‘Cobra Kai’ Actor Accused of Biting Co-Star Hard Enough to Nearly Draw Blood: “He Grabbed My Arm Again to Kiss it”

Actor Martin Kove is facing accusations after an incident with his “Cobra Kai” co-star Alicia Hannah-Kim at a fan event in Washington. According to a police report obtained by PEOPLE, the event took place on June 22 at Summer Con in Puyallup.

Hannah-Kim told authorities that while at the VIP section, she greeted Kove by tapping him on the shoulder. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm and bit it hard enough to nearly draw blood.

She described the moment in a written statement to the police: “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. I pulled away and rushed back to my table.”

A police officer present at the event noticed a clear bite mark on Hannah-Kim’s arm. The mark was bruised and turning blue. She informed the officer that she told her husband, actor Sebastian Roché, about the incident. When the two confronted Kove, he reportedly became angry and denied any wrongdoing.

When questioned by police, Kove admitted to biting Hannah-Kim but said it was meant as a joke. He explained that the cast members sometimes engaged in playful roughhousing on set. He later apologized for his actions.

Hannah-Kim chose not to press charges but requested that the police keep a report on file in case something similar happens again. Following the incident, Kove was asked to leave the event.

Later, Kove released a public apology through TMZ. He said, “I deeply regret and apologize for my actions regarding the incident with Alicia, a genuinely kind and wonderful person who didn’t deserve to be put in this position.” He added, “I was being playful in the moment but went too far and there is absolutely no excuse for my behavior. 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.”

Martin Kove played John Kreese, the antagonist in the Netflix series “Cobra Kai,” which ran for six seasons until 2025. Alicia Hannah-Kim appeared as Kim Da-Eun in the show. So far, representatives for Kove, Hannah-Kim, and Netflix have not made further comments on the matter.

In my opinion, incidents like this highlight the importance of maintaining professional boundaries, even when actors have close working relationships. Playfulness should never cross into physical harm or discomfort. What do you think about this situation? Should more be done to protect actors at fan events? Share your thoughts in the comments below.