What did Bill Hader say about Martin Kove? Cobra Kai star once denied SNL star’s allegations

Martin Kove, the actor best known for playing John Kreese in The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, is currently in the news due to an incident at a fan convention in Washington State on June 22, 2025.

According to a report in Deadline, Kove was removed from Summer Con after allegedly biting his Cobra Kai co-star Alicia Hannah-Kim on the arm during a VIP event. The incident occurred when she approached Kove to greet him and tapped on his arm, and he reportedly grabbed her arm and bit her so hard it nearly drew blood, then kissed it after she cried out in pain.

When the issue was raised, Kove admitted that he bit her but claimed it was out of jest. He allegedly insisted that such play-fights are common on the Cobra Kai set. This was not the first time he had been the subject of negative headlines.

During his appearance on the podcast WTF with Marc Maron in 2013, Bill Hader revealed that he worked as a driver for Martin Kove. He described him as a backseat driver who would yell at him and that lead to many wrong turns and stressful situations, per a report in the Huff Post.

How did Martin Kove respond to the allegations by SNL star, Bill Hader?

It was surprising for many listeners when the SNL star, Bill Hader, revealed Martin Kove’s behaviour on WTF with Marc Maron in 2013. The 47-year-old recounted his earlier days when he used to drive The Karate Kid actor, Martin Kove.

According to a report in HuffPost, Hader opened up about how he was constantly rebuked by the 78-year-old actor and that he was a bizarre passenger. He shared an incident when Kove purposely got him lost so he could read his script before arriving on set. This put Hader in trouble with his boss.

In another incident, Hader recalled how Martin Kove offered to buy him a McDonald’s Milkshake and cookies. However, he told HuffPost that when he came back from the food joint, he saw him drinking the milkshake and eating the cookie all by himself, a move Hader described as a“weird mind f**k.”

Martin Kove was approached by Uproxx several years later, and asked about the incident when he clearly denied the allegations by Hader. He said:

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“Total fabrication. Not quite clear why he spreads this story. It’s quite uncharacteristic of me to indulge in such a level of being so inconsiderate. I don’t remember him or the event. Maybe he drove me to a set one day, but I really don’t remember him at all. I am truly happy for his success, though. As well as my old friend Henry Winkler’s success.”

The recent incident when Kove allegedly assaulted the actress Alicia Hannah-Kim, who plays Kim Da-Eun in Cobra Kai, at a fan event could impact his public image. Although she declined to press formal charges, she did request a report to be filed so the incident could be documented. Police took photographs of her injury which they described as a "very noticeable bite mark" that was turning blue and bruising.

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