Chris Rock is back on the stand-up circuit after months of regrouping from his time hosting the 2022 Academy Awards. After being slapped by Will Smith in front of millions of people, the legendary comic is telling his side of what went down the best way he knows how -- through comedy. During a show in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday, Rock not only joked about the infamous slap heard across the world, he revealed that the Academy offered him the opportunity to host the 2023 Oscar, which he declined.
While sharing the news, the star compared him hosting the Academy Awards after Will Smith incident to Nicole Brown Simpson's 1994 murder. Rock joked that going back to the place he was hit, would be like Nicole Brown Simpson deciding “to go back to the restaurant” where she left her eyeglasses before she was murdered. The comedian went on to joke about Will Smith's height height advantage compared to him, telling the crowd, “He’s bigger than me. The state of Nevada would not sanction a fight between me and Will Smith."
Smith, who was banned from attending the Academy Awards for ten years, broke his silence on the incident last month in an apology video. "I was fogged out by that point," he shared. "It’s all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Chris Rock has yet to address the Oscar winning actor's apology, however, he did joke about the slap after the video was released. During a show in Atlanta last month, Rock joked, “Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.