Body Cam Captures Heated Moment ‘Cobra Kai’ Actress Confronts Martin Kove Over Bite
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on June 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM EDT
“Cobra Kai” star Martin Kove is under fire after allegedly biting fellow actress Alicia Hannah-Kim during a fan convention in Washington, and things nearly escalated into a full-blown fight.
According to a police report, the shocking incident unfolded on Sunday, June 22, at Summer Con in Puyallup, Washington, where cast members from the Netflix hit "Cobra Kai" were meeting fans.
Martin Kove, best known for his iconic villain role in "The Karate Kid" franchise, later claimed the biting was “horseplay.”
Body Cam Footage Shows Actress Confronting Martin Kove Over Bite
Hannah-Kim claimed the incident began when she tapped Kove on the shoulder to greet him at their shared cast booth.
“Martin Kove suddenly grabbed her arm and bit her upper arm so hard it nearly drew blood, and she yelled out in pain,” the report obtained by PEOPLE alleged. “Once Martin Kove finished biting her arm, he grabbed her arm again and began kissing it where he had bit her.”
In footage obtained by TMZ, Hannah-Kim told officers that Kove bit her so hard he nearly broke the skin, and when she confronted him, he allegedly became “furious and outraged.”
“That is assault!” Hannah-Kim is heard saying. “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?”
She is later heard speaking to police, telling the officers, "I told him calmly not to bite me. He insisted he bit me for fun.”
Her husband, actor Sebastian Roché, witnessed the altercation and backed her account.
‘Cobra Kai’ Actress Said She’d Knock Him Out Over Alleged Bite
The situation became so intense, Alicia told Martin Kove in front of an officer that she would’ve knocked him out if he were 20 years younger, a cutting jab that highlighted just how furious she was.
Police noted a “very noticeable bite mark on her arm that was already turning blue and bruising.”
Startled and in pain, Hannah-Kim and Roché confronted Kove, who allegedly “exploded on them” and insisted “he did not do anything wrong.” She proceeded to find an on-site law enforcement officer, who confirmed the visible injury and took a report.
When questioned by police, Martin Kove allegedly “admitted to biting” Hannah-Kim, explaining that “he thought he was being funny,” and referenced playful on-set antics from "Cobra Kai." “He did not think it was a big deal,” the officer noted in the report.
However, Hannah-Kim made it clear that she “was legitimately caused pain” and was deeply upset.
Both she and the officer informed Kove that his behavior was illegal and “would not be tolerated in the future.” Kove allegedly replied that “he did not mean for it to be perceived as illegal” and reiterated that “he was just messing around.”
Martin Kove Escorted Out Of Fan Convention
While Hannah-Kim ultimately declined to press assault charges, she requested an official informational report be filed “in case this continues.” Photos were taken to document the injury, and both she and her husband signed affidavits and received a case number.
Martin Kove and his son declined to submit a voluntary statement and were escorted out of Summer Con at the discretion of the "Cobra Kai" producer on site.
The actor broke his silence days later, saying in a public apology, “I deeply regret and apologize for my actions regarding the incident with Alicia,” and described her as a “wonderful person.”
Fans React To The Shocking Incident
The news of Martin Kove biting his "Cobra Kai" co-star Alicia Hannah-Kim has sent shockwaves across social media, where fans were quick to express disbelief and outrage.
“There is nothing playful about biting someone intentionally!” one X user wrote, echoing a common sentiment.
Another stunned fan simply asked, “Martin Kove did WHAT?”
The comparisons to his famously aggressive "Karate Kid" character, John Kreese, came fast and furious. “So Martin Kove really was John Kreese,” one person quipped. “Mf biting people at cons. Sh-t is wild man,” another added.
Fans Call Out Alleged Scientology Ties
Others slammed the actor’s alleged behavior as inappropriate and unsettling. “What kinda thug does this, especially with her husband there?” one commenter wrote, while another didn’t hold back, “ARREST HIM! INCARCERATE HIM!!”
Some fans also referenced Kove’s reported ties to Scientology, with one remarking, “Scientologists are f-cking weirdos. Sorry to break it to you that Martin Kove is one of them if you didn’t know.”
Hannah-Kim joined "Cobra Kai" in Season 5 as Kim Da-Eun, while Kove has portrayed John Kreese since the original "Karate Kid" in 1984. The hit Netflix series recently concluded its sixth and final season.
