He’s got jokes. Chris Rock‘s Oscars incident with Will Smith continues to be topic of conversation — and even the comedian is not afraid to find the humor in the situation.
“I’m OK, if anybody was wondering. Got most of my hearing back,” Rock, 57, said during a standup set on Thursday, May 12, at London’s Royal Albert Hall, according to The Telegraph.
The South Carolina native noted during his gig that he wouldn’t be going into depth about the awards show drama, adding, “Don’t expect me to talk about the bulls–t. I’ll talk about it at some point — on Netflix. Your tickets were expensive, but not that expensive.”
During the 94th annual Academy Awards in March, the Madagascar actor raised eyebrows with a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith while presenting on the Dolby Theater stage. After Rock said that Pinkett Smith, 50, should be cast in G.I. Jane 2 because of her shaved head, her husband, 53, got out of his seat confronted him.
“Will Smith just smacked the s—t out of me,” Rock said in uncensored footage that later circulated on social media. As he returned to the audience, the King Richard star — who won the best actor trophy moments later — yelled back at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your f—king mouth.”
Rock has used his stand-up shows to offer updates in the aftermath of the altercation. “I haven’t talked to anyone despite what you may have heard,” the Grown Ups actor said during a post-Oscars set in Boston.
Shortly after the incident, Smith issued a public apology to Rock for his “unacceptable and inexcusable” actions. “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,” he wrote via Instagram in March.
The Hitch actor added: “I would also like to apologize to The Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.”
In April, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed that Smith would be banned from all Oscars events for 10 years following his resignation from the organization. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum later responded to his punishment, saying in a statement to Page Six, “I accept and respect the Academy’s decision.”
That same month, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that Pinkett Smith wished her husband didn’t get physical with Rock. “It was in the heat of the moment and it was him overreacting. He knows that, she knows that. They’re in agreement that he overreacted,” an insider shared with Us.
According to the source, the Scream 2 star wasn’t thrilled that Smith slapped Rock in her defense. “She’s not one of these women that needs protecting. He didn’t need to do what he did, she didn’t need protecting. She’s not a wallflower,” the insider revealed. “She’s a strong woman, an opinionated woman and she can fight her own battles. But she will stand by him.”
