Chris Rock has addressed the infamous altercation between him and Will Smith at the Academy Awards 2022 in March. Image Source: Variety
Chris Rock has addressed the infamous altercation between him and Will Smith at the Academy Awards 2022 in March.
While performing at the PNC Bank Arts Center in New Jersey on Sunday, Chris Rock addressed the infamous altercation between him and Will Smith at the Academy Awards 2022 in March. According to an eyewitness who was at the show, the comedian-actor said that even though the slap from Will Smith did hurt him, he did not let it phase him.
Chris Rock told the audience he's not a victim. Chris Rock and Kevin Hart co-headlined the "Only Headliners Allowed" comedy tour on Saturday at New York City's Madison Square Garden. During his joke on canceling culture, Chris Rock did mention the slap and said that anyone who claims that words hurt has never been struck in the face.
Chris Rock earlier in April, while appearing during a gig in Boston, briefly mentioned that he was going to take his time before he goes on to address it and said that he had like a whole show he wrote before the weekend and he was still processing what had happened, so he would talk about it at some point, but for now he is going to tell some jokes. Chris also mentioned that he shook that shit off and went to work the next day, and added that he did not go to the hospital for a paper cut.
At the Academy Awards 2022, Chris Rock appeared on stage to present an award when he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head, and Will Smith walked up the stage and slapped Chris Rock and asked him to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth. Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head is a condition due to alopecia, and Chris Rock had not known about it.
Shortly after the incident, Will Smith posted a statement on his social media apologizing to everyone and mentioning that his actions at the 94th Academy Awards were shocking, painful, and inexcusable and that the joke on Jada's medical condition was too much for him to bear and he reacted emotionally. He said that he regrets acting inappropriately with Chris Rock and feels embarrassed by his actions, which do not reflect the kind of person he aspires to be. Violence has no place in the universe of peace and love, according to actor Will Smith, who later that evening received the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in King Richard.
Will Smith also went ahead and apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the winners, presenters, and everyone present in the audience that night, along with Richard Williams' family too, and said that he deeply regrets his behavior and is now going to do better. The actor also resigned from the Academy and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences thereupon declared that the actor from "King Richard" would be prohibited from attending any of their events for ten years, both electronically and physically. Will Smith agreed with the decision.
