Chris Rock made a surprise appearance at a New York City comedy club on Tuesday night, but he opened by telling shocked audience members that he wouldn’t be talking about, you know, that thing.
“He literally only addressed it as the the crowd was going wild for his surprise appearance, and he got on stage and said, ‘Lower your expectations. I’m not going to address that s***,’” an audience “spy” told the New York Post. “The spy also says that Rock joked he was workshopping material because ‘all the sudden people cared about his early shows,'” the paper said.
Rock, who also performed in Boston in a sold-out show shortly after the incident, didn’t address the slap then, either. “I’m still processing,” he told the packed crowd, “but right now I’m going to tell some jokes.”
Rock made remarks at the March 27 94th Academy Awards. At one point, actor Will Smith stomped onto the stage and slapped Rock after he made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Afterward, the Los Angeles Police Department said Rock has “declined to file a police report.”
“LAPD investigative entities are aware of an incident between two individuals during the Academy Awards program. The incident involved one individual slapping another. The individual involved has declined to file a police report. If the involved party desires a police report at a later date, LAPD will be available to complete an investigative report,” said a full statement from the Los Angeles Police Department, Variety reported.
The Full Uncensored video of Will Smith’s altercation with Chris Rock at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/cGQ3plSEiz
— Movies (@moreoffilms) March 28, 2022
Rock was on the stage Sunday night, making jokes about celebrities in the star-studded theater. Then he targeted Pinkett Smith. “Jada, I love you, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it. All right?” Rock said. The joke was a reference to a movie that starred Demi Moore as a Navy lieutenant in which the actress sports a shaved head. Jada Pinkett Smith, too, has a shaved head because she suffers from alopecia.
While she rolled her eyes a bit and didn’t smile, Smith laughed. “That was a nice one, OK?” Rock said.
“I’m out here –” Rock then said before breaking off. “Uh oh. Richard?” he said, referring to Will Smith’s part playing the father of Serena and Venus Williams’ father in “King Richard.” Smith quickly walked up the stage and took a swipe at Rock, not with a fist but an open hand.
“Oh wow,” Rock said. “Wow. Will Smith just smacked the s*** out of me,” he said with a smile. “Wow, dude. It was a G.I. Jane joke,” Rock added before continuing with the show.
The camera then cut back to Will Smith, by now back in his seat. Uncensored clips show he said: “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth!”
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent, and ran the Drudge Report from 2010 to 2015. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.
Enter for the chance to hang out with Gina Carano at the premiere of her new Daily Wire movie, Terror on the Prairie! Two lucky Daily Wire members will be given the complete red carpet treatment – free airfare, hotel, premiere car service, and exclusive merch. Daily Wire members can click here to enter for a chance to win. If you’re not a Daily Wire member yet, click here to join us so you can win this once-in-a-lifetime experience.