Chris Rock Talks About Will Smith Slap at Selective Outrage Stand-Up Special
On Saturday night, Chris Rock became the first artist to perform a live-streaming Netflix special when he debuted his new stand-up set Selective Outrage in Baltimore, Maryland.[0] This marked the streaming giant's first-ever live broadcast of a comedy special.[1]
During the show, Rock addressed the incident when Will Smith, 54, hit him onstage at last year's Academy Awards ceremony on March 27, 2022 after making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head while presenting an award that night.[2]
Smith had publicly apologized to Rock the day after the Oscars via an Instagram post, writing, “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.” After several months, Smith issued a further apology on camera and disclosed that he had made contact with Rock.
Rock then proceeded to discuss the incident, saying, “I got smacked at the f—ing Oscars by this m—-f—er. And people are like, ‘Did it hurt?' It still hurts!”[2] He then addressed the question he’s gotten a lot since the slap, “Why didn’t you do anything back?” to which he replied, “‘Cause I got parents, that’s why. You know what my parents taught me? Don’t fight in front of white people.”[3]
In 2020, Pinkett Smith confessed to having an extramarital relationship with musician August Alsina on an installment of her web-series with her spouse.[4] Rock made several comments in his new show about people seeking attention by classifying themselves as victims, but said: “I am not a victim. You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. Never going to happen… I took that hit like [boxer Manny] Pacquiao. I took it like motherfucking Pacquiao. Did it hurt? Yeah motherfucker, it hurt.”[5]
He also joked, “He does movies with his shirt off.[4] You never see me in a movie with my shirt off. A movie starring Will Smith featured him as Muhammad Ali.[6] Did I audition for that part, in your opinion?[7] In “New Jack City,” I portrayed the character[4]
0. “Chris Rock’s ‘Selective Outrage’ on the slap, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Meghan Markle and more” NJ.com, 5 Mar. 2023, https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2023/03/chris-rocks-selective-outrage-on-the-slap-will-smith-jada-pinkett-smith-meghan-markle-and-more.html
1. “‘Chris Rock: Selective Outrage' roasts Will Smith in the first-ever Netflix livestream” Marca, 5 Mar. 2023, https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/celebrities/2023/03/05/64042eee22601d20538b4596.html
2. “Chris Rock Addresses Will Smith Oscars Slap During Live Netflix Comedy Special: ‘I'm Not a Victim'” PEOPLE, 5 Mar. 2023, https://people.com/movies/chris-rock-addresses-will-smith-slap-in-live-netflix-comedy-special
3. “Chris Rock TKOs Will Smith’s Oscar Slap & “Selective Outrage” In Netflix Live Special; “Don’t Fight In Front Of White People,” Comic Says His Parents Taught Him” Deadline, 5 Mar. 2023, https://deadline.com/2023/03/chris-rock-rips-will-smith-oscars-slap-netflix-live-special-1235279238
4. “In Netflix livestream from Baltimore, Chris Rock opens up about the slap: ‘She started it, I finish it.'” Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2023, https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bs-fe-chris-rock-netflix-special-baltimore-20230305-rrupxlytkncgzlmoc2swc5leay-story.html
5. “Chris Rock Eviscerated Will Smith In His Live Netflix Standup Special” UPROXX, 5 Mar. 2023, https://uproxx.com/tv/chris-rock-netflix-standup-special-will-smith/
6. “Chris Rock Finally Opens Up About Will Smith's Infamous Slap In Netflix Special” HuffPost, 5 Mar. 2023, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chris-rock-addresses-will-smith-slap_n_64041997e4b04ef6d3dd5d2c
7. “‘It still hurts’: Chris Rock speaks about Will Smith slap for first time” The Guardian, 5 Mar. 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/mar/05/it-still-hurts-chris-rock-speaks-about-will-smith-slap-for-first-time
