“This was a serious incident,” Hannah-Kim shared after thanking fans for their support in a video on Instagram. “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.”
“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,” she continued. She also assured fans that the altercation with Kove “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.”
Earlier this month, Kove was asked to leave Washington State Summer Con after Hannah-Kim filed an incident report claiming that he “suddenly grabbed her arm and bit her upper arm so hard it nearly drew blood” after she tapped him on the shoulder in greeting. “Once Martin Kove finished biting her arm, he grabbed her arm again and began kissing it where he had bit her,” the report continued. Hannah-Kim and her husband allegedly confronted Kove, at which he “exploded on them, saying something to the effect of how dare they confront him.” It was at this point that Hannah-Kim approached an on-site law officer, who noted in the report that she “had a very noticeable bite mark on her arm that was already turning blue and bruising.”
The 78-year-old actor later issued an apology to Hannah-Kim. “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,” he said, per Deadline. “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.”
