Featured Image Credit: GTCRFOTO / Alamy Stock Photo / Netflix
Topics: Celebrity, Will Smith, Chris Rock
Jake Massey
Topics: Celebrity, Will Smith, Chris Rock
Will Smith is reportedly 'embarrassed and hurt' by Chris Rock's jokes about him.
You may recall Smith slapping Rock across the chops at last year's Oscars, sparking seemingly never ending headlines across the globe.
Almost a year on, and Rock has discussed the slap in a new Netflix stand-up special.
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In Selective Outrage, the comic touched on Jada Pinkett Smith's alleged affair, and joked that the slap still hurts to this day.
The 58-year-old also quipped: "I have rooted for Will Smith my whole life I've rooted for this motherf****r. And now I watch Emancipation just to see him get whooped."
The jokes may have gone down a treat at the Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore, but it seems Smith is understandably less keen on them.
A source told Entertainment Tonight the actor is 'embarrassed and hurt' by the jokes. They said he hasn't watched the special, but he was told about the jokes and disapproved of Netflix's decision to air the show.
The source added that Smith would like Rock to 'let it go'.
To refresh your memory, the shocking moment occurred while the King Richard star was sitting in the audience at the 2022 Academy Awards with his wife Jada.
Rock, who was hosting, made a G.I. Jane joke about Jada, a comment that referenced her bald head.
The joke enraged the Fresh Prince star, who was seen shouting 'keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth'.
He then walked up to the stage and slapped Rock around the face.
Though the awards ceremony carried on, with Smith even winning the Best Actor award, he later faced the repercussions.
Nowadays Smith seems to have come to terms with it, and has even shared jokes about it himself - striking an altogether different tone to the sombre apology he issued on Instagram following the slap (pun intended).
The 54-year-old said: "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behaviour at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable.
"Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada's medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.
"I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.
"I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behaviour has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.
"I am a work in progress."
Smith was subsequently banned from attending all Academy events for 10 years.