January 25, 2026
Cristina Payne Speaks Out After Footage Of Alleged 2024 Assault By Comedian Corey Holcomb Is Released
Payne claims Holcomb had a gun on him as the event took a violent turn.
Cristina Payne is speaking out about an alleged assault involving fellow comedian Corey Holcomb.
Newly released surveillance footage of the incident has stunned viewers– and Payne herself. She alleges that Holcomb became enraged during a roast outside the Hollywood Improv comedy club in Los Angeles in December 2024, leading to the confrontation.
The just-released video showed the confrontation between a man and woman, who appeared to be Payne and Holcomb, as fellow attendees surrounded them.
As tensions escalated, the man then walked up to the woman, punching her in the face. A male bystander then grabbed Holcomb and attacked him after Payne was stuck. This resulted in others getting involved in the fight.
She spoke to TMZ on Jan. 23 about the ordeal, becoming visibly shaken as she recalled the attack.
“It is hard even seeing that right now, seeing that playback and having to relive all of this all over again,” shared the emotional Payne.
Payne, however, explained that the video does not show the full recount of the incident. The California native also alleged that Holcomb had a gun on him, handing it off as things got heated.
“There’s a gun involved that the passed off to another comedian…before he hit me,” she said as began to choke up. “So literally I am fighting with my mouth for my life roasting this dude…”
TMZ host Harvey Levin asked if Payne will take legal action against Holcomb. In response, Payne choked up about her experience since the assault. She explained how she feels silenced in the aftermath, despite initially filing a battery report with the LAPD.
“I feel like Corey [Holcomb]’s threatened or tried to silence me. I’ve been in fear for my life literally, not able to leave the house sometimes.”
However, police did not make any arrest of Holcomb, who also unsuccessfully tried to get a restraining order against her. In the interview, Payne clarified that the two actually filed restraining orders against each other. However, the legal process came to a halt due to apparent harassment of Payne’s attorney.
“Literally, it’s horrible, the way he treats women, the way he talks about us. And to the point where it’s like ‘really you’re going to hit me because I’m telling you about God and you need to change your ways.'”
Payne then also shared how the LAPD’s lack of police action led to no further progress on the matter. However, the video’s public release has brought attention back to the assault, potentially relaunching Payne’s own quest for justice.
Although questioned on whether Holcomb’s own allegations that she sparked the incident are true, Payne remained adamant that she did not do anything to warrant the violence against her.
“Basically, at the end of the day, he put his hands on me,” she asserted. “I didn’t do anything to him.”
RELATED CONTENT: ‘Black Jesus’ Sparking Outrage