“I deeply regret and apologise 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,” the statement read.
Image Source: Instagram
Veteran actor Martin Kove, best known for playing the hard-nosed John Kreese in ‘Cobra Kai’ and ‘The Karate Kid’ franchise, has publicly apologised to co-star Alicia Hannah-Kim after an unsettling incident at a fan convention in Washington state.
The incident occurred over the weekend at Summer Con in Puyallup, where both actors were appearing as part of a ‘Cobra Kai’ cast event.
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According to a police report obtained by ‘Variety’, Alicia Hannah-Kim approached Martin Kove in the VIP area to greet him by tapping his shoulder. What followed took her by complete surprise.
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She told an officer on duty that Kove suddenly grabbed her arm and bit it, hard enough that he “nearly drew blood.” She screamed in pain.
The report further states that Kove then kissed the same spot where he had bitten her.
Hannah-Kim’s husband, who was present at the event, received the information immediately. When the couple confronted Kove, he allegedly lashed out, telling them, “How dare you confront me,” or words to that effect.
The officer at the scene approached Kove, who reportedly claimed that it was all a joke and that he and Hannah-Kim “play fight all the time on set.”
The officer asked Kove to leave the convention premises. Hannah-Kim, while shaken, chose not to press charges but requested an official report filing “in case this continues.”
On Monday, Kove issued a public apology via a statement shared with ‘Variety’ through Jaffe & Co. Crisis Management.
“I deeply regret and apologise 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,” the statement read. “I’ve always respected her and considered her a highly professional and talented co-worker on ‘Cobra Kai’.”
He continued, “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, and again I apologise to her and her husband. I’m committed to learning from this and it will never happen again.”
Martin Kove has portrayed the villainous sensei John Kreese since 1984 in ‘The Karate Kid’ series and more recently in the Netflix spin-off ‘Cobra Kai’, which concluded its final season in 2025.
Alicia Hannah-Kim joined the cast of ‘Cobra Kai’ in its later seasons and quickly became a fan favorite for her role as Kim Da-Eun, a ruthless martial arts instructor.
Neither Hannah-Kim nor her representatives have issued a personal statement yet.
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