Chris Rock, the renowned comedian, has finally responded to Will Smith’s infamous slap at the Oscars almost a year after the event.
Rock has addressed the exchange in his upcoming Netflix special, “Selective Outrage,” which is set to premiere on March 4.
During a warm-up workshop in South Charleston, Rock shared his thoughts on the incident, stating, “The thing people want to know: did it hurt? Hell yeah, it hurt.”
However, Rock couldn’t resist making a joke out of the situation, referencing Smith’s role as Muhammad Ali in the biopic and his own role in the animated movie, Madagascar.
He quipped, “He played Muhammad Ali! I played Pookie!” Rock then added, “Even in animated movies, I’m a zebra, he’s a f**king shark.”
In another humorous comment, Rock said, “I got hit so hard I heard ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears,” referencing Smith’s music.
The incident occurred at the 2022 Oscars, where Rock was the host.
During the ceremony, Rock made a comment about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith’s shaved head, saying, “Jada, I love you, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it!” Pinkett-Smith has been diagnosed with alopecia, resulting in hair loss. Smith, who was in attendance, defended his wife by hitting Rock twice before returning to his seat and shouting, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”
Despite the incident, Smith went on to win the Best Actor Oscar for his lead role in King Richard.
He later apologized to the Academy and other nominees but made no reference to Rock. In addition, Smith resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ahead of being issued a 10-year ban from the Oscars.
After the incident, Smith expressed regret and reached out to Rock to apologize. He said, “I made a choice on my own from my own experiences, from my history with Chris.
I want to say sorry to my kids and my family for the heat that I’ve brought on all of us. I’ve reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk, and when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
In conclusion, Rock has finally addressed the infamous slap from Will Smith, turning it into comedy for his upcoming Netflix special.
While the incident was undoubtedly hurtful for Rock, he has managed to find humor in the situation and move on. Smith has also apologized and taken responsibility for his actions, demonstrating a willingness to make amends.
