Martin Kove apologizes for biting 'Cobra Kai' co-star Alicia Hannah-Kim
Cobra Kai's Martin Kove has apologized to his co-star Alicia Hannah-Kim for biting her arm at a fan convention.
In a statement sent to Deadline, Kove expressed regret regarding the incident and called Hannah-Kim a "genuinely kind and wonderful person who didn't deserve to be put in this position."
"I've always respected her and considered her a highly professional and talented co-worker on Cobra Kai," he said.
"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."
According to a Puyallup report shared with Variety and TMZ, Hannah-Kim claimed that during Washington State's Summer Con in Puyallup, Kove grabbed her arm and bit her "so hard he nearly drew blood" after she tapped him to say hi on June 22.
When she reacted in pain, Kove allegedly started kissing her arm where he had bitten her.
Body camera footage obtained by People Magazine, showed Hannah-Kim confronting Kove outside Summer Con.
"You cannot bite people. That is not okay," a police officer told Kove. For her part, Hannah-Kim shouted, "That is assault!"
The actor then said he was "just playing, because we're very platful together, and I bit down too hard."
Afterward, the officer explained that Hannah-Kim had a "visible" mark on her arm.
"No, we do not play like that," the actress said. "I want to be very clear with witnesses. Martin, you think it's funny to play with people. We are colleagues."
The actress declined to press charges but wanted the incident documented.
Kove and Hannah-Kim, along with co-stars like Mary Mouser and Tanner Buchanan, attended Washington State Summer Con.
Kove is known for playing John Kreese in both the original Karate Kid films and Cobra Kai, while Hannah-Kim joined the series in season five as Kim Da-Eun.
