BY THE VILLAGE SUN | A senior stand-up comic and actress was viciously sucker-punched in Greenwich Village, police said.
Police don’t usually publicize victims’ identity. However, CBS News and the New York Post identified her as D’Yan Forest, 89. The irrepressible performer lays claim to being the “Oldest Female Comedian in the World,” per Guinness World Records.
The assault occurred Wed., July 10, right before 9 a.m. Forest, who lives in the Village, was on her way to Equinox gym on Greenwich Ave. for a morning swim. She was standing at Mulry Square, at the northwest corner of W. 11th Street and Seventh Avenue, waiting for the walk signal, when she was suddenly slammed in her right eye, knocking her to the ground.
According to news reports, her attacker — a woman — stood over her and glared at her before heading off westbound on Bank Street.
Good samaritans jumped in to help, picking Forest up and then sitting her up as they waited for first responders to arrive. The elderly actress, who suffered swelling and redness to her face, was taken to nearby Lenox Hill Greenwich Village, located just a block away. While she at first panicked that she might lose her eye, it was O.K., save for black-and-blue bruising, and there was no permanent damage.
She worried, too, if she would be able to perform her upcoming show, “D’yan Forest: 90 Years of Songs & Scandal,” at Joe’s Pub on Mon., July 29, at 7 p.m., to celebrate her 90th birthday. But after being released from the Village E.R., she went to rehearsal, and is on track to strum her ukulele, sing, tell her stories and crack jokes, as scheduled.
The alleged suspect was recorded by a surveillance camera. (NYPD)
However, understandably, Forest is feeling post-traumatic stress disorder, worrying and flinching as she passes people on the street that someone might suddenly lash out and hit her.
The suspect is described as sporting cornrow braids. She was last seen wearing a red-and-black tank top with a “Jurassic Park” logo, matching white-and-black shorts also with the movie logo, black socks and white-and gray-sneakers.
Forest told CBS News that she settled in Greenwich Village 60 years ago because it had the same bohemian feeling as Paris, where she had been living previously.
The Post reported that Forest would like to tell Mayor Adams that more must be done to address the epidemic of homeless, mentally ill people in her own neighborhood — that she is seeing more troubled souls than before on the historic enclave’s streets.
“I would say [to the mayor] this is what is happening now,” Forest told the tabloid. “There are more homeless, mentally ill homeless on the street, and even in my precious Village. And this is what I’ve noticed this summer. Just get these people off the streets. Get them help… so 90-year-old old ladies won’t be socked!”
The suspect remains at large.
Police ask that anyone with information call the N.Y.P.D.’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted on the Crime Stoppers Web site at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X at @NYPDTips. All tips are strictly confidential.
A tip leading to an arrest and indictment can result in a reward of up to $3,500.
I knew Ms. Forest years ago. A wonderful funny person.
Sick that this is what the city has come to.
Thank you, Democrats
Why did no one detain the attacker? If you see something, DO something. The thin blue line includes citizens.
WE NEED A REPUBLICAN MAYOR AND GOVERNOR IN N Y C
Like the law-abiding Republicans that stormed the US Capitol on January 6 and are a clear a present danger to our democracy? What a perfect solution.
David — two wrongs do not make a right. The fact is all the virtue signaling, decriminalization, no prosecution, defunding the NYPD (from 200 to 100 officers at the 6th precinct in 4 years), demonizing law and order, open drug use, shoplifting is ALL on the Democrats who run NYC — in particular the politicians elected Downtown who pushed so many of these misguided changes in the name of “justice.” This is all the direct result. No fan of the far-right Republicans, but they have no say on anything here in New York City.
Once caught, she’ll be released in no time. No bail. The word is out. You can do whatever you want and there are no consequences.
Not so. The minute anybody commits a crime, it’s the Democrats who are at fault, according to the yakkers. Generally, the Democrats are for fairness to all people, and they certainly do NOT like crime. They’re generally against all the things that make for crime — poverty, homelessness, etc.