Stand-up comedian Ariel Elias went viral over the weekend after an angry audience member hurtled a full can at her, narrowly missing her head. She picked it up, chugged it and continued with her set.

Social media defended her and the comedy community have voiced their support for Elias for with the likes of Patton Oswalt, Jim Gaffigan, George Takei, Whitney Cummings and Jimmy Kimmel calling her a "hero" and "total class."

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The incident happened at Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. The owner of the club, Dino Ibelli confirmed to Newsweek that the person who threw the can fled the scene immediately, but has since been identified, and the police have been informed.

Elias took the near-miss in her stride on stage and went on to finish her set. She spoke to Newsweek to reflect on the incident:

How was your set going in the lead-up to the can being thrown?

My set wasn't going awesome. Nobody's fault, I'm not for everyone. It's not exactly a shock that I wasn't absolutely crushing it at a club with bullet holes in its logo.

When did you notice that something was flying toward the stage and what went through your mind?

When it hit the wall and I heard people gasp. It took me a second to process that someone had actually thrown a full can at me. I thought it was the female heckler who threw it, and was honestly kind of impressed she had such an arm. It wasn't until after the show that I found out it was the guy with her. As a feminist, I was a little disappointed it wasn't her.

Were you able to see who did it? What happened with them after they threw the can?

I'm not sure the order of things, but my understanding is she got kicked out, her boyfriend threw the can and then ran out. The club is pressing charges against him. I'm not, because in order to do that, I would have to return to Point Pleasant Beach, and I'm not doing that unless someone pays me to.

Your recovery from the throw—drinking the High Noon—was completely genius. What was going through your head at that time?

I kept thinking, Don't let the adrenaline win. Take a beat. Breathe breathe breathe.

I also knew I still had five minutes left of my set, and Gianmarco Soresi, the headliner, had to go up after me. I didn't want to leave a hole for him to dig out of. As soon as I picked up the beer and felt liquid still in it, I knew to chug it. It felt like the only way to recover. Also suddenly I really needed a drink, so it really worked out.

Are you happy with how the club handled it?

Nobody could have predicted what happened. So while I do think they should have been thrown out sooner, I don't know that that would have really changed anything. I think it's good that the couple ran out, because I'm pretty sure the incredible wait staff was ready to go to blows with them if they had stayed. The owner apologized, asked if I was OK, and if I wanted to call the cops. I don't really know what else they could have done. Except maybe hire a bouncer for the future.

From the clip and from your social media presence, it's clear that you talk about being Jewish in your act. Of course we can't know why the person threw the can, but do you think that antisemitism could've been part of it?

Who knows? There are plenty of reasons that the kind of person who throws a beer can at a comedian wouldn't like me. Why limit it to just being Jewish?

I saw some comments to the effect of "I can't believe this would happen in the Northeast." In your opinion, is there any truth to the notion that this kind of apparently MAGA-fueled aggression only exists in red states?

[Elias laughs] Absolutely not. Any comedian who works the road will tell you this is false. I also worked the census in 2020 and went to every nook and cranny of Queens as well as Long Island, and I walked in some of the most conservative neighborhoods you'll ever see. Everyone needs to go explore more and recognize that most people are complicated and are not stereotypes.

Do you think Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars has encouraged attacks on comedians, such as this one? What was your opinion on that when it first happened, and has it changed over time?

No. I don't think the reason people in this country are on edge and prone to violence has anything to do with one celebrity slapping another celebrity during an awards show that almost nobody watched. Just like Trump is a symptom, so too was "the slap." We as a society are so deeply traumatized, from mass shootings to COVID to climate disasters, and we have very little access to mental health. We bury this stuff and then act on impulse, and we look for the easy answer for why violence happens when it's so much messier than that.

Has heckling gotten worse in recent years, in your opinion? More politically fueled?

I'm not sure, to be honest. I think since COVID, crowds are definitely a lot drunker, which doesn't help.

Some big names like Jimmy Kimmel and Whitney Cummings have tweeted in defense of you. Does it help to know comics are circling the wagons around you?

It's nice to have the reassurance that I handled it as best as I could. I'm really grateful to everyone who has just asked, 'Are you OK?'

Do you think there's anything clubs and audience members can do to prevent this kind of thing from happening?

Clubs: don't be afraid to kick people out. Have security. Audience members: please don't throw things.

Newsweek also got in touch with Ibelli, the owner of the club, who expressed his concern for Elias and has since booked her to come back and perform again next April.

"Once the banter had stopped, and Ariel had left her to do something else, the woman said something else. That's when you see me walk into frame in the video and I told her 'It's not about you anymore. You need to calm down or you're going to have to leave.'" He told Newsweek, "I turned my back, she leaves. All of a sudden her husband who was sitting at the next table, throws the beer can. Ariel picks up the beer can, and he's running out the door."

Ibelli confirmed to Newsweek that the police are charging the individual with "criminal mischief." Newsweek have contacted the the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department for further information on the incident report.

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