Martin Kove, known for his role as John Kreese in the *Karate Kid* franchise, was recently removed from a fan event after an incident involving one of his *Cobra Kai* co-stars.
The incident reportedly took place during a VIP Meet and Greet at the Summer Contest fan convention in Washington state over the weekend.
According to reports, Hannah Kim told event staff that Kove had greeted her with a shoulder bump before suddenly grabbing her arm and biting her, claiming, “I drew so much blood.” When she reacted in pain, Kove, it’s said, began kissing the spot he bit. Kim later spoke to her husband about the altercation, and they approached Kove to address the situation.
During the confrontation, Kove reportedly escalated things, saying something about the situation “exploding” and making comments about facing him. Hannah Kim and her husband requested that the police step in to help de-escalate the matter. Kove defended his actions by suggesting it was supposed to be a “funny” moment, asserting that he often engages in playful antics on the set of *Cobra Kai*.
Kove, now 78, left the convention after police warned him against repeating such behavior. In a statement issued on Tuesday, he took full responsibility for what happened, noting that he may have gone too far in his attempts at humor.
“I deeply regret and apologize for my actions regarding the incident with Hannah Kim. She’s a truly kind person who, I think, didn’t deserve to be put in this situation,” Kove stated. He added, “I have always respected her as a professional and a talented colleague. I was just being playful at the moment, but I crossed a line, and I have no excuses for my behavior. I’m committed to learning from this and ensuring it doesn’t happen again.”
