Theo Von
Grabs Fan By Throat at Nashville Bar
Published
Jason Saitta
Comedian Theo Von was in no laughing mood when he grabbed a fan by the throat at a Nashville bar earlier this month — and we have the disturbing altercation on video.
Check it out … a man holding some birthday balloons goes up to Theo but doesn’t back down after a quick back-and-forth, clearly antagonizing him.
Theo looks like he wants to be left alone, and just seconds into the video you see him wrap his right hand around the man’s neck and firmly push him back.
The ‘This Past Weekend’ podcast host stares the victim — who is clearly shocked by being manhandled — down and gives him a piece of his mind before the video cuts off.
And if there’s any question about Theo’s intentions, one eyewitness tells TMZ he used “crushing force” and was not playing around.
However, a source connected to Theo — who was in the room — tells us the guy with the balloons was with a group of people who had repeatedly bothered the comedian. We’re told he said hello to them the first time, but then told them he didn’t want to be bothered.
The source says the group told Theo said they were just trying to screw with him.
The altercation went down at The Twelve Thirty Club in Nashville on May 2 — one day before Theo brought his stand-up tour “Return of the Rat” to Bridgestone Arena right across the street.
TMZ spoke with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, who confirmed they responded to a misdemeanor assault complaint about the incident on May 4. The investigation determined there will be no action taken concerning the complaint.
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We reached out to reps for Theo, who declined to comment.