Tony Rock Believes Will Smith Slapped Chris Rock Over Being Emasculated About Tupac

BY Erika Marie 89.0K Views
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Tony Rock, Chris Rock
"Jada, she won't let Tupac die," Tony said. He also mentioned that Chris may have cracked a joke or two about their marriage in the past.

Although Chris Rock hasn't spoken openly about being slapped by Will Smith, his brother Tony Rock has been getting a few things off of his chest. The world watched the infamous Academy Awards moments that divided the comedic friends on a global stage, and while Smith has been keeping himself away from the spotlight, Chris Rock is back to business doing comedy shows. His brother Tony has joked about the incident during stand-up gigs of his own and he's also expressed the Rock family's anger with the embarrassing moment. 

Recently, Tony caught up with his good friend and fellow comedian Bill Bellamy on the Top Billin' podcast to give his take on why he believed Smith crossed the line. Bellamy said that when he saw it all go down, he thought it could have been a situation that was dealt with at the Oscars afterparty.

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When asked if he thought Smith was embarrassed, Rock said no because Smith laughed prior to the slap. Rock questioned what occurred between Smith laughing and the camera cutting away to Chris on stage because within seconds Smith was approaching.

"Maybe it was the Jada look, but I think that slap was the accumulation of being slapped on other levels. He said it himself, he always hated the soft moniker," said Rock. "Jada, she won't let Tupac die. It's always something about Tupac and his daughter brought up Tupac and I'm  not bringing up family stuff that people don't know."

"As a married man, you tell this woman, 'Damn, is what I'm doing not enough?' And maybe my brother said some jokes before about them that he didn't like," Rock continued. "I said before, that's what backstage is for. If there's anything you wanna say to somebody, say it back here."

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About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.