Chris Rock breaks silence after Will Smith slapped him at the Oscars

31 March 2022, 16:03

Watch the full confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock live on the Oscars stage after gag about Jada Pinkett Smith

By Katie Louise Smith

Chris Rock told his sold-out audience in Boston: "At some point I’ll talk about that sh-t. And it will be serious and funny.”

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Four days after presenting at the Oscars, and four days after he was slapped by Will Smith during the ceremony, Chris Rock has broken his silence about the incident.

In case you somehow missed it, Chris was slapped across the face by Will Smith in front of the audience – and millions watching at home – after Chris made a G.I. Jane 2 joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. (Jada had previously opened up about her experience with hair loss and alopecia.)

Chris took to the stage in Boston last night (Mar 30) to perform to a sold out audience. According to Variety's report, Chris was welcomed on stage with a two-minute standing ovation before getting on with his show.

Immediately addressing the elephant in the room, Chris asked his audience: “How was your weekend?”

Chris Rock shares first comments after Will Smith's Oscars slap. Picture: Al Seib /A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images, Myung Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

He continued: “I don’t have a bunch of sh-t about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I'm not– I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point I’ll talk about that sh-t. And it will be serious and funny.”

In an audio recording of Chris Rock's opening comments obtained by Variety, audience members can be heard shouting "F-ck Will!" Chris ignores the comments as he continues: “I’m going to tell some jokes. It’s nice to just be out.”

Chris reportedly didn't mention Will or Jada by name during his hour-long set at all.

Watch slow-motion clip of Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars

During the stand up show, Chris also appeared to imply that he and Will had not spoken about the incident, despite it being reported that P Diddy had confirmed to Page Six that the pair's beef was "over". (Diddy has since told TMZ that he "never confirmed they had reconciled.”)

According to Deadline, Chris was heard to have said, “I haven’t talked to anyone despite what you may have heard,” during his show on Wednesday night.

Four days after the ceremony, the Academy has now released a statement saying its board of governors have "initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Smith for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy."

They will decide what action to take against Will Smith at their next board meeting.

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The Academy's statement reads: “Mr. Smith’s actions at the 94th Oscars were a deeply shocking, traumatic event to witness in-person and on television. Mr. Rock, we apologize to you for what you experienced on our stage and thank you for your resilience in that moment. We also apologize to our nominees, guests and viewers for what transpired during what should have been a celebratory event.

Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated. While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently."

Will Smith himself also apologised to Chris Rock on Instagram, writing: "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable."

"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."