American comedian Chris Rock opened up about the physical altercation that happened between him and Will Smith during the 94th Academy Awards in 2022.
On February 28, 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that the 58-year-old spoke about the incident on a January set in Charleston, South Carolina.
He talked about it alongside Dave Chappelle while preparing for his forthcoming Netflix special, Selective Outrage, and said that the thing that people want to know is if the slap hurt.
Noting Smith's strength, Chris Rock said that the former played Muhammad Ali in the 2001 film Ali, and added:
“I played Pookie (in ‘New Jack City’). Even in animated movies I’m a zebra, he’s a f—ing shark. I got hit so hard, I heard ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”Summertime was released in 1991 and was sung by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. The song bagged a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 1992 Grammy Awards.
Chris Rock called Will Smith a "big dude" while speaking about the infamous slap
According to Deadline, Chris Rock also spoke about the size difference between him and Will Smith on the same show. He said that while Smith is a "big dude," he isn't one.
Rock even added that Will Smith has done shirtless scenes in his movies, but if the former were to be shown getting open heart surgery in a film, he would have a sweater on.
The New York Post reported that Rock cracked another joke at a separate show about the same incident.
Chris Rock told the theater audience that he had rooted for Will Smith his entire life but he recently watched Emancipation just to watch Smith "getting whipped."
The infamous slap took place during the 94th Academy Awards held on March 28, 2022, at the Dolby Theater, in Hollywood.
Chris Rock appeared on stage to present an award for Best Documentary, and cracked a joke about Will Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her shaved head. He said:
“Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see you."In 2021, Pinkett Smith revealed that she was struggling with alopecia and had shaved her head. The Red Table Talk host sat in the audience with her husband and rolled her eyes at the joke.
At first, Smith could be seen laughing at Chris Rock's joke but then he stood up and walked on stage, which led the Madagascar star to laugh and joke, "Uh oh..."
On national television, Will Smith smacked Chris Rock right across the face and then went back to his seat in the audience.
A visibly shocked comedian then said:
"Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me."After he was seated, Smith was heard yelling:
"Keep my wife’s name out of your f*cking mouth."To which Rock responded that it a "GI Jane joke."
Smith then yelled at Rock not to speak about Jada, to which the comedian responded that he was going to. Later, before he presented the award, he said that it was the "greatest night in the history of television."
After the slap, Denzel Washington, Bradley Cooper, and Tyler Perry seemingly consoled Smith after his outrage. Will Smith was also banned by The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences board for 10 years.
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