Chris Rock

Chris Rock has taken aim at Meghan Markle during his blockbuster comedy special, mocking her over her racist allegations against the royal family during the ...

Like, didn’t she hit the light-skinned lottery?” Rock said, before calling the royal family the “OGs of racism”. “She’s complaining – I’m like, ‘What the f**k is she talking about? What the f**k is she talking about, she didn’t know?” “You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying. “It’s the royal family,” he said. “Like, who is this girl Meghan Markle?

Chris Rock has slammed Meghan Markle's claims of racism against the royal family in a searing takedown in his latest Netflix special.

Like, didn’t she hit the light-skinned lottery? “Like, who is this girl Meghan Markle? “She’s complaining – I’m like, ‘What the f**k is she talking about? He is right. That is not racist. Chris Rock has laid into Meghan Markle over her claims of racism within the royal family.

Chris Rock has opened up about the infamous Oscars slap in a new Netflix special, slating Jada and Will Smith and laying out a laundry list of drama over ...

Although, Will Smith did post a tribute to Jamie Foxx around the time the special went live, writing, “@iamjamiefoxx is a BEAST!!! Singer, Actor, Comedian — THE TRUTH!” None of us have ever been interviewed by the person who cheated on us on television. “A lot of people are like, did it hurt? “Will Smith practices selective outrage,” Rock said. I wasn’t invited,” he said during the show, referring to the fact that she’d been working in TV, not film. Will Smith started to yell at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f---ing mouth”, before rushing up to the stage and slapping Rock across the face. I normally would not talk about this s**t, but for some reason they put it on the internet. “It’s also not fair that Will was paid $20 million for Wild Wild West.” In 2016, the Academy Awards were at the centre of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, after a predominantly all-white nominee list was announced. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it!” he said, referencing the 1997 Demi Moore film where she rocked a shaved head. For those who don’t remember the incident, here’s a quick recap.

The comedian opens up about the infamous moment with Will Smith at last year's Academy Awards.

"Because you never know who might get triggered." "Anybody that say words hurt has never been punched in the face." "I'm going to try to do the show without offending anyone," Rock said, in a nod to the Smith altercation.

The comedian stepped to the Netflix stage to clap back at the Smiths, resurrect jokes about Michael Jackson and OJ Simpson, discuss Megan Markle and take ...

But now a year after the assaults happened, I was surprised at the vehemence of what Rock said and how he explained it. There were moments of the evening where I truly guffawed (when he said he didn’t want to make any other rappers mad,) moments where I shook my head (the colorism jokes specifically) and moments where I was reminded why Rock is one of the best in comedy. Prior to the standup, Rock’s friends gathered for a pre-show to gas him up, to roast him and to show him appreciation. And Arsenio Hall told a nice story about Rock appearing on the Arsenio Hall Show, which was popular in the 1990s. The night ended with Rock dropping the mic, raising his hands high and soaking in the applause. Then he ended the evening by saying the whole incident was started by Jada Smith, before he proceeded to call Jada Smith out of her name. But the real groundbreaking moment here was that Netflix provided a stage and a mic so the world could tune in to possibly see how Rock might, in the words of the playground kids, get his licks back at Will Smith. He talked of his exwife, the economics of light skin privilege, colorism, interracial dating, Ukraine, a hard to listen to bit about abortion and sex. Through pointy self-deprecation and double entendre, Rock didn’t disappoint in that aspect. The comedian stepped to the Netflix stage to clap back at the Smiths, resurrect jokes about Michael Jackson and OJ Simpson, discuss Megan Markle and take aim at some new interpretations of woke culture and victimhood. The running joke was that he was doing a comedy show on Saturday Night. He showcased his signature narrative style by weaving stories about Elon Musk’s ejaculate, his parenting style with daughter Lola and the financial implications of dating women in their 40s and 50s.

Comedian lays into victimhood, Jada Pinkett Smith and her husband during his new standup show, saying 'she hurt him way more than he hurt me'

I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be.” Months later, he said he had reached out to Rock but “he’s not ready to talk”. He said he did not retaliate on the night “because I got parents. “I loved Will Smith, my whole life I loved him. None of us have ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television … I have rooted for Will Smith my whole life. [they] put that shit on the internet. Me,” he added, to laughter. After yelling at Rock from his seat, Smith walked on stage to smack Rock in the face. And everybody really knows I had nothing to do with that shit. [Rock performed in Boston](https://variety.com/2022/film/news/chris-rock-responds-will-smith-oscars-slap-1235218763/) but said on stage then: “I’m still kind of processing what happened. I didn’t have any ‘entanglements’,” he said, referring to Pinkett Smith’s description of the affair she had with rapper August Alsina while married to Smith. “Will Smith played Muhammad Ali in a movie.

