He received a standing ovation at his first show in Boston
In his first appearance since the slap heard around the world, Chris Rock fans in Boston saw the comedian break his silence regarding the now infamous incident – and while he didn’t have too much to say, he still hasn’t apologised to Jada Pinkett-Smith for the comment that sparked everything.
Giving his first show following Will Smith‘s public assault at the Oscars in Boston, Massachusetts on Wednesday night, the 57-year-old comic was met by a standing ovation as he walked on stage.
Not surprised @chrisrock is getting a standing ovation at his first outing after Oscar assault and battery. Calm is indeed a super power. #ActRight 👊🏽 pic.twitter.com/2ZJEWakeb4
— SEGA L'éveilleur® (@segalink) March 31, 2022
Ticket sales for Rock’s tour soared in the 48 hours following the incident and it would seem he has the support of a large section of the public, as you can see in the clip above.
Starting things off by joking “How’s everyone’s weekend been?”, he insisted that he’ll be focusing on the performance and “had a whole show” of written material to get through. However, he does tease “at some point I’ll talk about that sh*t”, adding that “none of it will be serious, it’ll be funny”.
That being said, though they may not agree with Smith’s actions on the night, many are pointing out that Rock is still yet to apologise for joking about his wife’s health condition.
https://twitter.com/jaowrites/status/1508292621541724169?s=20&t=A12DKw5XBkgk-PjSHXvaug
I hope Chris Rock apologized to Jada because — setting aside everything else that happened — her immediate reaction to that joke was one of hurt, anger and exhaustion.
— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) March 28, 2022
While a statement supposedly released by Rock apologising to the Smith family and those present at the ceremony recently did the rounds on social media, this has since turned out to be false and it appears he is yet to issue a formal response of any kind.
Chris Rock has not yet issued a statement. There is a statement going around purporting to be from Rock that is not from him, per his team. It’s the one that starts, “As a comedian it can be difficult to understand…”
— Rebecca Keegan (@ThatRebecca) March 29, 2022
The latest on Smith himself is that he was reportedly asked to leave the award ceremony but simply refused, according to the Academy itself.
The 53-year-old has divided opinion over his apology after he said “violence is poisonous” following his very public assault on Rock and many are still debating whether or not he should have his Best Actor award revoked.
Meanwhile, Pinkett Smith herself posted a brief quote on her Instagram noting this as a “season for healing and I’m here for it”.
Related links:
- Amy Schumer ‘triggered and traumatised’ by Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at Oscars
- Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with a rare brain disorder and plans to retire from acting
- OJ Simpson weighs in on the Will Smith Oscar’s slap and compares it to his own crimes
