89-year-old comedian recovers from random attack on New York City street

NEW YORK — An 89-year-old comedian is recovering after he was randomly punched and thrown to the ground as he waited to cross a street in New York earlier this month.

D’yan Forest said she had just stopped at a cafe and was on her way to a swimming pool when someone came up from behind and punched her in the eye. She lay on the ground in shock while police and paramedics came to her aid.

“I thought I had lost function of the eye because I couldn’t see anything,” Forest said. Her vision returned within the next four hours while she was being examined at a hospital.

Police said Saturday that the female suspect in the July 10 incident had medium skin tone, cornrow braids and was last seen wearing a tank top and shorts with a Jurassic Park logo.

Forest said she has lived in Greenwich Village since 1966, and other than watching the Sept. 11 attacks from her roof, nothing bad has ever happened to her.

“I’m walking through the village now and I’m not getting too close to anyone. I don’t want to be close to anyone,” she said.

Forest holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest active female comedian. She said her first thought after the fall was whether she would be presentable for her nightclub performance on July 29.

But she said her eye was healing.

“My eye was all red and horrible. But now at least I can go on stage without a black eye,” said Forest.