Now that Chris Rock has unleashed the comedic beast regarding getting pimp slapped on national TV during the 94th Annual Academy Awards, many are wondering how Will Smith is taking Chris' venomous clap back via his Selective Outrage special.
via Stylecaster:
According to several sources, not that well. “Will is embarrassed and hurt by what Chris said about him and his family in his Netflix special. He didn’t watch it, but he had people tell him what Chris said,” a source told ET. “It’s everywhere when you look online and on social media, so Will and Jada have seen comments about it.”
“Will apologized to Chris and would like for Chris to let it go,” the source added. “Will has worked on himself and he is banned by the Oscars for 10 years. He feels like that’s enough and wants Chris to move on, so that he and everyone else can too. Will is also upset that Netflix was a part of this and thinks Chris insulting Jada again is below the belt. He is upset that Netflix gave Chris this platform to share these messages and thinks it’s distasteful.” Though the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor still has a lot to say since he “felt terrible for so long” about smacking Chris at the Oscars. “He’s tried unsuccessfully to make amends in the best way he could with Chris.
Throughout his set, Chris teased some jokes alluding to the slap by saying “words hurt. Anybody who says that words hurt has never been punched in the face.” He ended his set by calling Will “Suge Smith”, a reference to the currently-incarcerated Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight, who was sentenced to 28 years in prison in 2018 for manslaughter. Rock was taking out his anger over his wife’s “entanglement’ with musician August Alsina which was discussed on her show Red Table Talk in 2020.
“She hurt him way more than he hurt me,“ Rock said. “Who’d he hit? Me, a n— he knew he could beat. That is some bitch-ass shit.” He continued, “Will Smith is significantly bigger than me. Will Smith does movies with his shirt off, you’ve never seen me do movies with my shirt off. If I’m in a movie getting open heart surgery, I’ve got on a sweater,” Chris said. “Will Smith played Muhammad Ali in a movie. You think I auditioned for that part? I played Pookie in New Jack City.” He admitted he was a fan of Will when he was opening for Run DMC, but “Now, I watch Emancipation, just to see him get whooped,” referencing where Will played slave Peter during the Emancipation Proclamation era.
He ended his segment with a question he was asked a couple of times. “‘Chris how come you didn’t do nothing back that night?’ Cause I got parents, because I was raised,’” he said. “You know what my parents told me? Don’t fight in front of white people.” The source also added that Chris was “ready to move on” after the Netflix special. “He said everything he wanted to say,” the source said. “It was funny, self-deprecating, and thought-provoking.”
Another source told People that Will is relying on his family for support. “Family is important to him and [Smith] leaned on them” in the aftermath of the incident, the source says. “It all has helped him look inside and mature. He is better but still remorseful.” The source continued, “Will listened to those who tried to help him and feels that he has become a better person.”
A source also told Page Six, that the comedian still hasn’t accepted an apology yet. “Will did call Chris last year after the Oscars, but Chris didn’t pick up. And they haven’t spoken since. Chris was open for a call until Will made his public apologies, and then all of those ‘Red Table Talk’ discussions. Will’s two public apologies were all about saving his own reputation,” the source told the site. “Will has not apologized to Chris Rock in person — and Chris isn’t expecting it.” The source said that the comedy set was “closure for Chris. He wanted to do that in a safe space.”
I'm sorry Will, but you don't get to slap someone on national TV where billions of people are watching around the world, and dictate how a person should react. Quiet as it's kept, Chris also doesn't have to accept your apology no matter how many times you apologize.
The stage for a comic is a safe space for them to air their grievances, and if that's the one place he feels comfortable enough to tell his jokes at your expence (and get paid millions to do so courtesy of Netflix), then you're just going to have to deal with them slap repercussions a little longer.
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