'IT HURT': Chris Rock breaks silence on Will Smith's Oscars slap in Netflix special 'Selective Outrage'
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: In preparation for his upcoming live Netflix special, Chris Rock has spoken publicly for the first time about the infamous Oscars smack he received from Smith. The Wall Street Journal said that Chris, 58, discussed the incident that predominated the conversation of the evening in Charleston, South Carolina set for his upcoming Netflix series 'Selective Outrage'.
"The thing people want to know . . . did it hurt? Hell yeah, it hurt," Chris remarked. He also mentioned their respective performances in Will Smith's film 'Ali' from 2001 and the 1991 movie 'New Jack City', saying, "He played Muhammad Ali! I played Pookie!" Even in animated films, Chris continued, "I’m a zebra, he’s a f***ing shark." Smith's rap song 'Summertime' was referred to by Chris when he said, "I got hit so hard I heard Summertime ringing in my ears."
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Netflix special 'Selective Outrage'
According to Daily Mail, a week before the March 13 broadcast of the upcoming Academy Awards, the Netflix special 'Selective Outrage' will stream live on March 4 from Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre.
Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head was the subject of a joke by Chris, who said, "Jada, I love you, G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it!" This led to the Oscars incident between Smith and Chris. The 1997 film with a shaved head by Demi Moore was the subject of the reference. (Pinkett Smith, 51, has been reportedly identified as having the hair-loss condition alopecia.)
The 'Emancipation' actor then stormed onstage, slapped Chris, and then left yelling twice at Chris, "Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth!" to the audience's surprise. Later that evening, Smith expressed his apologies to the Academy and the other nominees in his acceptance speech for his portrayal of tennis great Richard Williams in 'King Richard', but he made no mention of Chris.
Smith later expressed regret for the event on several occasions and left the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences before receiving a 10-year Oscars ban. Smith apologized for the incident in a video clip that was posted online in July, saying his wife "had nothing to do with" his assault on Chris.
Return of Jimmy Kimmel as Oscars host
In advance of the ceremony on March 12 this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences declared that a crisis team had been established. CEO of the Academy Bill Kramer told TIME, "Because of last year, we've opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars." Kramer claimed that the institution has organized a team to deal with emergencies at the yearly event.
According to Kramer, Jimmy Kimmel's return as host—the late-night star already hosted the Oscars in 2017 and 2018—adds another layer of safety because he is an experienced performer. "That's why you want someone like Jimmy on stage who is used to dealing with live TV: Things don't always go as planned. So you have a host in place who can really pivot and manage those moments ... because of last year, we've opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars," Kramer said.
According to Kramer, Academy authorities "could have moved more quickly" in their responses to the event involving Smith and Chris, both during the ceremony night and in the days that followed.