Tag: will smith

Chris Rock to address Will Smith slap in Netflix special

Chris Rock’s slapping back.

After mostly staying mum for a year about being egregiously slapped by Will Smith at last year’s Oscars, the standup comic could finally get the final word Saturday night.

And we hear it’ll be a doozy.

A source exclusively tells us, “If you were waiting to see Rock on tour address the infamous Will Smith slap situation . . . the comedian is waiting to spill his humorous take on it on his live Netflix stand-up special.”

The source added that Rock has decided to address it during his stand-up special Saturday in Baltimore, when “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” streams live from the Hippodrome Theatre.

The Oscars are back on Mar. 12.

Chris Rock was stunned after being slapped in front of millions of viewers
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The source said that the tough part for Rock has been how to test out the material while keeping it under wraps.

Said an insider, “Most stand-ups like to test out their material in smaller clubs before they tape a special,” but Rock “relied on the help of veteran comedy writers to run his jokes by to make sure they were tweaked, solid and funny.”

Rock’s live Netflix special will stream from Baltimore on Saturday.
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Another insider added that the material wouldn’t dominate Rock’s show, but, “People need to tune in till the last joke, they will not be disappointed.”

On Monday, it was reported that Netflix has added pre- and post-show specials to the Rock event, with appearances by Amy Schumer, Jerry Seinfeld, Arsenio Hall, Leslie Jones, David Spade, Dana Carvey, JB Smoove and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Sources say fans should stick around till the final joke.
A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images

Rock initially refrained from mentioning the slap on his recent “Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour” — but then sprinkled in some material at various gigs.

He said on a tour stop in July after Smith posted a video apology to him, “Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.” Rock also told a UK crowd of the incident: “Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us.”

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The Academy says response to Will Smith’s Oscar slap was ‘inadequate’

The Academy has admitted that its handling of the infamous Will Smith “slapgate” at the 2022 Oscars was “inadequate.”

The organization, which votes on nominees, winners, and hosts of the annual ceremony, said Monday that it will be “fully transparent” in the future.

At the organization’s luncheon hosted for this year’s Oscar nominees, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences president Janet Yang spoke about last year’s disastrous event.

“I’m sure you all remember we experienced an unprecedented event at the Oscars,” she said, according to Variety.

“What happened onstage was fully unacceptable and the response from our organization was inadequate.”

“We learned from this that the Academy must be fully transparent and accountable in our actions, and particularly in times of crisis you must act swiftly, compassionately, and decisively for ourselves and for our industry,” she continued.


Will Smith accepts the award for Best Actor in the Leading Role for “King Richard” during the 94th Oscars.
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“You should and can expect no less from us going forward.”

During last year’s Oscar Awards live broadcast, Smith walked onto the stage and struck Rock across the face after the funnyman made a joke about the actor’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Rock compared Pinkett Smith — who suffers from alopecia and shaved her head last summer — to Demi Moore’s bald character “G.I. Jane,” prompting the slap from Smith.

“Keep my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth!” Smith then shouted — twice — after returning to his seat.


Janet Yang said the Academy has learned they “must be fully transparent and accountable” in their actions in times of crisis.
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Less than an hour after, Smith won the Best Actor Oscar for his role in “King Richard,” and even received a standing ovation from the audience.

The “Fresh Prince” star seemingly partied without a care in the world at the Vanity Fair afterparty that night, but the consequences that followed were not so glamorous.

Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences following the uproar about his actions. He has also been banned from any academy events for the next 10 years.

The 2023 Academy Awards take place on March 12.

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Stephen A. Smith no longer wants to be portrayed by Will Smith

Stephen A. Smith’s idea for who should play him in an eventual biopic changed with the Slap Heard ‘Round the World.

Smith appeared on Comedy Central’s “Hell of A Week with Charlamagne Tha God” on Thursday and was asked about who should portray him in the eventual movie.

“Dammit it would’ve been Will Smith before the slap!” Smith said. “But I can’t go with him now.”

At this year’s Academy Awards, Smith bristled at a joke that Chris Rock made about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia and proceeded to walk up to the stage and slap the comedian in the face.

For this behavior, Smith has effectively been placed in the Hollywood penalty box indefinitely.

Charlamagne interjected that Will Smith would be back one day: “He ain’t going nowhere.”

“Listen. He’s Will Smith. We know he’s gonna be back,” Smith responded. “We got love for him. But you just don’t do something like that. You know what I’m saying? Stephen A. wouldn’t do something like that.”

So, who is not disqualified from the role?

“Michael B. Jordan. Omari Hardwick,” Smith suggested. “They both look a hell of a lot better than me but dammit I’m stealing from them so what do you want me to do?”

Stephen A. Smith wanted Will Smith to play him in a biopic — until the Chris Rock slap.
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Will Smith was banned from the Oscars after slapping Chris Rock onstage in March, but he is still able to be nominated and win one.
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Smith said his friend Jamie Foxx would’ve been another choice, because Foxx is trying to do “Tyson,” a biopic of boxer Mike Tyson.

Charlamagne said that Foxx does a great Stephen A. impression.

“He does Tyson exceptionally well,” Smith said. “He does me aight.”

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Will Smith’s post-Oscars film ‘Emancipation’ earns applause

Will Smith is getting back on his feet, months after his infamous Oscars slap.

While the 54-year-old actor has been mostly been staying out of the limelight since he smacked presenter Chris Rock at the ceremony earlier this year, he has a new project in the works that’s already creating buzz.

Smith’s first post-Oscars film, titled “Emancipation,” had a special screening hosted by the NAACP during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51st Annual Legislative Conference on Oct. 1.

The drama stars Smith as a runway slave named Peter who found asylum in Louisiana and winds up joining the Union Army.

The film earned early praise at the event, with the “King Richard” star making an appearance.

“Throughout my career, I’ve turned down many films that were set in slavery,” Smith noted at the screening, via the Hollywood Reporter. “I never wanted to show us like that. And then this picture came along. And this is not a film about slavery. This is a film about freedom. This is a film about resilience. This is a film about faith.”

Smith was banned from attending the Oscars for the next 10 years after he smacked Chris Rock at this year’s show.
WireImage

“This is a film about the heart of a man — what could be called the first viral image,” the father of three added.

An 1863 photo of the enslaved man with scars on his back from being heavily whipped “became one of the most widely circulated images of slavery of its time,” History.com reported. Called “The Scourged Back” or “Whipped Peter,” was used in campaigns by abolitionists in efforts to end slavery.

Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock over a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars in March 2022.
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“Cameras had just been created, and the image of ‘Whipped Peter’ went around the world,” Smith noted. “It was a rallying cry against slavery, and this was a story that exploded and blossomed in my heart that I wanted to be able to deliver to you in a way that only Antoine Fuqua could deliver.”

“Emancipation” was screened on Oct. 1 and the event was hosted by the NAACP.
NAACP

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson praised the film in a tweet after the event.

“I had the pleasure of watching the film #Emancipation and can’t begin to tell how powerful this is for OUR community and OUR history,” Johnson said. “It’s a story of adversity, of resilience, of love, and of triumph. Thank you Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith for sharing your gifts! #ThisIsPower.”

While the Apple TV project has no release date as of yet, it is expected to premiere in 2023.



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