-Kim then told her husband about the incident, and the two confronted Kove. Kove became defensive and “exploded” on the couple, claiming that the cast “play fight all the time.” She did not press charges against Kove, but she did have a report filed as a precaution for the future. Kove was asked to leave the convention as a result of the assault.

Hannah-Kim expressed an appreciation for those who checked in on her, but also wanted to emphasize how serious workplace assault is. “As you can see, this was a serious incident,” she shared in an Instagram video. “No one wants to be attacked at work or anywhere, really. And I don’t think anybody would think this is normal or wanted or acceptable, and I just think that when you’re confronted with something like this, it’s good to stand up for yourself.” She also wanted to reassure her fans that her experience on Cobra Kai has been positive, and she does not want her pain to take away from the enjoyment of the show: “I think everybody can tell that it’s a really good vibe and great cast, and everybody else is delightful. So I don’t want this to affect your love for the show. And you know, feel free to love on it as hard as you want.”

“I deeply regret and apologize for my actions regarding the incident with Alicia, a genuinely kind and wonderful person who didn’t deserve to be put in this position,” Kove shared in a statement. “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.”

Wait, What Was the Cobra Kai Biting Incident?