It was the slap heard around the globe.
There have been few moments in the annals of televised award shows that compare to Will Smith striking Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
In his position as the night’s presenter, Rock made a passing remark about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, which prompted Smith to leave his seat, approach the stage, and deliver a blow that no one saw coming.
It’s been a year since the infamous incident, but despite keeping a low profile, it appears that Rock isn’t in the mood to turn the other way. On the contrary, the comedian recently published a Netflix special in which he discussed Smith, his wife, and the events of last year’s Academy Awards.
Smith is said to have been “embarrassed and hurt” by the incident.
It’s hard to think it’s been a year since the Oscars debacle in 2022.
Will received the statuette for “Best Actor” on the night he was given the statuette for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’ father in King Richard.
=Smith went viral for all the wrong reasons, infuriating fellow attendees and TV viewers around the globe.
The 54-year-old performer was barred from attending the Academy Awards for ten years and has spent much of the past year apologizing for his actions.
Chris Rock, on the other hand, waited before responding. Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, the popular comedian’s new Netflix special, was published a week before this year’s Oscars, and he didn’t hold back when it came to Smith.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Will Smith appears to slap Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
“You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows,” Rock said. “It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”
He continued: “We are not the same size. This guy does movies with his shirt off. You will never see me do a movie with my shirt off. If I’m in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.”
“He played Muhammed Ali. I played Pookie in ‘New Jack City.’”
Rock went on to mention Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, referring to the “entanglement” that was the foundation of a previous confession the actress made about seeing another man while married.
OSLO, NORWAY – OCTOBER 07: Chris Rock performs live on stage during The Total Blackout tour at Oslo Spektrum on October 7, 2017, in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Nigel Waldron/Redferns)
“I did not have any entanglements,” Rock said. “She (Jada) hurt him way more than he hurt me.”
Rock concluded: “I love Will Smith. Now I watch ‘Emancipation’ just to see him get whooped.”
According to Entertainment Tonight, Smith was profoundly moved by Rock’s Netflix special. Though the outlet claims he hasn’t viewed it yet, he has been told of its content by others, which has left him hurt and embarrassed.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claims that Rock would have been willing to let the infamous slap fade into the background of people’s thoughts if he had gotten a full and personal apology.
“Chris never got a one-on-one private apology from Will, only the public one which meant nothing,” a source close to Rock told the Mail.
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