Cobra Kai actor Alicia Hannah-Kim has spoken out for the first time after being bitten by co-star Martin Kove at the 2025 Summer Con fan convention in Washington earlier this month.
The Australian actor, 37, who joined Netflix’s The Karate Kid spinoff series in season five as antagonist-turned-anti-hero Kim Da-Eun, addressed the “serious incident” in an Instagram video posted Sunday.
Thanking everyone who’s “reached out” and shared their support, Hanna-Kim said: “I know that there’s a lot going on in the world right now so I’m going to keep this brief.
“I was really enjoying my time at Summer Con. I love meeting you guys in real life. Thank you to Taylor, who was my handler and took care of me all weekend.
“But as you can see, this was a serious incident,” she continued. “No one wants to be attacked at work, or anywhere, really. And I don’t think anybody would think this is normal or warranted or acceptable.”
Reminding others that “when you are confronted with something like this, it’s good to stand up for yourself. It’s an important choice to make. I think it’s the good choice to make.”
Hanna-Kim clarified that the incident “does not represent my experience with the show at large.”
“I think everybody can tell that it’s a really good vibe and a great cast, and everybody else is delightful,” she insisted. “So, I don’t want this to affect your love for this show, and you know, feel free to love on it as hard as you want.”
Explaining that the point of her video was to “clear [things] up and move on,” she reminded everyone to “stay safe out there.”
The Independent has contacted Kove’s representatives for comment.
Kove, who reprises his Karate Kid antagonist John Kreese in Cobra Kai, was asked to leave the fan meet-and-greet early after he grabbed Hannah-Kim’s arm and bit her so hard he “nearly drew blood,” according to a police report.
When Hannah-Kim cried out in pain, Kove reportedly kissed her arm where he had bitten it.
Hannah-Kim left and returned with her husband Sebastian Roche, who confronted Kove. “I had visible teeth marks and immediate bruising and pain,” she said in her statement to the police.
Kove then allegedly “exploded on them, saying something to the effect of how dare they confront him, and he did not do anything wrong,” but admitted to the bite when the police approached him.
He has since issued an apology, saying: “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. 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.”
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