Chris Rock has finally spoken at length about being slapped by Will Smith during his first stand-up comedy show since last year's incident.

“I did not have any entanglements,” said Rock. Rock said the reason why he didn’t physically retaliate at the Oscars was because “I got parents.” The comedian on Saturday referenced Pinkett Smith’s earlier confessions of having an “entanglement” with another man while married. If I’m in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.” I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.” Rock, who also riffed on how he’d respond if his father transitioned to a woman (he would support him, Rock said), made clear “Selective Outrage” was not going to be just a Will Smith show.

Chris Rock uses his new comedy special to speak at length for the first time about being slapped by Will Smith.

That's what the f*** happened," he said. Rock: "I'm going to, OK … I got Summertime ringing in my ears," he said, referring to a song released by Smith when he played the lead role in TV series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. "That's how it is. She hurt him way more than he hurt me," he said. "Will Smith played Muhammad Ali in a movie. "Because I got parents. I got parents. "Everybody called him a bitch … Me — a n***** he knows he can beat. I didn't have any 'entanglements' … I played Pookie in [1991 film] New Jack City," he joked.

The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year's Oscars, a week before the 2023 Academy Awards ceremony. “ ...

He [resigned his membership to the film academy](https://apnews.com/article/will-smith-resignation-2022-oscars-b11234425a83cd5384ecede456ff0013) in the aftermath of the slap, and the academy board of governors [banned Smith from the Oscars](https://apnews.com/article/will-smith-oscars-ban-664346ac2d2441939764f35be2d8026b) and all other academy events for a decade. Netflix, with 231 million global subscribers, also recently signed on to stream next year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards, signaling that “Selective Outrage” may be just the start of a new trend. He added that he was “still kind of processing what happened.” “How was your weekend?” he asked the crowd. “Will Smith practices selective outrage,” he said. I have rooted for Will Smith my whole life.” But Rock has avoided all the usual platforms celebrities often go to air their feelings. “It still hurts,” Rock said of the strike. “I love Will Smith,” Rock said. [2018’s “Tamborine.”](https://www.netflix.com/title/80167498) They’re part of a two-special $40 million deal Rock signed with the streamer in 2016. It’s never gonna happen.” “Everybody knows I had nothing to do with that.

Chris Rock has finally broken his silence on the infamous slap he received from fellow actor Will Smith at last year's Oscars awards show, laying out a long ...

Everybody in the world was calling him a b***h, and I tried to call him up and he didn’t pick up the phone to me … Rock then said he had “nothing to do with” the slap, and even alleged that Pinkett Smith’s infidelity was ultimately to blame. 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. Everybody was calling him a b***h, everybody, everybody, and he slaps me? “Everybody that really knows, knows I had nothing to do with that … “I’m gonna try to do a show tonight without offending …

Almost a year later, Chris Rock is still seething about 'The Slap' and he told an audience how much he now despises Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.

I also loved his observation that the January 6, riots were "white men trying to overthrow the government...that they (already) run." Parts of the special seemed calibrated to tweak stereotypically liberal sensibilities, with Rock insisting, "Anybody that says 'Words hurt,' has never been punched in the face." For an hour, Rock held forth on an array of topics, some of which felt like they could have come from a special years ago – including jokes about the Kardashians, O.J. It was a dramatic end to a standup special that often felt less groundbreaking than the hype surrounding it suggested. On why the power of women's beauty gives them dominance over men: "Beyonce is so fine, that if she worked at Burger King, she could still marry Jay-Z. "I'm not a victim, baby...you will never see me on Oprah or Gayle crying," the comic said. One reason Smith may have been able to rebuild his image somewhat, is because Rock wasn't speaking publicly about the incident — so the guy who was slapped wasn't giving his perspective. "It still hurts." Eventually, he got the punchline out: "She said a grown a-- man should quit his job because [her husband] didn't get nominated for Concussion. Rock also said he was once a huge fan of Smith's, but the slap had him watching the actor's movies, like his Civil War-era drama Emancipation, much differently. A n---- he knows he can beat [up]." "They called his wife a predator...And who's he hit?

Nearly a year after Smith smacked the comedian across the face at the Academy Awards, Rock gave the stunning episode the full stand-up treatment.

