"Cobra Kai" star Martin Kove has apologized after biting his co-star, Alicia Hannah-Kim.
The incident took place Sunday at Summer Con in Washington. In a police report obtained by People, Hannah-Kim, 37, claimed that Kove, 78, bit her after she arrived to meet the cast at their booth and tapped him on the shoulder to greet him.
According to the complaint, Kove allegedly responded by saying "he was just messing around" and "did not mean for it to be perceived as illegal." However, in a statement to Entertainment Weekly Tuesday, Kove backtracked on his comments and apologized.
"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. I’ve always respected her and considered her a highly professional and talented co-worker on Cobra Kai," Kove said.
"I was being playful in the moment but went too far and there is absolutely no excuse for my behavior," he continued. "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."
The police report obtained by People detailed the events that unfolded, noting that "Martin Kove suddenly grabbed her [Hannah-Kim's] arm and bit her upper arm so hard it nearly drew blood, and she yelled out in pain. Once Martin Kove finished biting her arm, he grabbed her arm again and began kissing it where he had bit her."
In her statement to police, Hannah-Kim described having "visible teeth marks and immediate bruising and pain" after Kove bit her.
"We approached Martin in the green room later (30 mins) and he was furious & outraged and visibly angry when I told him calmly not to bite me. He insisted he bit me for fun," she added.
When questioned by police at the time, Kove declined to provide a voluntary written statement and was not arrested, as Hannah-Kim chose not to press charges. He was instead escorted out of the venue.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.