Chris Rock opens up about THAT slap
It was the slap that was heard all around the world and had tongues wagging.
Chris Rock, who was slapped in the face at the Oscars by Will Smith after making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s bald head (who suffers from alopecia), has spoken about the assault.
While headlining stand-up shows in New York and New Jersey, Rock spoke about the infamous slap which “hurt like a motherf***er”.
“Yeah, that sh*t hurt, motherf***er – but I shook that sh*t off and went to work the next day,” he said onstage while performing with Kevin Hart and Dave Chappelle.
“Anyone who says ‘words hurt’ has never been punched in the face.”
Rock then proceeded to call out those who said he was a victim, and who made a bigger deal out of the slap than necessary.
“I’m not a victim, motherf***er. I don’t go to the hospital for a paper cut.”
This is the first time Rock has publicly addressed the slap which saw movies that were set to feature Will either postponed or shelved following his assault on the comedian.
At the Oscars, Smith shocked the crowd and viewers across the world when he stood up from his seat, walked across the stage and slapped Rock before sitting back down.
“Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me,” Rock said as Smith walked off.
Smith then yelled back, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth”.
The only time Rock actually mentioned the slap was during a show in May at the UK’s Royal Albert Hall.
“I’m OK, if anybody was wondering. I got most of my hearing back,” he said.
“People expect me to talk about the bullsh*t. I’m not going to talk about it right now. I’ll get to it eventually – on Netflix."
Smith took to Instagram a few days after the assault and publicly apologised to Rock for slapping him on-stage.
“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable,” he wrote.
“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 apologise 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.”
Image: Getty