Nothing funny as comedian gets hit

Cori Gonzalez-Macuer. Photo / Supplied

Comedian Cori Gonzalez-Macuer isn't laughing.

He can't because he has a smashed nose and stitches in his lips.

The popular 7 Days comic was beaten up by a group of drunk young men in central Wellington in the early hours of the morning after defending a female friend.

The two had been out with friends at the San Francisco Bath House, after attending a couple of International Comedy Festival shows.

"She is quite a pretty girl and they were just hassling her and being rude," said Gonzalez-Macuer, 30.

"Someone started yelling stuff at my friend, so I turned around and told them to shut up," he said .

"Then one of them just hit me out of the blue."

Wellington police said they were called to an incident near Pigeon Park at 5am and they were investigating.

Gonzalez-Macuer was recovering at his parents' home in Lower Hutt yesterday.

Scott Blanks, the director of the Classic Comedy Club, said this was the second assault to mar the festival.

Comedians Jamie Bowen and Lyndsay Webb had been attacked last month on opening night in Auckland.

"This is quite disturbing," he said. "They were trying to help a woman who was being attacked by a man in Myers Park. The guy turned on them as well."