Chris Rock Will Reportedly Address Will Smith Oscars Slap During Live Special
Not pulling punches? According to reports, Chris Rock will address Will Smith‘s infamous slap during his Netflix stand-up special Selective Outrage.
The comedian, 58, may address the controversial Oscars moment on Saturday, March 4, while performing at the streaming service’s first-ever live event.
Rock’s potential commentary would come nearly one year after Smith, 54, made headlines for the incident. At the time, the Academy Award winner walked onto the stage and slapped the South Carolina native following a joke he made about Jada Pinkett Smith‘s shaved head.
“Will Smith just smacked the s—t out of me,” Rock said in censored footage that circulated online after the March awards show. As the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum returned to his seat, he was heard yelling at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your f—king mouth.”
In response to the altercation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed that Smith would be banned from all Oscars events for 10 years following his resignation.
The King Richard star later issued a public apology for his behavior.
“I’ve spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and the complexities of what happened in that moment,” Smith said in a July 2022 video via Instagram. “I’m not gonna try to unpack all of that right now. But I can say to all of you, there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
The Philadelphia native noted that he attempted to reach out to Rock to make amends. “The message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk. And when he is, he will reach out,” Smith continued. “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. … I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of s–t.”
During his lengthy apology, Smith pointed out that his actions had nothing to do with Pinkett Smith, 51.
“I made a choice on my own from my own experiences, from my history with Chris. Jada had nothing to do with it,” he concluded. “I am deeply remorseful and I am trying to be remorseful without being ashamed of myself. Right? I’m human and I made a mistake.”
The Amsterdam star, for his part, mentioned the incident at several stand-up shows. Rock also seemingly threw shade at Smith’s public apology hours after the clip was released.
“Everybody is trying to be a f–king victim,” the Grammy winner joked during a show in Atlanta. “If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims. Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith … I went to work the next day, I got kids. Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.”
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Chris Rock: Selective Outrage is streaming now on Netflix.
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