Chris Rock has maintained he’s “not a victim” after Will Smith slapped him at the 2022 Academy Awards.
During the Oscars ceremony on March 27th, the King Richard actor walked onto the stage and slapped the comedian after he compared his wife Jada Pinkett Smith – who has the medical condition alopecia – to G.I. Jane.
While Rock has not yet discussed the incident in an interview, he seemingly made a mention of the slap during a show staged at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.
“Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” he joked, according to reports.
Later in the set, Chris Rock reportedly described Will Smith as “Suge Smith” – likely a reference to jailed former Death Row Records co-founder, Suge Knight.
And as part of a bit about people being sensitive, the 57-year-old commented, “I’m not a victim, m###########… Yeah, that s### hurt, m###########. But I shook that s### off and went to work the next day … I don’t go to the hospital for a papercut.”
Will Smith apologized to Academy members and his peers during his acceptance speech for Best Actor at the film event and followed it up with a lengthy apology on Instagram the next day.
The 53-year-old resigned from the Academy and was banned from attending the Oscars for ten years.
