In his most recent stand-up comedy special, Chris Rock made jokes about the contentious situation that occurred at the Oscars with Will Smith.
At the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, the comedian gave the streaming service Netflix’s very first live performance, which was a comedy special titled Chris Rock: Selective Outrage. The show took place on Saturday night.
Rock, 58, addressed the incident that occurred when Smith, 54, hit him onstage at last year’s Academy Awards ceremony on March 27, 2022. Rock had made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head while presenting an award on that night. Smith responded by hitting Rock onstage. Rock addressed the incident at one point during the show.
Early on in the performance, he remarked something to the effect of “Anybody who believes words hurt has never been hit in the face,” adding that he’ll try not to “trigger” anyone.
Then, later on, Rock made a joke about Snoop Dogg appearing in commercials, reassuring the audience, “I love Snoop, I’m not dissing Snoop,” before making a reference to Smith without naming him and saying, “The last thing I need is another mad rapper, right?” as the audience cheered enthusiastically. After that, he continued by performing a segment on Meghan Markle and followed it up by saying, “No, back to the program.”
Rock made a more in-depth reference to the Academy Awards towards the close of the performance, adding that he’s “not a victim, sweetie; you won’t ever see me on Oprah or Gayle sobbing over my situation. That is completely out of your reach. Never going to happen.” He made a joking comment about being “smacked by Suge Smith.”
“This jerk punched me in the face at the Oscars, which is a complete and utter joke. And people are like, ‘Does it hurt?’ That is still quite painful! “stated Rock. In addition to that, he drew attention to the size disparity between himself and Smith. Rock went on to criticize Smith for the headline-making “entanglement” situation that Smith was involved in with his wife Jada as well as the Red Table Talk episode that they performed together.
During the course of the expansive program, Rock made references to a number of famous people, including Serena Williams, Elon Musk, the Kardashians, Blac Chyna, Beyoncé, Dave Chappelle, Doja Cat, and O.J. Simpson. He also mentioned the Kardashians.
Although Rock hasn’t discussed the incident in interviews or on social media since the Oscars, he did bring it up a few times when he was on his comedy tour in the months that immediately followed the event.
Smith, who went on to win the award for Best Actor the same night, subsequently apologized for the outburst and resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has also barred him from attending its events for the next ten years.
Jada, who is 51 years old, discussed the incident that occurred at the Oscars on an episode of her talk program titled “Red Table Talk” in the month of June. She said that her “deepest desire is that these two brilliant, talented guys get the chance to heal, speak this out, and reconcile.”
The actress said at the time that due to the current situation of the globe, “we need ’em both,” and that people, in general, need one another’s company more than ever before. “Until then, Will and I are going to continue doing what we have been doing for the last 28 years, which is to keep figuring out this thing called life together,” she said.
Subsequently, in the month of July, Smith posted a video apology on his social media platforms, providing further context on that evening and elaborating on his efforts to get in touch with Rock. (On his press tour for Emancipation in November, Smith also discussed the Academy Awards, notably in an emotional interview with Trevor Noah on The Daily Show.)
In his video, he is heard saying, “My attempt to contact Chris was met with the response that he is not yet prepared to discuss the matter, but that he would get in touch with me as soon as he is. As a result, I feel obligated to tell you, Chris, that I am sorry. My actions were not appropriate, but I am available anytime you are ready to have a conversation about it.”
Smith provided an explanation at the time stating that he is “trying to feel sorry for me without feeling embarrassed of myself, but yet acknowledging that I am a person. I screwed up, and now I’m trying not to think of myself as a piece of garbage as a result of my error.”
After the live event, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage will also be made accessible to view on Netflix throughout the world.