Will Smith, right, hits presenter Chris Rock on stage while presenting the award for best documentary feature at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The incident on Sunday has sparked debate about the appropriate ways for Black men to publicly defend Black women against humiliation and abuse. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
Chris Rock Finally Addresses That Will Smith Oscars Slap
Four months after he was slapped by Will Smith in front of a star-studded Oscars audience—and the world—Chris Rock is finally speaking up.
The comedian, who reacted to the now-infamous slap with humor and refused to press charges against Smith, made a joke about the incident during a stand-up show over the weekend.
Rock took the stage at New York City’s Madison Square Garden Saturday, where he and Kevin Hart co-headlined the Only Headliners Allowed comedy tour—which had Dave Chappelle as a surprise guest. During his set, Rock “made a joke about Will during a bit about ‘cancel culture,’ joking that ‘anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,'” a source told Entertainment Tonight.
The show marks the first time Rock has spoken publicly of The Slap, though he previously hinted that he would be making jokes about it once he fully processed what happened.
At the end of March—days after the 2022 Oscars—Rock sold out tickets for his stand-up show, and upon arriving, received a standing ovation.
“How was your weekend?” the star said at the time, giving the crowd a wink. “I don’t have a bunch of shit about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that shit. And it will be serious and funny.”
Smith, meanwhile, has stayed out of the spotlight since his actions at the Oscars, and has been banned from all Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences events for the next 10 years.
