Shortly after Will Smith recorded a video apologizing for the slap he slapped Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards, the comedian returned to talk about it. During one of his standup performances in Atlanta, Rock made a number of jokes about the incident.
On the set, he again used the controversial nickname he gave the actor in reference to Suge Knight, Death Row Records CEO who was arrested for murder. “Everybody’s trying to be a fucking victim. When everyone claims to be a victim, nobody listens to the real victims. Even me who got beat up by ‘Suge Smith’…I went to work the next day, I have kids!” he said on Friday (29), according to Extra TV. He then reiterated that “whoever says words hurt has never been slapped in the face”.
That same Friday, Will had spoken out for the first time about what had happened. In a videotaped outburst, the star answered some questions about the aggression. Among them, he revealed the reason he didn’t apologize to Rock during his speech for the Best Actor award for his role in the movie King Richard: Raising Champions. “I was confused,” he admitted. The artist then shared that he’s tried to contact the creator of “Everybody Hates Chris,” but that he’s not ready to speak just yet.
In the message, Smith also apologized to Rock’s family, as well as his own family members. “I can tell you that no part of me would agree that this was the best way to respond to being disrespected or offended,” he repeated. Watch the video:
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Chris, on the other hand, had previously raised the issue on his standup comedy shows. He even said last week, “I’m not a victim, motherfucker. Yeah, that shit hurt like hell. But I let the shit go and went to work the next day. I’m not going to the hospital because of a cut.”
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remember the case
At the 2022 Academy Awards, which took place in March, Will Smith took the stage and attacked Chris Rock after one of the host’s jokes. At the time, Chris Will’s wife compared Jada PinkettSmith to the protagonist of the film The Edge of Honor, played by Demi Moore. In the production, her character shaves her head to become the first woman in the US Navy. Jada, on the other hand, suffers from alopecia — an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.
Since then, Will has received several criticisms for his stance. According to ET Online, the American would have sought specialized help to deal with the situation. In addition to apologizing for the behavior, he also resigned from his place at the gym after the slap. Despite this, he was barred from the Oscars for the next ten years.