Chris Rock had his first comedy show since receiving a public apology from Will Smith for slapping him at the 2022 Oscars. During the show at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, he told a few jokes about the experience, according to People.com.
“Everybody’s trying to be a victim,” Rock said. “If everyone claims to be a victim, no one will hear the real victims. Even if I got hit by Suge Smith…I went to work the next day, I have kids.” Just for reference, the “Suge Smith” joke is about Suge Knight, the founder and former CEO of West Coast label Death Row Record. Knight has a longstanding reputation for aggressive behavior.
Although Smith issued a video apology for Rock’s slap, the comedian and former Oscar host ignored what Smith said. Deadline reported on July 29 that the actor has finally broken his silence about his actions and how they affected not only Chris Rock, but also his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
“I was in a daze from that moment. Everything is fuzzy. I contacted Chris and the message that came back is that he is not available to talk. When he is, he will reach out. I’ll tell you, Chris, I’m sorry. My behavior was unacceptable and I am here when you are ready to speak,” Smith said.
He continued: “I want to apologize to Chris’s mother. I saw an interview [she] and that was one of the things that I just didn’t realize. I did not think, but how many people suffered at that moment. I want to apologize to Chris’s mother, I want to apologize to Chris’s family, especially Tony Rock. We had a great relationship. Tony Rock was my man. This is probably irreparable. I’ve spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and complexities of what happened in that moment. I’m not going to try to unpack all of this right now, but I can tell you all that there is no part of me that thinks this is the right way to behave at this point. No part of me thinks this is the optimal way to deal with feeling disrespected or offended.
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