Fans think Chris Rock deliberately chose most embarrassing location for Netflix special to troll Will and Jada
One year on from the infamous Oscars slap, comedian Chris Rock has hit back at Will Smith.
The Everybody Hates Chris star took to the stage for his Netflix special Selective Outrage, making a big swing at the actor as he joked the slap ‘still hurt’.
However, fans are wondering if the 58-year-old's jokes hit even harder given that he chose to perform at the Baltimore Hippodrome Theatre.
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Despite audiences being eager to hear about the slap that echoed around the world, it took over an hour for Rock to tackle the issue head on and hit back at his attacker.
“People ask me did it hurt, it still hurts,” the comedian finally told the crowd. “But I’m not a victim, you’ll never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. Never gonna happen.”
Rock even revealed that he’d rooted for the Men In Black actor throughout his career and had been bitterly disappointed when they came to blows.
“I love Will Smith, my whole life I root for this motherf**ker,” he bitterly said to the audience in Baltimore, adding: “Now I watch Emancipation, just to see him get whooped.”
While the jokes may have been mostly about Smith, many viewers felt there was also swipe at Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith, as Rock chose to perform in her hometown.
Fans weren’t slow to pick up on this and quickly began discussing this on social media.
One wrote on Twitter: “You can’t tell me Chris Rock hosting that show in Baltimore out of all places was a coincidence.”
Others quickly followed, adding their opinion about the Beverly Hills actor’s choice of venue, with several calling it ‘iconic’.
“Haven’t seen the Chris Rock Netflix special, yet. It’s iconic that he’s doing this show in Baltimore Hippodrome Theatre, which is Jada’s hometown” tweeted one.
Another shared a gif of Netflix seriesYou and wrote: “Chris Rock tapping his performance in Baltimore, Jada’s hometown, is giving big You/Joe energy.”
However, not all were impressed by the comic.
In a lengthy tweet, one former fan claimed that the comedian was profiting from Baltimore.
They wrote: “Jada Pinkett is from Baltimore - Chris Rock knows this. It’s wild that those who allegedly know street code would sleep on this blatant disrespect to let someone come in your block & talk trash about u.”
It concluded: “Once again someone is profiting off the backs of the people of Baltimore.”
Though most of Rock's ire was directed at Will, Jada also found herself in the firing line.
Referring to Jada’s affair, the comedian expressed his frustration that he was the one who bore the brunt of the couple’s martial troubles.
“Will Smith practices selective outrage,” Rock said, giving a nod to the special’s title.
“Everybody that really knows knows I had nothing to do with that. I didn’t have any entanglements…She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”
Topics: Chris Rock, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Oscars, Netflix, Film and TV, Celebrity
Katherine Sidnell