Karate Kid villain Martin Kove had ‘weird’ encounter with Bill Hader in resurfaced story amid biting incident

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An unusual tale about the Karate Kid antagonist, Martin Kove, has reemerged in public discourse. This conversation erupted just a week following an incident where he bit his Cobra Kai co-star Alicia Hannah-Kim at a fan gathering.

In the year 2013, I remember Bill Hader, a renowned comedian from Saturday Night Live, sharing an unusual encounter he had with Kove many years prior. He described it as a mind-boggling event.

In Hollywood’s early days, Hader often drove Kove to work every day for a small project, as he shared on the WTF podcast with Mark Maron.

In my professional opinion, I found myself disoriented, as it seemed Kove intentionally led me astray. This misguidance unfortunately resulted in Hader receiving a stern reprimand from his superior, the first assistant director.

From my perspective as a lifestyle expert, I unintentionally found myself in a puzzling situation when Kove appeared to deliberately steer me off course. Unfortunately for Hader, this confusion led to him receiving an angry rebuke from his boss, the first assistant director.

In the evening, as Kove was heading home, it seemed like he suggested making amends with Hader by treating him to a milkshake and a cookie.

However, upon stopping at McDonald’s for the sweets, Kove, aged 78, performed an astonishing action that Hader, 47, recounted as “the most audacious middle finger ever.

DailyMail.com has contacted Kove’s representative for comment. 

Hader reminisced about giving Kove a ride to work in his old car, and intentionally getting lost was part of the plan because Kove hadn’t studied the script yet. Instead, he would guide Hader with directions like, “No, no, yeah, you don’t go this way. Take Hayvenhurst. Why are you even taking the 405?

As I sat there perplexed, clutching a Thomas guide close to me, I hesitantly mused, “I believe I’m meant to head this way.

According to the Barry star, he got lost and his first AD, or supervisor, yelled at him, making for a very unpleasant day, as he shared on Maron’s podcast.

As they traveled home later, while driving along the freeway under the cover of night, he suddenly asked, “Bill, are you upset with me?

As for that claim he made, I swear it’s not true, I corrected him. And then, out of the blue, he asks me, “Want a milkshake?” I was taken aback, thinking, “What on earth are you referring to?

Instead of just a cookie or a milkshake, how about I take you to McDonald’s? They have both and more. Let me drive for a bit, and I promise, we can grab a cookie, enjoy a milkshake – whatever you fancy, everything will be fine, alright?

As per Hader’s account, when they stopped at McDonald’s, Kove inquired about the flavor of shake Hader desired. Upon asking for a chocolate shake, Kove replied: ‘Alright, let me get you a chocolate milkshake. You’ll also need a chocolate chip cookie. I’ll be back shortly. I apologize.’

According to Hader, it was claimed that Kove exited the restaurant after finishing a chocolate chip cookie and a milkshake, then casually requested, “Let’s go. Come on,” much to Maron’s surprise.

He said: ‘It was the most epic insult I’ve ever experienced. I was taken aback, saying “wow.” It felt like a strange psychological game where he promised me this item, then consumed it in front of me. I drove home without a word and thought to myself, “That was my first taste of: ‘Welcome to Hollywood, rookie.'”‘

Following the alleged event, Hader found himself commuting Kove to work every day without any further conversation. Essentially, he kept a direct course, avoiding any interaction beyond that point.

He implied: ‘I should mention, it’s been said that he was experiencing some kind of emotional turmoil – perhaps he was going through a divorce or dealing with personal issues. Consequently, he could be a very kind individual, but for some reason, our interactions didn’t go well, and I can’t quite figure out why things felt tense between us.’

The peculiar story surfaced not long after Kove provided an unsettling explanation for nipping Hannah-Kim during the fan gathering.

78-year-old actor Kove, known for his role as John Kreese in the Netflix series, sparked controversy when he bit actress Hannah-Kim, 37, during their encounter at the Washington State Summer Con in Puyallup, Washington this past weekend.

According to Hannah-Kim’s account to the police officer, Kove severely bit her, nearly causing bleeding, leading her to cry out in agony. In freshly acquired bodycam footage from DailyMail.com, Kove presents an unusual explanation for his violent act.

Hannah-Kim shouted at Karate Kid villain Kove: ‘You cannot bite people, that is not okay!

‘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.’

Following their encounter with Kove following the event, he allegedly showed signs of intense anger and indignation.

