It’s been months Will Smith infamously beat Chris Rock at the Oscars, and much of the audience is still talking about it. Rock himself has also discussed the situation, but has done so in his own way. Although the comedian hasn’t talked about it in a serious, public setting yet, he has referenced it several times during his stand-up routines. This week, Rock performed another show, and it was held at the same venue where he was beaten, and as you’d expect, he made some jokes about Smith while there.
Chris Rock returned to the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles for a gig, marking his first time back at the venue since the Oscars. In accordance New York PostRock opened his set with jokes about fellow comedians and SNL collaborator Dave Chappelle and the riots that took place on 6 January. After that, however, he took to the slam and called out Will Smith in the process. Rock pondered whether the hit to the face hurt and mentioned one of Smith’s most notable roles while doing it:
People said, “Did it hurt?” You’re right, it hurt. Will Smith is considerably bigger than me. I’m not that big, okay? This bastard played Ali! I played Pookie from ‘New Jack City!
Needless to say, it sounds like the bang caused Head of State star some pain. Those who attended the Academy Awards in March probably know that Will Smith slammed the comic after he joked about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Chris Rock declined to press charges that night and in the week that followed, Smith was banned from the academy for a decade as punishment. While many have questioned Smith’s actions, some have also wondered about Rock’s apparent inaction. He didn’t fight back, and during his recent comedy set, he gave the reasons why:
People say, ‘Why the hell didn’t you do anything back?’ Because I have parents. Because I was raised, you know? You know what my parents taught me? Don’t fight in front of white people! No, I’m not a victim!
Will Smith broke his silence on the bang in July when he released a formal apology video. He also acknowledged that his the relationship with Tony Rock, Chris’ brother, may be “irreparable”. Shortly after, Chris called out his apology during a comedy show, claiming that “everybody’s trying to be a fucking victim.” After saying that he was “punched by Suge Smith”, the actor also declared that “anyone who says hurtful words has never been punched in the face”. On another show, he answered directly on the video again when he said, “Full your hostage video.” As of now, it has been reported Chris has no intention of reaching out to Smith about what went down.
In the middle of the hoops about the slap, Chris Rock has been working steadily on the comedy circuit. Apparently, Rock was even approached to host the Academy Awards in 2023, although he ultimately declined. It’s honestly hard to say if he’ll ever bring up the Oscar situation in a more serious setting. But in the meantime, he is likely to continue to delight audiences with his account of the events via his comedy shows.
