OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.
Comedian Chris Rock says that he has moved on from the Academy Awards incident when Will Smith slapped him on stage over a joke.
During a live performance in Atlanta, Rock said, “Everybody is trying to be a f***ing victim. If everybody claims to be a victim, then nobody will hear the real victims.”
“Even me getting smacked by Suge Smith … I went to work the next day, I got kids,” he said.
“Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” Rock also said.
An insider explained, “Chris doesn’t need to talk. This is clearly something that bothers Will more than Chris. Will needs to deal with his issues. Chris is fine.”
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According to another source, Rock has been making jokes about the incident on stage. “The fact that he is making jokes about it already is a good thing,” the source says. “That means he is assessing it. But the stress of the slap and the aftermath have not taken over his life. Quite the opposite.”
Smith recently addressed the incident in a video posted to social media, titled “It’s been a minute.”
“Over the last few months, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and personal work… You asked a lot of fair questions that I wanted to take some time to answer,” said Smith, who added that he felt “fogged out” since the incident. In the video, he reveals that he reached out to Rock, but that Rock had not responded.
“So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you,” Smith said. “My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
Smith was banned from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for ten years due to the incident.
Smith closes out the video by saying: “I know it was confusing, I know it was shocking, but I promise you, I am deeply devoted and committed to putting light and love and joy into the world. And, you know, if you hang on, I promise we’ll be able to be friends again.”