Kove was caught on camera expressing regret for becoming upset, attributing his behavior towards Hannah-Kim to an excessively jovial demeanor stemming from his on-screen role as a male martial arts instructor.

He informed the police: “I was trying to explain that I said it immediately upon entering the green room, just to apologize to her, saying ‘I’m sorry, my dear,’ and expressing regret because I didn’t intend to cause harm. You understand, right? We often play rough, we mess around, hit each other, because she is a female sensei.

‘I’m a male sensei. We have a lot of scenes together and we have a lot of fun.

Apologies for any discomfort caused. In our shared spirit of fun, I may have gotten carried away and accidentally gave a little too much bite.

The officer said, ‘It seems to be about feelings. Everyone experiences them, and at times, they can overpower us.’

Hannah-Kim displayed subtle bite marks on her upper left arm and informed the police, “I’d like a note made of this incident, something we both have on record, so that he can never harm me in such a way again.

When officers told Kove he’d broken the law by biting his fellow actor, Kove said he didn’t see the bite as a criminal act.

Upon confronting Kove, I passionately asserted, “What you did is not considered a mere offense; it’s a crime! That’s why we’re here. You’ve violated the law, which warrants your potential arrest.

‘See that, those are your teeth you think that’s ok? It’s not okay.

Kove acknowledged feeling embarrassed about his actions. He regrets what he did and hopes you can forgive him, knowing well that his true nature isn’t malicious or aggressive.

‘If anything, we have just lots of fun together.

Kim expressed: “I approached you with the intention of friendship, but offered you a bond similar to camaraderie. However, instead of peace, you responded with anger.

‘That’s what I know. That’s why I have rage now because you gave it to me.

Are you aware of that situation? Could you possibly dispute the fact that when we encountered you, everything was peaceful, and I said something along the lines of ‘Please, don’t bite me’?

‘I didn’t mean to upset you with my actions, and I apologize. I was aware of what I had done.

Kove is informed that Kim is not pressing charges but is warned to never repeat his actions. 

Kove was expelled from the gathering, and he’s now spoken out about the occurrence for the first time, addressing Deadline with a statement.

In a statement issued by Jaffe & Company PR & Crisis Management, Kove expressed sincere remorse and apologies for his behavior towards Alicia [Hannah-Kim], an exceptional individual who undeniably did not deserve the unfortunate situation she found herself in.

He also has long admired her as a very competent and gifted colleague at Cobra Kai, he stated prior to discussing the recent event.

In the heat of the moment, I let playfulness get the best of me and crossed a line, with no valid justification for my actions,” Kove explained further.

He acknowledged that his actions were wrong and owned up to them completely. He expressed his apologies once more, this time to both her and her spouse. He’s determined to learn from this experience and ensure it doesn’t repeat itself.

The incident report showed that Kove later offered an apology to Hannah-Kim and her spouse, Roche, which he has since made public.

Images were captured as well of Hannah-Kim’s arm, revealing a quite conspicuous bite mark that had started to darken and bruise.

Photos were taken of Hannah-Kim’s arm, showing a very obvious bite mark that was beginning to turn blue and bruise.

Or simply:

Images were snapped of Hannah-Kim’s arm displaying a noticeable bite mark that was becoming discolored and bruised.

At the convention, Kove was instructed to depart, and the officer made it clear that he should avoid such behavior in the future.

As a devoted admirer, I had the privilege of embodying Kim Da-Eun on screen – a formidable South Korean martial arts sensei with an illustrious lineage. I traced my roots back to Kim Sun-Yung, the esteemed master who was instrumental in shaping John Kreese’s character during his formative years.

As a committed devotee, I had the honor of portraying the Cobra Kai sensei, John Kreese, in the timeless classic The Karate Kid from 1984, as well as its subsequent installments, The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989).

In the series Cobra Kai, he once again took up the same role, this time 34 years later following the storyline of the initial Karate Kid movie. Initially, it was streamed on YouTube Red, but later moved to Netflix.

Over six thrilling seasons, the series centered around Johnny Lawrence, an ex-student of Kreese, and his fierce rivalry with Daniel LaRusso, concluded in February.

In the upcoming project, Kove is set to appear alongside Sean Patrick Flannery, Dermot Mulroney, and Jason Mewes in “Killing Mary Sue”. Meanwhile, Hannah-Kim is currently engaged in shooting a South Korean television series titled “The North Star”.

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2025-06-27 01:04