Cobra Kai Clash: Martin Kove Faces Backlash After Alleged Fan Con Bite
Let’s dispense with the niceties—Martin Kove’s weekend appearance at a Washington fan convention transformed from nostalgic photo ops to headline-making drama when he allegedly bit fellow Cobra Kai actress Alicia Hannah-Kim so hard it left a vivid bruise. The incident, captured in Puyallup Police Department body-cam footage and first reported by TMZ, has sent shockwaves through the Netflix hit’s fandom.
According to the body-worn camera video obtained by TMZ, Alicia Hannah-Kim and her husband confronted the iconic “Karate Kid” villain after the alleged bite on June 22 at the Washington State Fairgrounds. The footage shows Hannah-Kim calmly but firmly telling Kove that what began as playful banter on the Cobra Kai set crossed a serious line. “That was super not cool,” she tells him, as Kove’s expression shifts from amused to defensive. The Puyallup officers on scene documented a “very noticeable bite mark” turning blue within minutes, per their incident report.
Sources confirm from both the couple and police records that Kove was promptly ejected from the convention and nearly faced simple assault charges before officers persuaded the parties to file an informational report instead. Alicia and her husband declined to press formal charges but insisted on written statements and photographic evidence to ensure any future misconduct would be taken seriously. Variety also notes that eyewitnesses overheard Alicia joking that she’d have “knocked his ass out”—if only he were 20 years younger—underscoring her anger and the saga’s unexpected humor.
In a public statement released Tuesday, Kove expressed regret: “I deeply regret and apologize for my actions regarding the incident with Alicia,” he said, adding that Hannah-Kim is a “wonderful person.” This marks his first on-record response since the clip began circulating online. Meanwhile, Alicia has maintained radio silence beyond the body-cam footage, which shows her delivering a succinct yet scathing rebuke while police watched.
This unscripted skirmish spotlights the unpredictable nature of fan conventions—even martial arts legends can land in hot water when playfulness turns physical. With no legal action underway, fans are left parsing round-two of this celebrity scuffle via social media debate. Will Kove face fallout from Netflix or fellow cast members? Only time will tell.
And there you have it. That’s the final round for now—judge your verdict accordingly.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, Puyallup Police Department body-cam footage, Variety
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
