Chris Rock addresses Will Smith slap during comedy set
Rock appeared in public for the first time since the Oscars at his standup show in Boston on Wednesday evening
Sunday’s Oscars telecast continues to dominate conversations and not just because CODA won Best Picture. Chris Rock finally addressed the viral Oscars altercation with Will Smith during a recent stand-up show, saying that he is, “still kind of processing what happened.”
As theGrio previously reported, the Internet all but broke when, after a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith, Will took to the Oscars stage and slapped Rock. Since then, Smith, the Academy, and countless celebrities have shared thoughts regarding the moment, but Rock himself remained silent until last night.
Rock referenced the moment at a stand-up show in Boston on Wednesday, per Variety. He addressed the audience saying, “How was your weekend?” as the sellout crowd erupted in laughter.
He continued, “I don’t have a bunch of s— about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that shit. And it will be serious and funny.”
According to the report, an audience member began to chant, “F— Will Smith!” during the set, but Rock “ignored” the comment. “I’m going to tell some jokes,” he said. “It’s nice to just be out.”
Smith released an official apology via his social media accounts, directly apologizing to the Academy, Rock and more.
He wrote in the post, “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally. 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. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”
On Wednesday evening, the Academy released an official statement as well, shedding light on what course of action they plan on taking next.
The statement reads, “Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”
The Board of Governors is reportedly meeting next week to “initiate disciplinary proceedings” regarding Smith.
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