Will Smith has since said “bottled” rage led to his actions. Rock was praised for maintaining his composure following the incident.
Chris Rock, the comedian, is sick of talking about Will Smith’s infamous Oscar slap, but he wants to make one thing clear: it hurt.
During a live Netflix comedy special, Rock, 58, spoke at length about the 2022 Academy Awards incident.
“You know what they say, ‘words hurt,'” Rock explained. “Anyone who claims that words hurt have never been punched in the face.”
Will Smith has since stated that his actions were motivated by “bottled” rage.
As Mr. Smith was allowed to remain at the ceremony and later accept his first-ever Oscar for Best Actor, the confrontation became a cultural lightning rod for discussions about America’s appetite for casual violence.
Rock was praised for remaining calm in the aftermath of the incident.
Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, the streaming service’s first live comedy show, tackled a variety of topics, including woke culture, Meghan Markle, and politics.
“I’m going to try not to offend anyone,” Rock said, referring to the Smith altercation. “Because you never know who is going to be triggered.”
He later added that America “is so screwed up right now that if the Russians came here right now, half the country would say ‘let’s hear them out.'”
But he saved the best for last, addressing the incident with Will Smith in the final moments of the show.
“People ask, ‘Did it hurt?'” It’s still painful! “I’ve got Summertime in my ears,” Rock said, referring to Smith’s 1991 album.
“I took that hit like (Manny) Pacquiao,” Rock boasted, drawing applause from the audience.
In a nod to the show’s title, Rock stated that he believes Smith engages in “selective outrage” and that the slap was motivated more by Smith and his wife, Jadamarital’s problems than by his Oscar joke.
The couple has been open about their relationship’s ups and downs, even publicly addressing their issues on Jada’s Facebook Watch show, Red Table Talk.
“We’ve all been cheated on, everybody in here has been cheated on, and none of us have ever been interviewed on television by the person who cheated on us,” Rock joked. “She harmed him far more than he harmed me.”
Social media erupted in response to Rock finally addressing the incident, with many remarking on how artists like Rock frequently laugh through their pain.
Others thought the comedian’s jokes in Will Smith’s latest film, Emancipation, about rooting for slave owners went too far.
Rock ended the special with a mic drop, explaining why he chose not to fight back.
“I’ve got parents!” Because I was brought up!” Rock stated. “And do you want to know what my parents taught me? Do not engage in combat in front of white people.”
