- Chris Rock did his first stand-up performance since Sunday night’s Oscars.
- The comedian briefly spoke out about being slapped during the show by Will Smith.
- “I’m still processing what happened,”He said this, before moving on with his pre-planned set.
After days of silence about the matter, Chris Rock made his first public statement regarding Will Smith’s slapping during Sunday night’s Academy Awards broadcast.
Rock made these comments during a Wednesday standup set at The Wilbur in Boston.
“What’s up, Boston?”He began according to People. “How was your weekend?!”
The comedian explained to the packed crowd that he had written the show he was about perform before the slapping incident.
“I’m still processing what happened,”Rock stated, according to a CNN journalistIn the audience. “So at some point I’ll talk about that shit. It’ll be serious. It’ll be funny, but right now I’m going to tell some jokes.”
Rock received two standing applauses from the audience, and had tears in his eyes at the support. CNN reported.
Smith stunned Oscars viewers and Oscars viewers at home when he walked up to the Dolby Theater, striking Rock. Smith was struck by the joke about Jada Pinkett Smith being in the film. “G.I. Jane 2,”A reference to the 1997 movie featuring Demi Moore in a shaved-head role.
Jada Pinkett Smith, with her shaved head, spoke previously about her battle with alopecia (a condition that causes hair loss).
Smith hit Rock. Smith returned to his place and shouted “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth” twice.
Smith was quick to apologize to the Academy and later to Rock to accept the Best Actor award. Smith later apologized to Rock and thanked the Academy for his actions. “unacceptable and inexcusable.”
Monday’s statement by the Academy indicated that it would launch a formal investigation.
Rock’s Wednesday night stand-up show was his first public appearance in public since the incident. Insider heard from one fan who was excited to see Rock perform. He admitted that he didn’t like Pinkett Smith’s joke.
David Degner for Insider
“I was watching the Oscars live. I was shocked,”Jay Dee added that he believed the joke was hilarious “a little over the edge”But he was. “amazed”Rock remained calm after Smith had slapped his.
A fan with alopecia was also outside the theater trying to purchase tickets for the latter set.
“I’ve always loved him. I wanted to buy a ticket,”Chrissa Kaselis is a National Alopecia Areata Foundation worker. She spoke to reporters outside the venue.
“I don’t think that he meant this as an insult to the people with alopecia,”She added: “I think he’s a comedian, it was part of his show.”
She stated that not everyone with alopecia feels exactly the same way and that some were offended at the joke. Others were pleased to see an increase in awareness.
“It hurts when you lose your hair, it’s emotional,”Kaselis stated that Pinkett Smith had lost his hair. “must really affect”She and her husband.
Insider was told by fans that Rock received overwhelming support from the audience after the show.
“There were several standing ovations at the start. We were clapping for like 20 minutes. He came out crying because everyone was happy,” Katheryn West-Hines said.