Chris Rock is finally opening up about the slap that was heard around the world at March’s Oscars telecast, and he’s getting straight to the point.
“Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” Rock said on Sunday at one of his comedy shows this past weekend, US Weekly reports. “I’m not a victim. Yeah, that shit hurt, motherfucker. But I shook that shit off and went to work the next day. I’m not going to the hospital for a paper cut.”
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The infamous incident happened this year Academy Awards when Rock made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith being in GI Jane 2. The joke was in reference to Pinkett Smith’s alopecia and short hair. Although she has been cheerful about her condition in the past, she was visibly upset by the joke and Will Smith took the stage to verbally confront and slap Rock.
while some thought the scene was a bit staged, many noticed that it wasn’t until the broadcast was muted that Smith began yelling at Rock after returning to his seat. Rock had previously declined to comment on the incident, saying he would comment when he was paid to do so. Smith would continue win an Oscar for his role in King Richard later that evening and refer to the incident during his acceptance speech.
Smith later he apologized in a statement to Rock and the Academybut this did not prevent the Board of Governors of the Academy of Film Arts and Sciences banning Smith from all Academy events for 10 years.
The slap has caused waves in Hollywood for Smith, but according to his friend and Bad Boys co-star, it shouldn’t kill Bad Boys 4 developmentalthough it was postponed after the incident.
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Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.