‘Cobra Kai’ Biting Incident Explained: What Alicia Hannah-Kim Said

“I was really enjoying my time at Summer Con. I love meeting you guys in real life,” the Australian actor told her fans before thanking her handler for taking care of her.

“But as you can see, this was a serious incident,” she continued as the camera angle revealed what appeared to be a bruise on her upper arm. “No one wants to be attacked at work or anywhere really. And I don’t think anybody would think that this is normal or warranted or acceptable.”

She said that it was the important and correct decision for her to stand up for herself after the encounter, without mentioning Kove’s name.

Hannah-Kim added, “I also want to express that this 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. So, I don’t want this to affect your love for the show. Feel free to love on it as hard as you want.”

She explained at the end of the clip that she wanted to post the message to “clear it up and move on.”

In the caption, she again expressed her gratitude for those who sent their love and support.

Hannah-Kim’s public response follows her aforementioned police report which included a handwritten statement with more details about her interaction with Kove.

Who are Martin Kove and Alicia Hannah-Kim?

Kove and Hannah-Kim are co-stars in “Cobra Kai,” which ran on Netflix from 2018 to 2025.

Kove, 78, has starred on “Cobra Kai” since 2018 and reprised his role of John Kreese from the original 1984 “The Karate Kid” film.

Hannah-Kim, 37, has appeared on “Cobra Kai” since 2022 and portrays martial artist Kim Da-Eun.

What happened between ‘Cobra Kai’ stars Martin Kove and Alicia Hannah-Kim?

NBC News obtained the handwritten statement that Hannah-Kim provided in the police report in which she accused Kove of biting her.

She wrote, “I walked past Martin Kove, tapped him on the shoulder and said hello & he turned around grabbed my arm and bit down hard almost drawing blood. I yelped and drew back and then he grabbed my arm again to kiss it.”

The actor said she “pulled away and rushed back to my table.”

Hannah-Kim explained that she then alerted a police officer in the VIP section of Summer Con and reported the incident.

According to NBC News, the police report mentioned a “very easy to see bite mark” that was beginning to turn blue and bruise.

Hannah-Kim also told her husband about the incident and the two went to address the situation with Kove, the police report said. Kove “exploded on them” and did not admit fault, the report said.

The report said that when the officer spoke to Kove he acknowledged that he had bitten Hannah-Kim’s arm.

In a bodycam video captured at the event, Hannah-Kim confronts Kove.

“That is assault!” she tells him after an officer explains that Kove cannot bite people.

When the officer asks Kove to explain himself, he replies, “I apologize. I was just playing because we’re really playful together and I bit down too far.”

Hannah-Kim turns to face Kove and interjects, “No, we do not play like that … and right now Martin, I am really pissed. You have left a mark on my body, which in your 80-year-old brain you think is ‘play.’ Sir, were you raised in a ditch? You yelled at me. You had the audacity. How dare you, sir?”

Kove says, “I’m very sorry that I got angry because I was indulging in something improper by doing that. And I’m very, sincerely, sorry.”

What else did Kove say about the incident?

The police report also noted that Kove — who has starred on “Cobra Kai” since 2018 and reprised his role of John Kreese from the original 1984 “The Karate Kid” film — said he viewed the interaction as a joke and that he and Hannah-Kim pretended to fight often on the set of the show. He apologized as well, the report said.

Hannah-Kim opted to not pursue charges but filed the report “in case this continues” and so “he can’t ever do this to me again,” she told police in the bodycam video.

Jaffe & Company PR & Crisis Management provided a statement to Deadline from Kove on June 24 in which he apologized.

Kove said, “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 continued, “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.”