Chris Rock says Will Smith slapped him for the ‘nicest joke he ever told’

Actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock during Oscars 2022, earlier this year. During a recent stand up show, Chris said that Will slapped him for the nicest joke he ever told. Chris had joked about Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith during the award show.

While talking to the audience about the slap incident during his latest comedy show with Dave Chappelle in England, Chris said, "Did that s – – t hurt? Goddamn right . . . the motherf – – ker hit me over a bulls – – t joke, the nicest joke I ever told."

In March, during Oscars 2022, Will had walked up to the stage and smacked Chris after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. "Jada, can't wait for GI Jane 2," Chris had said, referring to Demi Moore's 1997 film GI Jane in which Demi's character Jordan O'Neil shaved her head after joining the Navy Seal. Jada had revealed on her talk show a few years ago that she took the decision to shave her head after she was diagnosed with alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder.

Following the incident, Will was banned from attending any Academy Award event for the next 10 years. Will in July shared a video on YouTube answering everyone's most asked questions, including why he did not apologise to Chris during his acceptance speech. "I was fogged out by that point," Will admitted about the lack of an immediate apology and said, "It's all fuzzy."

Will had contacted Chris to discuss the event, but the actor claimed that Chris is not yet ready to meet with him. He also apologised to Chris and others in the five-minute clip, including Rose Rock, Chris' mother. Will has mainly kept quiet about the confrontation aside from the YouTube footage. Several days after the Oscars ceremony, he posted an Instagram apology to the public.