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Chris Rock finally speaks publicly about Will Smith's Oscars slap

Life & Style
Will Smith (R) hits Chris Rock as Rock spoke on stage during the 94th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 27, 2022. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Chris Rock accused Will Smith of "practising selective outrage" and mocked the infidelity rumours surrounding the “King Richard” star and his wife Jada Pinkett Smith in his first public comments since being slapped at the Oscars by the actor.

The 58-year-old comic explained how the title for his Netflix stand-up special - the broadcaster's first ever live global streaming event - had connections to the “Men in Black” actor because he speculated on how Smith lashed out at him as a result of "practising selective outrage".

The comedy, currently streaming on Netflix is called “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage”.

Rock also poked fun at the “Girl's Trip” actress' 2020 admission she had had an "entanglement" with singer August Alsina while she and her husband were on a break, a revelation the pair later discussed on her “Red Table Talk” show.

Speaking on the show, the comedian said: "Will Smith practices selective outrage. Everybody that really knows knows I had nothing to do with that s***. I didn't have any 'entanglements’.

"His wife was f****** her son's friend. Now, I normally would not talk about this s***, but for some reason, these n***** put that s*** on the internet. I have no idea why two people that talented would do something that low-down.

“None of us ... Why the f*** would you do that s***? She hurt him way more than he hurt me, okay?"

Rock claimed "everybody in the world" called Smith "a b****" after the "entanglement" revelation and said he tried to get in touch with him but the actor didn't pick up.

Repeatedly branding the star a "b****", he quipped: "Everybody. And who's he hit? Me, a n**** he knows he can beat. That is some b****-a** s***."

"We all been cheated on. Everybody in this industry has been cheated on. None of us have ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television.

Rock then dropped the mic and got a standing ovation before walking off stage.

The comic also referred to a 2016 Oscars dispute with the couple, recalling how Pinkett Smith had told him not to host the ceremony because of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and Smith’s lack of nomination for 'Concussion'.

He said: "I did some jokes about her. Who gives a f***? That's how it is: She starts it, I finish it.

"That's what the f*** happened. Nobody's pickin' on this b****. She started this s***. Nobody was pickin' on her ... And then this n**** gives me a concussion!

"I love Will Smith … he makes great movies. I rooted for Will Smith my whole life. And now, I watched 'Emancipation' just so I could watch him get whooped."

Smith hit out at Rock during last year's ceremony after he mocked Pinkett Smith - who suffers from alopecia - over her bald head.

The “Top 5” star said he didn't react or respond physically during the event "because I was raised".

He added: "You know what my parents taught me? Don't fight in front of white people."

Throughout the special, which was recorded at Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre, Rock made numerous references to the incident, noting after joking about Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z that he didn't "need any more rappers mad at him".

He also quipped: "Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face."

But it wasn't until the end of the show that Rock spoke in depth about what had happened.

He said: "Everybody f*****' knows. Yes, it happened, like a year ago, I got smacked at the f****** Oscars by this motherf*****.

"People are like, 'Did it hurt? It still hurts! I've got 'Summertime' ringing in my ears."

But Rock insisted he isn't a "victim".

He vowed: "You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. Never gonna happen. I took that hit like Pacquiao, motherf*****."

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