Chris Rock says he’s still ‘processing’ Oscar slap at show
BOSTON — Comedian Chris Rock was performing in public Wednesday for the first time since Oscar-winning actor Will Smith slapped him for a joke about Smith’s wife during the Academy Awards show.
The nighttime performance in Boston comes just three days after Smith slapped Rock on the Oscars stage, stunning the crowd at the 94th Academy Awards and those watching at home.
Rock was greeted by thunderous applause and told the audience “I’m still kind of processing what happened,” according to audio posted by the Hollywood trade outlet Variety. He also tamped down any audience expectations that he would talk at length about the slap, telling them: “If you came to hear that, I’m not … I had like a whole show I wrote before this weekend.”
“We love you,” someone shouted at one point, eliciting cheers from the audience, according to the audio.
At Sunday’s Oscars, Rock had made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzzed haircut. Pinkett Smith has spoken publicly about her diagnosis of alopecia, which can cause baldness.
“Jada, I love you. ‘G.I. Jane 2,’ can’t wait to see it,” Rock said while presenting an award, comparing Pinkett Smith to Demi Moore’s “G.I. Jane” character, who had a buzz cut in the 1997 film.
Smith promptly stood up from his seat at the front of the venue and took to the stage, slapping Rock across the face before sitting back down and yelling at Rock to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth.
Within an hour, Smith won best actor, receiving a standing ovation. During his five-minute acceptance speech, Smith talked about defending his family and apologized to the academy. A day later, Smith issued an apology to the comedian, to the academy and to viewers at home, saying he was “out of line” and that his actions are “not indicative of the man I want to be.”