[YouTube](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/29/movies/will-smith-video-chris-rock-slap.html?searchResultPosition=32) last year that he was “deeply remorseful” and, addressing Rock directly, that he was ready to talk at any point. [acceptance speech](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/27/movies/will-smith-king-richard-oscar.html) for the best actor award minutes later — stunned viewers and prompted a scramble inside the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which administers the awards ceremony, as it tried to figure out the proper response. Instead, [he said](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/30/movies/will-smith-chris-rock-slap-oscars.html?searchResultPosition=15) at his first show after the Oscars that he was still processing what had happened, and he assured fans that there would be a time and place for him to discuss it in depth. At the Oscars ceremony last year, Smith climbed onstage and smacked Rock on live television shortly after the comedian made a joke about the buzzed hairstyle of Pinkett Smith, who has alopecia, a condition that leads to hair loss. “’Cause I got parents, that’s why. “Will Smith does movies with his shirt off,” said Rock, pacing the stage in his white outfit. I got parents. ’Cause I was raised. At times, Rock made himself the target of his own jokes, noting Smith’s larger build. (At a show in London with the comedian Dave Chappelle, Rock was dismissive of the recorded apology, likening it to a “hostage video,” [according to a report](https://deadline.com/2022/09/chris-rock-will-smith-slap-hostage-apology-video-dave-chapelle-1235107682/) by Deadline.) Smith ultimately [resigned from the academy](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/01/movies/oscars-will-smith-slap.html?searchResultPosition=17), which [later barred](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/08/movies/will-smith-slap-academy.html?searchResultPosition=27) him from attending the Oscars ceremony for a decade. [why the “To Leslie” star’s nod was controversial](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/movies/andrea-riseborough-to-leslie-oscars-controversy.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-academy-awards-2023&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc).

In "Selective Outrage," comedian Chris Rock speaks for the first time about Will Smith's slap at the Oscars. Netflix earns big buzz with foray into live ...

“From a business perspective, Netflix is likely hoping to attract new subscribers or retain ones at risk of churning in a competitive streaming market,” she says. Expect to see a lot of chatter long after the live show has aired,” Ong says. [more live programming](https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2023/01/12/netflix-snags-the-sag-awards-are-sports-the-streamers-next-target/?sh=26ed47e41451) at all the streamers, including Netflix—sports, live events, music, festivals, etc. Online, people dissected Rock’s routine, which built up to addressing the Smith slap and ended once he’d said his piece. which means that the industry's poster child of innovation is actually going back in time to drive appointment viewing.” It drives differentiation, reaches broad audiences, and provides valuable IP [intellectual property] for their libraries,” says Linda Ong, CEO and founder of CULTIQUE, a strategic cultural advisory.

With “Selective Outrage,” the comedy legend breaks his silence on Hollywood and his Oscars altercation with Will Smith.

The selective outrage that allows luxury brands to tout their anti-racism stance while using exploitative labor practices, and allows bad actors to shield themselves by co-opting the language of social justice. The severity of their actions may differ—blindly marrying into royalty is considerably less destructive than attempting to overthrow the government—but Rock’s targets are united by what he considers hypocrisy. “The last thing I need is another mad rapper,” he says as he ponders Snoop Dogg’s excess of endorsement deals and pokes fun at Jay-Z’s ability to attract a woman as sublime as Beyoncé.

A year after Will Smith slapped him at the Oscars, Rock responded fiercely in a new stand-up special, Netflix's first experiment in live entertainment.

Describing his jokes about Smith’s wife at the ceremony in 2016, he put it bluntly: “She started it. Here, he offers his theory on Will Smith, which is essentially that the slap was an act of displacement, shifting his anger from his wife cheating on him and broadcasting it onto Rock. The way his fury became directed at Pinkett Smith makes you wonder if this was also a kind of displacement. “She hurt him way more than he hurt me,” Rock said, using his considerable powers of description to describe the humiliation of Smith in a manner that seemed designed to do it again. There’s a comic nastiness to Rock’s insults, some of which is studied, but other times appeared to be the product of his own bottled-up anger. But here, he follows one of his most polished and funny jokes, comparing the dating prospects of Jay-Z and Beyoncé if they weren’t stars but worked at Burger King, with a long, sustained section on the Oscars that closes the show. Through a combination of razzle dazzle and Rolodex spinning, the streaming service packaged this special more like a major sporting event than a special, a star-studded warm-up act to the Oscars next week. “And now,” he added, pausing before referencing the new movie in which Smith plays an enslaved man, “I watch ‘Emancipation’ just to see him get whooped.” His jokes about Meghan Markle are very funny, mocking her surprise that the royal family is racist, terming them its originators, the “Sugarhill Gang of racism.” It messed up his momentum, but the trade-off might have been worth it, since the flub added an electric spontaneity and unpredictability that was a drawing card. HBO Max releasing that in the last week was its own counterprogramming. Normally, such an error would have been edited out, but since this was the first live global event in the history of Netflix, Rock could only stop, call attention to it and tell the joke again.