‘The tamest joke I would’ve ever told’: Ricky Gervais defends Chris Rock at Oscars

Actor and comedian Ricky Gervais has defended Chris Rock for making a joke about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, during the recently concluded Oscars ceremony.

The comedian and actor said that it wasn’t a “bad” joke as he appeared to poke fun at the gravity that people have applied to Pinkett Smith’s alopecia condition, the apparent subject of which was what offended her and her husband, who slapped Rock in response.

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According to various news reports, despite Rock’s joke, in which he said that Pinkett Smith’s cropped haircut made her look like “GI Jane”, Rock had “no idea” about her alopecia.

Reacting to a fan on a Twitter, after being asked for his thoughts about the incident, Gervais said, “You don’t hit someone over a joke, however bad it is – and it wasn’t bad”

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“That was like the tamest joke I would’ve ever told,” the comedian added.

Earlier, during a stand-up show in London, Gervais had said that he would have joked about Pinkett Smith’s “boyfriend” August Alsina instead of her appearance.

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“People were going, ‘What would have happened if Ricky Gervais had been doing it (hosting the Oscars)?'” Gervais continued.

“Well, nothing, as I would not have made a joke about his wife’s hair. I would have made a joke about her boyfriend.”

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Pinket Smith and US singer Alsina have been involved in an “entanglement”, which she has discussed on her Red Table Talk show.

Gervais also mocked people criticising Rock for “joking about (Pinkett-Smith’s) disability”.

Also read: ‘I am heartbroken’: Will Smith resigns from Academy for slapping Chris Rock

“Well, I’m going a bit thin – I’m disabled,” Gervais said, pointing to his head. “That means that I can park right up next to Tescos now.”

Following numerous apologies over the incident, Smith has since resigned from the Academy and described his actions as “shocking, painful, and inexcusable”.