Comedian Chris Rock was slapped at the 2022 Oscars by actor Will Smith when the latter took offense to a joke Rock made about Jada Pinkett-Smith, Will’s wife. The 57-year-old opened up, as per US Weekly, saying, “Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face”.

Rock was speaking at one of his comedy shows and got straight to the point. He said “I’m not a victim. Yeah, that sh*t hurt, motherf***er. But I shook that sh*t off and went to work the next day. I don’t go to the hospital for a paper cut.” 

Also Read | Tony Dow death: Leave it to Beaver co-star Jerry Mathers remembers actor

The comedian had joked about Jada landing a role in GI Jane 2 because of her short hair. Demi Moore, who stars in the original, cuts her hair to fit in better with the army, trying to break the glass ceiling as a woman. However, Rock’s punchline referred to Jada’s alopecia, the condition why the Gotham actor keeps her hair short. 

Rock hadn’t pressed charges at the time and said that he’d only open up about the incident when he was paid to do so. A comedy show would make the cut, though Smith was very apologetic after the entire incident. However, Smith went on to win Best Actor for his role in King Richard and was later seen dancing at an after-party. 

As a result of his actions, the Bad Boys actor has been banned from attending Academy events for 10 years. Further, Smith’s upcoming instalment in the buddy cop film franchise has been pushed back after the incident. However, Martin Lawrence – his friend and co-star – said that it’s not likely to kill the development of the movie. 

Also Read | Zooey Deschanel rejects manic pixie dream girl tag

Smith plays a tough cop in the franchise, who has a habit of shooting first and asking questions later.

Rock, on the other hand, will next be seen in David O Russell’s Amsterdam.