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'Selective Outrage': Chris Rock to use Netflix special to attack Will Smith for infamous Oscars slapgate

Rock will speak about the Oscars slapgate at his stand-up show in Baltimore when 'Chris Rock: Selective Outrage' will stream live from the Hippodrome Theatre
PUBLISHED MAR 1, 2023
Chris Rock will address Will Smith's Oscars slap in a Netflix special titled 'Selective Outrage' (Al Seib via Getty Images, Instagram/@netflixisajoke, and Twitter/@HipHopNewsO)
Chris Rock will address Will Smith's Oscars slap in a Netflix special titled 'Selective Outrage' (Al Seib via Getty Images, Instagram/@netflixisajoke, and Twitter/@HipHopNewsO)

ALPINE, NEW JERSEY: Chris Rock is finally responding to the Oscar slapgate after a whole year. The stand-up comic might finally have the final word on Saturday night after remaining silent for a year following the infamous slapgate incident involving Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars. The comedian recently acknowledged to a theatre full of people, "I rooted for Will Smith my whole life."

Until now, Rock said, he is presently hate-watching Smith's most recent film, in which he portrays a tortured, runaway slave. Rock added, "The other day, I watched ‘Emancipation’ just so I could watch him getting whipped." This biting joke is one of the pieces of new stuff the comedian will debut in his latest live and uncensored Netflix special named 'Selective Outrage'. Rock will talk about the Oscars incident in which Smith hit him onstage. According to a source who spoke to Page Six, "The comedian is waiting to spill his humorous take on it" in the exclusive stand-up performance. According to the source, Rock will speak about it at his stand-up performance on Saturday in Baltimore when 'Chris Rock: Selective Outrage' will stream live from the Hippodrome Theatre.

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Netflix special 'Selective Outrage'

The source claimed that Rock had difficulty testing the material for this performance while preserving secrecy. An insider said, "Most stand-ups like to test out their material in smaller clubs before they tape a special," but Rock "relied on the help of veteran comedy writers to run his jokes by to make sure they were tweaked, solid, and funny." Though the content will not take over Rock's program, the insider continued, "People need to tune in till the last joke, they will not be disappointed."

On February 27, 2023, it was reported that pre- and post-show specials from Netflix had been added to the Rock show, featuring cameos by Jerry Seinfeld, Amy Schumer, Arsenio Hall, David Spade, Leslie Jones, Dana Carvey, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and JB Smoove.

Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour

New York Post reported that on his latest 'Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour', Rock initially resisted mentioning the slap, but eventually merged some content at various gigs. During his tour in the days preceding the show, the 58-year-old comedian has been testing out harsh new material on the infamous incident.

Rock reportedly told a crowd of 2,300 people on Friday, February 17, at Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre that "Will Smith practices selective outrage." "People who are in the know, know that s–t had nothing to do with me," he said. Rock further remarked, "He is significantly bigger than me. You will never see me on camera with my shirt off. Will played Muhammad Ali. I played Pookie [in 1991’s ‘New Jack City’]." In a previous joke with Dave Chappelle at London's O2 Arena, Deadline reported Rock joked, "He played Ali! I can’t even play Floyd Mayweather."

As he did in the UK, Rock also called the 'Bad Boys for Life' actor "Suge Smith", using the first name of Marion 'Suge' Knight Jr, the creator of Death Row Records, who is presently serving a 28-year term of imprisonment for voluntary manslaughter following a fatal hit-and-run in 2015.

'GI Jane II' comment

The explosive special will premiere a little under a year after Smith, 54, famously stormed onstage of the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022, and struck Rock in the face in front of spectators and TV cameras when the 'Down to Earth' star joked about Smith's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Rock made a joke while presenting the award for best documentary feature, "Jada, I love you, 'G.I. Jane II' — can’t wait to see it."

Rock was referring to Pinkett Smith's shaved head, which was a result of her having the hair-loss condition alopecia. Smith became furious and twice yelled at Rock, "Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth," before storming onto the stage and assaulting Rock forcefully so that the impact could be heard. Rock stayed true to his word about Pinkett Smith's identity on that Friday night and simply referred to her as "Will Smith’s wife" and "his wife."

He nevertheless made fun of Pinkett Smith, 51, for having an extramarital affair with rapper August Alsina, a friend of her son Jaden, in 2016 when Alsina was 23 and she was 44. Smith then revealed that he and his wife had an open marriage at the time of the incident.

Will Smith appears to slap Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California.
Will Smith appears to slap Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022, in Hollywood, California (Getty Images)

The 'Independence Day' star was barred from the Oscars and other Academy Awards ceremonies for 10 years in April 2022 although he was still permitted to keep his award.

After Smith posted an apologetic video to him, Rock responded on a tour stop in July by saying, "Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face."

Rock reportedly described the incident to a crowd in the UK by saying, "Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us."

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